0- ARCADIA. 357 



diredly oppofite to Lutetia. They were under 

 the command of the larle Carniit^ third fon of 

 Tendal^ Prince of the North. Carnut was on his 

 return from laying wafte all the coafts of the Hy- 

 perborean Sea, over which he had fpread horror 

 and devaftation. He was fecretly favoured in Gaul 

 by the Druids, who, like all weak men, take the 

 fide of thofe who have rendered themfelves formi- 

 dable. As foon as Carnut had landed, he went ia 

 fearch of ,'King BarduSy and faid to him : " Let us 

 ** fight, thou and 1, at the head of our warriors : 

 " the weakeft (hall obey the ftrongeft; for it is 

 '* the firft Law of Nature, that every thing fhould 

 " yield to force." King Bardiis replied : " Oh, 

 " Carnut ! If the point in difpute were the hazard- 

 *' ing of my own life, for the defence of my 

 *' people, I would, without hefitation, expofe it. 

 *' But I will not expofe the lives of my people, 

 ** were it even to lave my own. It is goodnefs, 

 " and not force, which ought to be the choice of 

 *' Kings. It is goodnefs only, which governs the 

 *' World, and it employs, for that purpofe, intel- 

 ** ligence and flrength, which are fubordinate to 

 " it, as are all the other Powers of the Univerfe. 

 *' Valiant fon of Tendal^ fince thou.wifliefl: to go- 

 " vern men, let us try whether of the two, you or 

 *' I, is the mod capable of doing them good. Be- 

 *' hold thefe poor Qauls entirely naked. Without 

 *' making ofFenfivc dbmparifons, I have feveral 

 A a 3 ** times 



