152 Druidism in connection with Wiltshire. 
colony that came over from the Continent, who inhabited the 
South of England, when it was invaded by the Romans under 
Julius Cxsar. They are in all probability the remains of the Bel- 
gae, of which Stukeley considers the name Welsh to be a corruption, 
Ouelgai in Greek, Belgischen and Welschen, in German: and he 
mentions that Strabo alludes to their manufacture of flannel, called 
lainae, for which the Welsh are to this day celebrated. The Picts, 
Scots, Gauls, Irish, and inhabitants of Cornwall are the remains of the 
ancient Pheenician colony and primitive Celts; everything ancient 
is denominated Irish by the Welsh to this day. They are perfectly 
aware that they were not the Aboriginal inhabitants of England, 
who were driven at different periods northward and westward into 
Scotland and Ireland, and probably after the invasion of the Romans. 
“The Irish therefore, or ancient Scottish,” says Stukeley, ‘is the 
remnant of the Phenician language, mixed with old Biscayan and 
Gallic, dialects of Celts; and some Oriental,—Arabic in particular, 
—as Mr. Toland (in his history of the Druids) observes. They are 
the descendants of the people who built Stonehenge, and the likey 
works; whence spring the strange reports of these stones, coming 
from Egypt, from Africa, from Spain, and from Ireland, as retaining 
some memory of the steps, by which the people who preceded their 
ancestors, travelled; nor they themselves nor even the Belgae pre- 
tending to be the builders of this wonderful work. For the Belgae 
could not be ignorant of their own coming from the Gallic conti- 
nent.” 
Cesar informs us in his Commentaries,! that among the Druids 
one has the supreme authority, and when he is dead the next in 
order succeeds, (by the votes of the Druidical college, if there 
be several candidates,) and is called the Archdruid.” At a certain 
fixed time of the year the Gaulish Druids meet, in the territories of 
the Carnutes, which country is in the middle of Gaul, in a conse- 
crated place. Hither all persons from all quarters come, who have 
any controversy, and stand to their determination. ‘The discipline 
of the Druids arose in Britain, and is said from thence to have been 
brought into Gaul: and now they who design to be more thoroughly 
initiated therein, go over (to Britain) to learn. Ou this statement Dr. 
ae ' Book vi. 13. 
