On the Antiquity of the Gealic Language » 357 



witches or warlocks. N© doubt the goodness of the Magi 

 made them too communicative to the people, who could 

 not well comprehend the principles of things taught them : 

 and hence magicians > witches, and warlocks. 



The Druids (from the nom. phi. Druidghi), or explorers 

 of the wisdom of God, succeeded the Magi* and were in 

 most instances the very contrasts of their predecessors. 

 They nearly kept a total silence, suppressing all kinds o( 

 literature except what they themselves were pleased to teach 

 orally; and even that was but to the flower of the people. 

 There was neither book nor writing of any jrind but what 

 they eagerly sought after; and, if found, as eagerly destroyed. 

 In short, the polity of the Gealic Druids was unhappily 

 such as to destroy all letters and characters, of whatever de- 

 nomination, within their power. Thus the Gealic alpha- 

 bet is irrecoverably lost, if not somehow found in the an- 

 tient Hebrew or in its primary dialects ; but it is feared that 

 those too are gone. The Jews were long captives in ^Egypt; 

 and their language as well as their precept gave naturally 

 way to that of their masters ; nor was Moses, while he led 

 them in the wilderness, inspired to restore them the former 

 though he was the latter, made suitable to man's declining 

 powers ; for now they must be commanded to do their duty, 

 whereas formerly they had the Precept to guide them, with 

 one only command — To withdraw, to replenish the earth. 

 The Gealic numeral characters must have shared the fate of 

 its alphabet, had it not been for the extensive communica- 

 tion that, some time or other prior to the administration of 

 the Druids, its people must have had with other countries 

 out of their influence; and their own transactions at home 

 have kept their names almost pure. 



Notwithstanding the great change that the Hebrew must 

 have suffered during the long captivity of the Jews in ^Egypt, 

 yet the following names seem to retain their antient purity. 

 If we view them along with the Gealic, comparison will 

 £how the affinity or relation they bear one to another. 



Vol. 19. No. 76. Sept, 1804. £ b Hebrew. 



