226 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



" In the first place, then, uncle, what were 

 those mysterious Druids ?" 



" The Druids were the priests or ministers of 

 the religion of the ancient Britons. Their wor- 

 ship was devoted chiefly to the sun ; but they 

 had, it is thought, several inferior deities. They 

 offered human victims in sacrifice, and practised 

 many extraordinary rites ; the caverns and gloomy 

 groves of oak in which they dwelt, and the dread 

 which hung over their mysterious worship, gave 

 them a terrific influence over the minds of the 

 people. Music aided superstition in preserving 

 this influence ; for they were attended by bards, 

 whose effusions, supposed to be inspired, either 

 raised or lulled the passions as they chose. This 

 is expressed in the address of the chorus in 

 Caractacus to Mador the chief of bards : 



Mador, them 



Alone shalt lift thy voice ; no choral peal 

 Shall drown thy solemn warblings ; thou best know'st 

 That opiate charm which lulls corporeal sense : 

 Thou hast the key, great Bard ! that best can ope 

 The portal of the soul ; unlock it straight, 

 And lead the pensive pilgrim on her way 

 Through the vast regions of futurity. 



" The Druids alone had the privilege of wear- 

 ing white clothes ; their persons were inviolable; 

 and they were exempted from all service and 

 taxes. What little knowledge there was iti those 

 times was entirely confined to them; so that, 



