ERUTA VISCERIBUS TERRÆ EST NOTITIA TANDEM AT QUANTUM POTERIT MULTORUM VINCERE CURA. O! UTINAM POSSIM NERVOSUM CONDERE CARMEN, HÆCCE NOVA ALLICIENS STUDIOSUM INHIARE REPERTA LECTOREM, MERITO LAUDETUR UT INSULA IERNE, PREFACE. Χρόνος άδηλος. SECTION I. "THE beginning of nations, (fays our prince of poets, John Milton) thofe excepted of whom facred books have fpoken, is to this day unknown. Nor only the beginning, but the deeds alfo of many fucceeding ages; yea, periods of ages, either wholly unknown, or obfcured and blemished with fables. That any law or fuperftition of the Druids forbad the Britons to write their memorable deeds, I know not why any, out of Cæfar, fhould alledge. He indeed faith, that their doctrine they thought not lawful to commit to letters; but in moft matters elfe, both in private and publick, among which well may history be reckoned, they used the Greek tongue. And that the British Druids, who taught thofe in Gaul, would be ignorant of any language known and used by their difciples, or fo frequently writing other things, and fo inquifitive into higheft, VOL. IV. No. XIII. B would |