certain, that it was not the same with the Jewish religion, as will immediately appear. Hence we are again driven to the opinion which I have already adopted; that druidism was orginally patriarch, and that by the intercourse of its followers with an idolatrous people, it became at length corrupted with pagan superstition, retaining, however, the grand, distinguishing features of that primitive belief from which it emanated.

That the Celtic religion, or the religion of the druids differed from the patriarchal worship, will appear evident from its teaching the adoration of the sun, moon, and stars. The sun was worshipped generally under the name of Bel; but sometimes by its Celtic appellation Grian. Hence the Apollo Grannius, or Apollo, the Sun, an inscription found in Scotland, which combines its Roman and Irish names. The moon was adored by the name of Samhain on every first of November; some traces of this worship still remain in Ireland. On the first of a new moon it is usual to borrow a piece of silver, which is deemed an omen of plenty during the ensuing month. It is also usual to address the new moon by saying. "As you have found us in peace and prosperity, so leave us in grace and mercy." druids had also their mountain and river gods. To this Ausonius bears testimony; and speaking of a fountain near Bourdeaux, he says, " Divona Celtarum lingua fons addite Divis." They had deities who ruled over the hills, and presided over the vallies. They believed in the transmigration of souls, and consequently in the immortality of our spiritual essences. Ruanus, in our ancient druidic theology, is reported to have lived many centuries. This doctrine also appears from the dialogue which is supposed to have taken place between Oisin, who lived in the second century, and St. Patrick who lived in the fifth. The golden calf was a principal divinity among the Milesians, whose worship continued down to the intro

The

must have insensibly adopted many of their idolatrous rites, and by the continual commerce of both people they must at last have but one compound system of worship, the opinions and doctrines of both gradually. blending with each other, till at length neither could recognize their own belief. Here, then, we perceive, that if the facts related in our early annals be true, a system of patriarchal and idolatrous worship must have prevailed in Ireland, and we have already shewn, that druidism was such a compound. Hence then it follows, from the rigid facts laid down in our early annals, that if Ireland was not the original seat of druidism, at least such a system as we know druidism to have been, must have obtained in Ireland, at least within a century after the establishment of the Milesian colony; for it would require a century, before the national manners and the national religion of the conquerors and the conquered, could be perfectly blended and lost in each other. But in this assumption we are not merely warranted by rational deductions, but also by the earliest records of our history. For we are told, that the first person who publickly offered idolatrous worship, was Tighernmas, the middle of whose reign is placed in the hundred and fourth year after the arrival of the Milesians.

It appears, therefore, from our ancient annals, that though they are totally silent as to the origin of the druids, yet if the facts stated in them be true, such a system as druidism, no matter by what name it may have been called, must have sprung up in Ireland. But if it can also be shewn, that not only the very name of druid, but also the names of all the different orders, connected with them, are pure Irish, and not to be traced to any other language, it a mounts to a proof, as irrefutable as history can produce, that Ireland was the original fountain of druidic worship.

The word deir is radical Irish for an oak, and the d

VOL. I.

druids have been always called in our language by the name of draithe, from which druid is evidently derived, the I and D being formerly commutable, and frequently used for each other. The æromancy of the Greeks is by us called cea-draithact, and second sight, a gift with which the druids were supposed to have been endowed, is known by the term draithfhiois, or druidic knowledge. The bardi, an inferior order of the druids, is radical Irish, and derived from the bared or honorary cap, conferred on the bards when they took the degree of doctors in poetry. As every art and science was hereditary in families among the ancient Irish, we find that one of these families still retains the name of their profession; namely, the Wards, called, in Irish, Mac-en-Bhard, or the son of the bard,―bard being Irish for a poet. The Samnothei were another order of druids, of whom different accounts have been given, but none satisfactory. Diogenes Laertius derives their name from Σεμνά verandus and OEOL Deus. But as they were an order of druidic priests, it is more reasonable to seek the root of the word in some dialect of the Celtic language. We have already observed, that the 1st of November was dedicated to Samhuin. On this eve, the great fire of Samhuin was lighted up, and given out by the samnothei, or priests of Samhuin, to kindle the domestic fires of each family, which were extinguished on this eve. For this fire the head of each family paid an annual tax. The great temple of Samhuin was Tlachta, in Meath.We see then that the samnothei were an inferior order of druids who flourished in Ireland; and the name too, like that of the druids and bards, is radical Irish, being derived from samh, acceptable, and Dia, God, i. e. an order of people acceptable to God. From Samhuin, the Sence, or druidic priestesses, also derived their name. To proceed farther with the etymology of the names of our ancient druidic priests would only be tiresome. From what we have said, it is clear

that the names of the various orders of druids are radical Irish words, and that if even these names were not Irish, yet such an order as the druids, by whatever name they might have been called, would have sprung up in Ireland.

It is reasonable to suppose, that druidism must have chiefly flourished in whatever country gave it birth; and that its prevalence in other countries must have been in proportion to their contiguity to this original source, from which its doctrines emanated. This observation, if just, will afford another argument in support of the opinion that Ireland was its original source. For if we suppose that it originated in Gaul, it would have prevailed more in Germany than in Britain, more in Britain than in Ireland. But the reverse is the truth; and so well was it known in the time of Cæsar, that it did not proceed from east to west, that he tells us-"This order of men were said to take their rise in Britain, and thence to pass over into Gaul. Disciplina in Britannia reperta, atque inde in Galliam translata esse existimatur. This opinion only shews that druidism originated in the West, for we cannot suppose, that a man like Cæsar, continually engaged in warfare and the bustles of a military life, could have taken the trouble of ascertaining the particular spot in the west of Europe that first gave rise to the religion of the druids. It is as much as we could expect from him to know, that the Celtic religion first arose in the west, and thence proceeded to Gaul, and therefore it is not necessary to make any alteration in his text, as Dr. O'Halloran has done, who instead of in Britannia reperta imagines that Cæsar wrote, in insulis Britannia reperta. Cæsar himself does not positively assert that Britain was the fountain of Druidism, but that such an opinion prevailed-which proves if not the place, at least the quarter from which it came. Even the English writers themselves reject the entire of this passage in Cæsar, because they will not allow, from the acknowledged

ignorance of the Britons, that they could have invented a system of religion, fraught with such exalted sentiments, and such elevated notions of the Deity, as appears in the theology of the druids. The ignorance and barbarity of the Britons, in these early times, is acknowledged by all the English writers, from Ninnius to Rowland, who contended that Anglesea was the prime seat of druidism. He acknowledges, however, that "the very druids of Britain neither kept nor transmitted to posterity any monuments of their country." The reason is very obvious: they were totally unacquainted with the art of writing; but Dr. Rowland will have it, that it was a principle of the British and Gallic druids, to commit no part of their knowledge to writing, a principle which he says was neglected by the druids of Ireland. The fact, however, is, that the use of letters, was confined to Ireland, for some hundred years after the arrival of the Milesians, and therefore such of the Galls as wished to be perfect in their profession, came over to complete themselves, under the direction of the Irish druids. Dr. Rowland himself allows, that about nine hundred years before the christian era, the principal college of the Irish druids was established at Tara. How inconsistent is he then in affirming, that the surrounding nations were instructed in their religion by the British druids, while he unhesitatingly admits their ignorance of letters and learning, which he acknowledges the Irish to possess. "They were themselves," says he, talking of the British druids, so extremely proud and ignorant that they carefully avoided any communication by letters;" compare this character of the British, with that which he gives of the Irish druids. "The Irish memoirs,” says he," are undoubtedly, in many things, of good report and credit, and supported by many reasons in defence of them. That the Irish had early learning among them, such at least as related to family history and the like, and that they made the best use of it cannot be questioned: their druids having less of