them; and the traces of it being found in places fo widely diftant from each other, ferves only to fhew the extent of their ancient power, but throws very little light on their history.

Of all the Celtic nations, that which poffeffed old Gaul, is the most renowned; not perhaps on account of worth fuperior to the reft, but for their wars with a people, who had hiftorians to transmit the fame of their enemies, as well as their own, to pofterity. Britain was first peopled by them, according to the testimony of the best authors (*); its fituation in respect to Gaul makes the opinion probable: but what puts it beyond all dispute, is that the fame cuftoms and language prevailed among the inhabitans of both in the days of Julius Cæfar (†),

The colony from Gaul posfeffed themselves, at first, of that part of Britain, which was next to their own country; and spreading northward, by degrees, as they increased in numbers, peopled the whole ifland. Some adventurers paffing over from thofe parts of Britain, that (a) 3

(*) Caf. 1. 5. Agric. l. I. c. 2.

(+) Cæfar, Pomp. Mela, Tacitus.

are

are within fight of Ireland, were the founders of the Irish nation; which is a inore probable ftory, thaif the idle fables of Milefian and Gallician colonies. Diodorus Siculus (†) mentions it as a thing well known in his time, that the inhabitants of Ireland were originally Britons; and his teftimony is unquestionable, when we confider, that, for many ages, the language and cuttoms of both nations were the fame,

Tacitus was of opinion, that the ancient Caledonians were of German extract. By the language and customs, which always prevailed in the North of Scotland, and which are undoubtedly Celtic, one would be tempted to differ in opinion from that celebrated writer. The Germans, properly fa called, were not the fame with the ancient Celta. The manners and cuftoms of the two nations were fimilar; but their language different. The Germans (*) are the genuine defcendants of the ancient Daæ, afterwards well known by the name of Daci, and paffed originally into Europe by the way of the northern countries, and settled beyond the Danube, towards the vast regions of Transfilvania, Wallachia, and

Molda

(†) Diod. Sic. I. 5.
(*) Strabo, 1. 7.

Moldavia; and from thence advanced by degrees into Germany. The Celta (†), it is certain, sent many colonies into that country, all of whom retained their own laws, language, and cuftoms; and it is of them, if any colonies came from Germany into Scotland, that the ancient Caledonians were defcended.

But whether the Caledonians were a colony of the Celtic Germans, or the fame with the Gauls that firft

1

posfeffed themselves of Britain, is a matter of no moment at this distance of time. Whatever their origin was, we find them very numerous in the time of Julius Agricola, which is a prefumption that they were long before fettled in the country. The form of their government was a mixture of aristocracy and monarchy, as it was in all the countries where the Druids bore the chief fway. This order of men feems to have been forined on the fame fytem with the Dactyli Idai and Curetes of the ancients. Their pretended intercourse with heaven, their magic and divination were the fame. The knowledge of the Druids in natural caufes, and the properties of certain things, the fruit of the experiments of ages, gained them a mighty reputation among the people. The esteem of the populace foon increafed into a

(†) Cef. 1. 6. Liv. 1. 5. Tac. de mor. Germ.

veneration for the order; which a cunning and ambi

tious tribe of men took care to improve, to fuch a de

1

gree, that they, in a manner, ingroffed the management of civil, as well as religious, matters. It is gene rally allowed that they did not abuse this extraordinary. power; the preferving their character of fanctity was fo effential to their influence, that they never broke out into violence or oppreffion. The chiefs were allowed to exfecute the laws, but the legislative power was entirely: in the hands of the Druids (*). It was by their authority. that the tribes were united, in times of the greatest dan ger, under one head. This temporary king, or Vergobretus (†), was chosen by them, and generally laid down his office at the end of the war. These priests enjoyed long this extraordinary privilege among the Celtic nations, who lay beyond the pale of the Roman empire. It was in the beginning of the fecond century, that their power among the Caledonians begun to decline. The poems,

that celebrate Trathal and Cormac, ancestors to Fingal, are full of particulars concerning the fall of the Druids, which account for the total filence concerning their religion, in the poems that are now given to the public.

(*) Cæfi I. 6.

(†) Fergubreth, the man to judge.

The

to

The continual wars of the Caledonians against the Romans hindered the nobility from initiating themsel ves, as the custom formerly was, into the order of the Druids. The precepts of their religion were confined a few, and were not much attended to by a people inured to war. The Vergobretus, or chief magistrate, was chofen without the concurrence of the hierarchy, or continued in his office against their will. Continual power strengthened his intereft among the tribes, and enabled him to fend down, as hereditary to his pofterity, the office he had only received himself by election.

On occafion of a new war against the King of the World, as the poems emphatically call the Roman emperor, the Druids, to vindicate the honour of the order, began to refume their ancient privilege of chufing the Vergobretus. Garmal, the son of Tarno, being deputed by them, came to the grandfather of the celebrated Fingal, who was then Vergobretus, and commanded him, in the name of the whole order, to lay down his office. Upon his refusal, a civil war cominenced, which foon ended in almoft the total exftinction of the religious order of the Druids. A few that remained, retired to the dark receffes of their groves, and the caves they had formerly used for their meditations. It is then (a) 5

we