the last resort for contumacy at present, was inflicted on the incorrigible; but not, perhaps, exactly in the modern form: as, it appears, the person offending was only denied the liberty of attending their sacrifices; than which a greater punishment could not be devised in the opinion of the Briton: the contempt of his neighbours was a natural consequence, which, in itself, operated to deprive him of other rights. In some farther assertions respecting the Druids, the Commentator seems to have been misinformed; or, more probably, his work has been interpolated; particularly those parts respecting the Greek characters used by the Druids. That they had some characters to express their ideas, there is no good reason to doubt; and they may have resembled the Grecian; but it is impossible to conceive why they declined committing their history or morals to writing; when, in their public and private accounts, they made use of the letters in question. According to Cæsar, the Druids established schools, and taught the youth they assembled to recite verses from memory; a task which occupied them twenty years. Unfortunately, it may be pretty safely asserted, that not a trace of inscription can be exhibited at present, which is of genuine Druidical origin. Indeed, the rude stones attributed to their erection seem to evince more the greatness of their conceptions, than their abilities in executing them. It was, doubtless, customary to pay the King some tribute for the support of his family and regal state. Before the invention of a medium of metal, or any other substance as money, cattle and the produce of the earth were presented to him: but in what proportion, as to the means of individuals, we are totally unacquainted. Judging from the unsettled state of society, his limited power, and disability to reward in return to any extent, makes it at least problematical whether his revenue exceeded his absolute necessities. We are well aware that even Kings, circumscribed as ours must have been by the Druids, might sometimes gain the affection of the armed multitude by leading them to a successful predatory war, when whatever spoils were obtained were distributed to the Prince. and that multitude as they chose to agree, independent and in defiance of the authority exercised in other respects by the Druids. And in this point of view we may discern the cause of the decline of their power; for, as the ability of the prince to distribute wealth increased, the people were willing to barter even their freedom for it. By these, and perhaps other unknown causes, we find that Caractacus had accumulated a variety of splendid articles, which were displayed with him him at Rome, to increase the honour of his capture. But long before that period, money had been coined by the British princes; and, no doubt, with much profit to themselves. Such were the general forms of this species of Government; which, as it afterwards prevailed in Brittany, some writers suppose was adopted there from England, rather than from thence to England. We may infer from Cæsar, that the husband had the power of sacrificing his wife to his just or unjust resentments. The wife of a chief was subject on the decease of her consort, upon suspicion of violence, to a cruel examination, instituted by his relations; who tortured her servants for evidence, and, on a supposed confirmation of guilt, consigned her to a lingering death by fire. Sir Edward Coke attributes the law existing in England for burning a woman who kills her husband to this very antient custom. other and important occasions they were honoured and consulted, even in matters belonging to their wars and alliances. Amongst their prejudices, they conceived it unlawful to eat either hares, geese, or hens, which they entertained and fed as we now do the cat or dog, for our amusement. On With respect to the customs established generally throughout each little community, those respecting the preservation of property to individuals must have been nearly uniform throughout the world. That which was raised or made by a man was his own, even according to the most irrational ideas of the human race. As to the extent of district for eultivation in each family, agreement in the first instance, and possession in the sequel, secured it to their descendants. Exchanges, or purchases of some description, followed of necessity; either through unavoidable failures, or to supply luxurious fancies. The Druids are said to have kept their code of laws confined to their own breasts; dispensing them from that, and not an established written source, though not ignorant of the use of letters. Policy, it is true, might suggest this mode of increasing their consequence; but it is strange that the antient literati of Rome have not preserved a trace of their written thoughts, if merely as an object of curiosity. When legislation became in some degree understood, we cannot hesitate in admitting that every mode was adopted for securing the produce of the earth, by such prohibitions and penalties as `were suited to the habits of the times. Some of our writers assert, the latter were taken by the injured party from the live stock of the offender in prescribed portions. Theft, probably, received immediate corporal punishment originally; when de tection tection followed the commission of the act, farther refinement required that impartial examination should precede it. Although the form of swearing differed in the various diminutive states of England, yet they all agreed in appealing to their divinities on solemn occasions. The Welsh went farther, and required a certain number of compurgators, who were to attest the truth of any assertion upon oath. Cæsar says, we, in common with the Gauls, employed the torture in particular cases to extort the truth; and, all other evidence failing, recourse was had to divinations, and a species of ordeal. One circumstance mentioned by Pliny, and corroborated by a recent discovery, establishes the fact, that, although we knew nothing of the art of cheese-making, Commerce, or some other means, had procured our chiefs gold for ornament. That author says they wore rings, and circlets of gold on their limbs; and the discovery alluded to, consisted of bracelets and anklets of that valuable metal which may have been worn by some chief who lost his life on the borders of the sea in defence of his country against the Romans, on their first landing near Dover. The information we have on this head is very imperfect, as is that relating to the mode of living of the general mass of the people. Their habitations were, probably, very small; but whether they were invariably of wood, and thatched, or covered with reeds, is problematical; as but little art was required to construct huts of loose stones and mud. That they were situated in the midst of woods, proceeded from two causes; ignorance of agriculture, and of the means of clearing a country effectually and yet, granting that they raised corn, both must in some degree have been understood, as we well know wheat will not grow amongst underwood, and on places shaded by trees. We are not informed how they used their grain; whether it was made into any thing like bread, eaten raw, or prepared by fire: their method of preserving it was by putting it into subterraneous receptacles, in the ear, and threshing it daily as they wanted it. Now it appears doubtful to the author of this work, whether any possible means could be contrived to prevent wheat thus circumstanced from becoming absolutely mouldy and decayed, and utterly unfit for food, certainly for seed, in our humid climate. And this very instance seems fatal to the credibility of the whole superstructure of British manners and customs erected by their invaders, except where no self-evident contradictions exist; one of which occurs in their blindness as to all the arts of domestic comfort, opposed to the refinement of armed chariots. It is certainly a gratifying reflection, that whatever other deficiencies Cæsar may have found in the manners of our nation, want of courage was not of the number; the people acting, in this instance at least, with one impulse, and, implicitly following their chiefs, appeared in dread array upon the cliffs, and convinced the Romans they were not to be subdued without a struggle. Such was the effect of this display of British fortitude on their enemies, that they hesitated, and would, perhaps, have refused to disembark, had not a standard-bearer leaped into the surf alone, and thus compelled the soldiers to follow through very shame. Although military tac.ics were extremely different from those of the present day, and the English might be supposed to fight on terms of some equality through many causes, yet such were the consequences of method and experience that the invaders prevailed for the time. A forced peace ensued; but a favourable opportunity offering, our countrymen surprized a strong foraging party, and with so much success that it required all the address of Cæsar to save his troops. He, however, soon after retaliated, defeated his opponents, and compelled them again to sue for peace. Cæsar left England after a stay of no more than three weeks; and as he afterwards returned with a much larger force, we may conclude his losses were severe, and equal to preventing the possibility of his passing the winter in England. A people so little improved as the British were by social intercourse naturally separated, and became hostile to each other. It had been their constant custom to meet as rivals and enemies in the field, in communities, or petty states; but a common enemy appearing, who would oppress them all if not resisted, they perceived the necessity of uniting, as far as circumstances would permit, for the general defence. A prince who governed the district including Herts, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, named Casibelanus, eminent for his skill and courage, was unanimously chosen General of the confederacy; and exhibited so much spirit and address in his opposition to the legions of Cæsar, on his second invasion, that he soon became convinced he had to contend with a people who, though at enmity when left to themselves, were not to be disunited by any thing short of the most prompt and decisive measures. Casibelanus, true to his country, exerted all the courage and conduct to be expected from a chief who knew nothing of foreign tactics; but he found at length that his soldiers and their leaders became careless and disaffected: they were consequently defeated. He therefore determined to concentrate the best of his troops, and with them harass the Romans Romans at every favourable opportunity, which he did for some time successfully, though frequently interrupted by the schemes of his countrymen; who had, in many cases, made terms with the invader. In the midst of these difficulties Cassibelanus formed the plan of attacking the depositary of the hostile fleet, and destroying it; which seemed practicable from the slight guard left for its protection. In this he was disappointed by the destruction of the party to which the enterprise was entrusted. Thus, deserted and hopeless, he was induced to negotiate with Cæsar; who, soon after, left England with all his army, taking with him hostages for the payment of a tribute, and some prisoners. Every circumstance attending these two distinct operations on the part of the Romans, serves to exalt the character of our ancestors; as it requires neither argument nor reasoning to prove the courage and address necessary to prevent greater success on the part of the legions of the Mistress of the rest of the world. The terrors of invasion were experienced at several periods between the retreat of Cæsar and the reign of Claudius; but those were excited principally to secure the payment of the tribute. In the year 43 a seditious exile from England, the base and infamous Bericus, prevailed upon the Emperor to revenge his quarrel by a descent upon England, though not expressly stating that to be his reason for urging it. Aulus Plautius, an experienced general, and 50,000 men were sent upon this expedition, and landed without opposition. Caractacus and Togodumnus, the sons of the great British Prince Cunobelin, not long before deceased, were the only chiefs who determined to resist the enemy; which they were prevented from doing with the least effect through the interference of Bericus, who conducted the Romans where the connivance of his friends rendered them assistance, and enabled them successively to defeat the brothers. Still farther efforts made on the side of our countrymen almost turned the fortune of war in their favour, and compelled Plautius to demand the presence of the Emperor to complete his difficult task. Thus the hardy natives of our Island had the honour of contending, on their own ground, with two Romans celebrated for their victories and triumphs over other states. Having established the fact, of the early innate courage of our ancestors, I shall not proceed to other transactions of this or subsequent wars, which belong to a different description of work from the present. But it would be unpardonable in the author, were he to omit the tribute due to the memory of the brave Caractacus; a chief equally skilful and courageous with his celebrated opponents. This determined patriot, aware of the advantages aris |