riety of opinions upon this head ferve to prove the futility of all.

It will therefore be fufficient to obferve, that this beautiful ifland, by fome thought the largest in the world, was called Britannia by the Romans long before the time of Cæfar. It is fuppofed, that this name was originally given it by the merchants who reforted hither from the Continent. These called the inhabitants by one common name of Briths, from the custom among the natives of painting their naked bodies, and small shields, with an azure blue, which in the language of the country was called Brith, and which ferved to diftinguish them from those strangers who came among them for the purposes of trade or alliance.

The Britons were but very little known to the rest of the world before the time of the Romans. The coafts oppofite Gaul indeed were frequented by merchants who traded thither for fuch commodities as the natives were able to produce. Thefe, it is thought, after a time, poffeffed themselves of all the maritime places where they had at first been permitted to refide. There, finding the country fertile, and commodiously fituated for trade, they fettled upon the fea-fide, and in

troduced

troduced the practice of agriculture. But it was very different with the inland inhabitants of the country, who confidered themfelves as the lawful poffeffors of the foil. These avoided all correfpondence with the new comers, whom they confidered as intruders upon their property.

The inland inhabitants are represented as extremely numerous, living in cottages thatched with straw, and feeding large herds of cattle. Their houfes were fcattered all over the country, without obfervance of order or distance, being placed at fmaller or greater intervals as they were invited by the fertility of the foil, or the convenience of wood and water. They lived moftly upon milk, or flesh procured by the chace. What cloaths they wore to cover any part of their bodies, were ufually the fkins of beasts; but much of their bodies, as the arms, legs, and thighs, was left naked, and those parts were usually painted blue. Their hair, which was long, flowed down upon their backs and shoulders, while their beards were kept close fhaven, except upon the upper lip, where it was fuffered to grow. The dress of favage nations is every where pretty much the fame, being calculated rather to inspire terror than to excite love or respect.

The commodities exported from Britain were chiefly hides and tin. This metal was then thought peculiar to the island, and was in much request abroad, both in nearer and remoter regions. Some filver mines were alfo known, but not in common use, as the inhabitants had but little knowledge how to dig, refine, or improve them. Pearls also were frequently found on their fhores, but neither clear nor coloured like the oriental; and therefore, in no great efteem among ftrangers. They had but little iron; and what they had, was used either for arms, or for rings, which was a fort of money current among them. They had brafs money alfo, but this was all brought from abroad.

Their language, customs, religion, and government, were generally the fame with those of the Gauls, their neighbours of the Continent. As to their government, it confifted of feveral small principalities, each under its respective leader; and this feems to be the earlieft mode of dominion with which mankind is acquainted, and deduced from the natural privileges of paternal'authority. Whether these small principalities defcended by fucceffion, or were elected in confequence of the advantages of age, wisdom, or valour in the families of the princes,

princes, is not recorded. Upon great, or uncommon dangers, a commander in chief was chofen by common confent, in a general affembly; and to him was committed the conduct of the general intereft, the power of making peace, or leading to war. In the choice of a perfon of fuch power, it is easy to suppose, that unanimity could not alway be found; whence it often happened, that the separate tribes were defeated one after the other before they could unite under a fingle leader for their mutual fafety.

Their forces confifted chiefly of foot, and yet they could bring a confiderable number of horse into the field upon great occafions. They likewise used chariots in battle, which, with fhort scythes fastened to the ends of the axletrees, inflicted terrible wounds, fpreading terror and devastation wherefoever they drove. Nor while the chariots were thus destroying, were the warriors who conducted them unemployed. These darted their javelins against the enemy, ran along the beam, leapt on the ground, refumed their feat, ftopt, or turned their horses at full speed, and fometimes cunningly retreated, to draw the enemy into confufion. Nothing can be more terrible than the idea of a charioteer thus driving furiously in the midft of dangers; but these machines feem to have

been more dreadful than dangerous, for they were quickly laid afide, when this warlike people was instructed in the more regular arts of war.

The religion of the Britons was one of the moft confiderable parts of their government; and the Druids, who were the guardians of it, poffeffed great authority among them. These endeavoured to imprefs the minds of the people with an opinion of their skill in the arts of divination; they offered facrifices in public and private, and pretended to explain the immediate will of Heaven. No fpecies of fuperftition was ever more terrible than theirs; befides the fevere penalties which they were permitted to inflict in this world, they inculcated the eternal tranfmigration of fouls, and thus extended their authority as far as the fears of their votaries. They facrificed human victims, which they burned in large wicker idols, made fo capacious as to contain a multitude of perfons at once, who were thus confumed together. The female Druids plunged their knives into the breasts of the prifoners taken in war, and prophefied from the manner in which the blood happened to stream from the wound. Their altars confifted of four broad ftones, three fet edge-ways, and the fourth at top,

many