A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 



The immenfe power that the Druids 

 had acquired, drew upon them the ven- 

 geance of the Romans, who, in other 

 inftances, were not often intolerant. 

 The pretext for firft attacking them, 

 was the cruelty committed in their fa- 

 cred rites; but the true reafon was cer- 

 tainly the great influence that they^ 

 had obtained over the people. The au- 

 thority of the Druids in Gaul, was, by 

 various means, fo much reduced in the 

 time of Claudius, , that they are faid to 

 have been entirely deftroyed there, about 

 the year 45, by that Emperor. And in 

 Britain, Suetonius Paul inns, the Gover- 

 nor of the country under Nero, having 

 taken the ifland of Anglefea, not only 

 cut down the facred groves of the Dru- 

 ids, and overturned their altars, but alfo 

 gonfumed many of the Druids them- 

 folves, in thofe fires that had been kin- 

 died for facrificing the Roman captives, 

 Lad that army been defeated.* 



* Tacit. Ann. XIV. 30. 



Im- 



