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 also known, but not in common use, as the inhabitants had but little knowledge how to dig, refine, or improve them. Pearls alfo were frequently found on their fhores, but neither clear nor coloured like the oriental; and therefore, in no great esteem 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 thefe fmall principalities descended by succession, or were elected in confequence of the advantages of age, wifdom, 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 consent, 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 person of such power, it is easy to fuppofe, 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 horfe into the field upon great occafions. They likewife 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. Thefe darted their javelins against the enemy, ran along the beam, leapt on the ground, refumed their feat, ftopt, or turned their horfes 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 inftructed 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 fkill 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 tranfimigration 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 breafts of the prifoners taken in war, and prophefied from the manner in which the blood happened to ftream from the wound. Their altars confifted of four broad ftones, three fet edge-ways, and the fourth at top, many many of which remain to this day. Το these rites, tending to imprefs ignorance with awe, they added the aufterity of their manners, and the fimplicity of their lives. They lived in woods, caves, and hollow trees; their food was acorns and berries, and their drink water; by these arts, they were not only respected, but almost adored by the people. They were admired not only for knowing more than other men, but for defpifing what all others valued and purfued. Hence they were patiently permitted to punish and correct crimes from which they themselves were fuppofed to be wholly free; and their authority was fo great, that not only the property, but also the lives of the people were entirely at their difpofal. No laws were inftituted by the princes, or common affemblies, without their advice and approbation; no perfon was punished by bonds, or death, without their paffing fentence; no plunder taken in war was used by the captor until the Druids determined what part they fhould feclude for themselves. It may be eafily fuppofed, that the manners of the people took a tincture from the discipline of their teachers. Their lives were fimple, but they were marked with cruelty and fierceness; their courage was great, but neither dignified B 4 dignified by mercy nor perfeverance. In short, to have a juft idea of what the Britons then were, we have only to turn to the favage nations which still fubfift in primeval rudeness. Temperate rather from neceffity than choice; patient of fatigue, yet inconftant in attachment; bold, improvident, and rapacious; fuch is the picture of favage life at prefent, and fuch it appears to have been from the beginning. Little entertainment, therefore, can be expected from the accounts of a nation thus circumstanced, nor can its transactions come properly under the notice of the historian, fince they are too minutely divided to be exhibited at one view; the actors are too barbarous to intereft the reader; and no skill can be shewn in developing the motives and councils of a people chiefly actuated by fudden and tumultuary gufts of paffion, СНАР, |