the service more plainly than the rest, a rich altar of unknown materials; and to Teilo, “a curious bell, which sounded every hour, without being touched." (i. e. a watch or clock) às recorded in the book of Llandaff. See Robert's

Appendix. And the fame of these Pilgrims is thus celebrated in Triad 19. "The three blessed guests of Britain, were Dewi, Padarn, and Teilo. They were so called, because they visited the houses of rich and poor, native and foreign ; accepting neither money, nor meat, nor drink; but teaching the Christian Faith to every one without fee or reward. On the contrary, they distributed money, food, and clothing to the poor."

Such was the pure and primitive Religion, and discipline that prevailed among the Britons for the first five centuries. In the sixth, and seventh, they strenuously opposed the errors and corruptions, and usurpations of the Church and See of Rome, when attempted to be introduced by the emissaries of Pope Gregory I. or the Great, Austin the Abbot, and his associates ; as shall be shown in the sequel.

SECTION III.

INTRODUCTION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY IN IRELAND.

ALTHOUGH Ireland was never invaded by the Romans, it soon attracted their notice, after they had established themselves in Britain; and they formed plans for its subjugation likewise; which were frustrated only by the irruption of the Northern Horde, which furnished more than sufficient employment for their troops at home. This we learn from Tacitus, in his Life of Agricola, c. 23, 24.

He there informs us, that Agricola, having driven the enemy, in his third campaign, A.D. 80, into Caledonia, beyond Clota and Bodotria, or the rivers Clyde and Forth, as it were into another island, spent his fourth campaign, A.D. 81, in securing his conquests, by a chain of forts, stretching across the narrow isthmus, of not more than thirty miles across; beginning at Dunbarton, westward, and extending eastward to Arthur's Oven, near the firth of Forth; the ruins of which are described in Gordon's Itinerary, p. 20, 21. In his fifth campaign, A.D. 82, Agricola crossed the estuary of the Clyde, or gulph of Dunbarton,

in the first Roman vessel ever seen in those seas, In the mean time, his army marched over the isthmus, probably near Dunbarton, and after several successful engagements, making a rapid progress through Argyleshire, he advanced to the sea coast, in sight of Ireland; which he occupied with a body of troops, rather with a view to future conquest there, than from any fear of being attacked from thence. He saw, that Ireland, lying midway between Britain and Spain *, and convenient to the Gallic sea, if united with them, would compose the most powerful part of the Roman empire, by their great mutual advantages of commercial intercourse. Ireland, Tacitus observes, is less than Britain, but larger than any of the islands in the Mediterranean sea. Its soil and climate, the genius and manners of the natives, differ not much from Britain; its coasts and harbours, however, are better known to [foreign] traders and merchants, [than those of Britain t.] After this description of the country,

*Medio inter Britanniam et Hispaniam sita.-This is inaccurate; for Ireland is much nearer Britain than Spain, and shows how ignorant the Romans were of that island, even in Tacitus's time,

+ Solum cœlumque et ingenia cultusque hominum haud multum a Britannia differunt: melius aditus portusque per commercia et negociatores cogniti. Brotier, in his notes, supplies the ellipsis, by [quam interiora]; intimating, that

he relates, that one of their petty kings having been expelled in a domestic sedition, was kindly

the coasts and harbours of Ireland were better known to merchants in general, than the interior parts. But this is a truism. It is better supplied here in the text, according to the ingenious interpretation of Dr. O'Conor:-Tacito testante, maritima Hiberniæ, negociatoribus notiora esse quam Britanniæ: id certe, non de negociatoribus Romanis, quorum nulla erant cum Hiberuis commercia, sed de alienis dictum esse; ipsa Taciti de Hiberniâ ignorantia demonstrat. Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores Antiqui, Vol. I. Proleg. I. p.

45.

These foreign merchants were the Phænicians, Carthaginians, Spaniards, and Grecians, who, from the earliest times, carried on a considerable commerce with the British isles, for tin especially, and other articles; and gave them in exchange many curious and valuable commodities, in gold and silver utensils, linens, cloths, dyes, purple, &c. as appears from the gold and silver ingots, double-headed pateræ, or censers for incense, bracelets, necklaces, diadems, &c. of considerable value, which have been repeatedly found from time to time in the deepest bogs, and in the sacred caves and caverns, or cemeteries throughout Ireland; and especially in the Southern parts, first visited by the Phænicians. See Gen. Vallancey's Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Vol. VI. Part I. and II.

The Phænicians studiously concealed the route of this lucrative traffic from the Greeks, and Romans, as long as they could. Strabo relates, that the Romans once followed a Phænician vessel bound from Gades to the British isles, in order to discover these marts themselves: but the captain of the vessel, jealous of their design, purposely ran his ship on

received by Agricola, and under the appearance of friendship was retained for future service, on a favourable occasion. I have often, says Tacitus, heard from him, that Ireland might be subdued, and held by a single legion and a moderate auxiliary force: And that this would further tend to keep Britain in awe, if the Roman arms prevailed every where, and liberty was removed, as it were, out of sight. But Agricola, having been re-called to Rome, in A.D. 85, by Domitian, jealous of his military fame after the entire reduction of Britain, the opportunity of invading Ireland, at that time, was lost, and never occurred again.

This curious account of Tacitus is confirmed by the Irish Annals. From them we learn, that this refugee Chieftain was no other than the celebrated Tuathal, surnamed Teashtmar, and by a Roman name, Bonaventura, the son of Fiacha V. of the race of Heremon, who succeeded to the monarchy of Ireland in A.D. 73. Fiacha, in the seventh year of his reign, A.D. 80, was treacherously massacred at a public banquet in Connaught, with his principal nobility of the Milesian race, by the plebeian Firbolgs, (Viri Belga,) headed

a shoal, in order to lead his followers into the same disaster. And having returned home after his shipwreck, he was repaid out of the public treasury, for the loss of his cargo; Proleg. I. p. 240,