ARCADIA. 333 



liberty excepted, differed, in nothing, from that 

 of my mafters. Every thing was in comtnon be- 

 tween us, provifxon, habitation, and the earth upon 

 which we flept, wrapped up in ikins. They had 

 even fo much confideration for my youth, as to 

 give me the eafieft part of their labours to perform. 

 In a (liort time, 1 was able to converfe with them. 

 This is what I learnt of their government and cha- 

 raâ:er. 



Gaul is peopled with a great number of petty 

 Nations, fome of which are governed by Kings, 

 others by Chiefs, called larles ; but all fubjefted 

 to the power of the Druids, who unite them all 

 under the fame religion, and govern them with fo 

 much the greater facility, that they are divided by 

 a thoufand different cuftoms. The Druids have 

 perfuaded thefe Nations that they are defcended 

 from P/«/o, the God of the Infernal Regions, 

 whom they call Hxder, or the Blind. This is the 

 reafon that the Gauls reckon by nights, and not 

 by days, and that they reckon the hours of the day 

 from the middle of the night, contrary to the prac- 

 tice of all other Nations. They adore feveral other 

 Gods, as terrible as Hœder ; fuch as Niorder, the 

 mailer of the winds, who daflies veffcls on their 

 coafts, in order, they fay, to procure ihem plun- 

 der. They, accordingly, believe, that every (hip 

 which is wrecked upon their Ihores, is fent ihem 



by 



