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1 200 b.c. They gave the name of the King who was reigning 

 at that time, and the place where it was mined — viz., Wicklow 

 and Dublin. S. Reinach points out in his interesting article 

 Croissants d'or Irlandais that Ireland was the great gold- 

 producing country of the bronze age, that she exported gold, 

 that this period was long past by Roman times, and that gold 

 has been found in Wicklow in modern times. He proves all 

 this by sound archaeological evidence. Therefore the ancient 

 tradition was not romance or invention. The next point occurs 

 in connection with the iron age. French archaeology tells us that 

 in East Gaul, from the 5th to 3rd centuries B.C. there was a 

 universal custom of burying a chief lying in his chariot with all his 

 weapons, harness, &c. The body was laid with feet towards the 

 open end, the sword on one side, the dagger on the other, spears, 

 shield, &c. Of the date of these burials there can be no doubt 

 from character of pottery and weapons. The custom is never 

 found in burials later than 300 B.C. It prevailed in England also. 

 No case has so far been found in Ireland, but there is a remark- 

 able story in Irish history as follows: — About 300 B.C. a Leinster 

 chief plotted to kill his brother, the King, and seize the throne. 

 He feigned illness, announced he was dying, and said to h'is wife 

 — " Say that I am dead, and lay me in my chariot with my knife 

 in my hand. My brother will come to mourn, will throw himself 

 upon me, and I will stab him." The story goes that this was 

 done ; the brother comes, evidently takes the custom for granted 

 as the ordinary burial custom, and is murdered. Note that the 

 date given for this story coincides with date of custom in France ; 

 also that we are told the mother of these chiefs was a Gaulish 

 princess, and that subsequently the usurper is slain by his nephew 

 with the help of Gaulish soldiers. Note also that no other allusion 

 to such a custom occurs in any other Irish story I know. Here 

 we must have a distinct allusion to a custom extinct over 2,000 

 years ago, but handed down accurately to the 12th century by 

 the old historians, when it was finally preserved in the Book of 



