to have been emblematic of the trinity, viz: What are the objects of 

 Druidism ? To make men brave in battle — to teach them that their 

 souls are immortal, and that another life awaits them beyond the grave. 

 What are the foundations of knowledge ? Bold design, frequent prac- 

 tice, frequent mistakes. What are the foundations of learning ? Seeing 

 much, suffering much, studying much. Their idea of the "three circles," 

 of space, of courses, of happiness, under which the whole universe of 

 mind and matter, of action and passion, was comprised, is not unworthy 

 of the shrewdness of modern metaphysics. The regular gradation of 

 being and virtue from Jlmoom to the right hand of the Godhead, is a 

 beautiful and rational fiction, worthy of the brightest fancy and the deepest 

 reason. 



Their worst feature, and that which robs the whole system of half 

 its charms, and half its beauty, was their prodigality of human life: their 

 exalted idea of God induced them to think that any oblation less than 

 man was an abomination. But human sacrifice was no necessary part 

 of their religion — sometimes it obtained, sometimes it did not; it was 



* * "A baleful rite. 

 That, in the lapse of ages, h.ad crept o'er 

 Diluvian truths, and patriarchal lore." 



With the Druids there was no idolaty — no downright, plain, culpa- 

 ble deification of created things; if there was any, it was, like the Per- 

 sians, purely symbolical. At first they worshipped God, in his star-lit 

 chambers, and roofless temple, and open firmament, in purity and in re- 

 ligion, ; but the contemplation, much less the worship of God, incom- 

 prehensible, invisible, and uncreateti, is a task beyond the powers of man 

 without the Holy Spirit and the Gospel. It was too great a task even 

 for the Druids — then they worsliipped the sun and moon — however, 

 only as symbols of the unseen God. 



Druidism was potent, not only in its reality, but in its mystery; and 

 there was mystery in it — mystery enough to chain the homage and faith 

 of a rude people for centuries — mystery enough to challege the venera- 

 tion of fierce enemies — mystery enough to perpetuate its influence gen- 

 eration after generation — mystery enough to baffle long the efforts of op- 

 position, of time, and of truth — mystery enough to repay ten-fold the 

 curious student — and there is mystery in it still. Yes, this dim spirit of 

 mystery which wings its way to us through "the voiceless twilight of 

 ages," still has a potent spell for the soul. 



College of St. James, Md. 



