GERMANY. 



example anJ falhion. Tacitus c\njcntly indulges an lioncfl 

 pleafure in the conlrafl of barbarian virtue with the diir<)lute 

 condud of the Roman ladies ; yet there ave fome ftriking 

 circumflaiices thai give an air oi' trutli, at leall of probabU 

 litv, to the conjugal faitli and chaility of the Germans. 

 I'he German huts, open on every fide to the eye of indif- 

 cretion or jealoufy, -vvcre a better fafeguai'd of conjugal fi- 

 delity than the walls, the bolts, and the eunuchs of a IVr- 

 fian haram. Befides, the Germans treated their women with 

 elleem and contldence, confultcd them on every occafion of 

 importance, and fondly believed that in their breails refided 

 a fanftity and wifdo:n more tiian human. Some of thefe in- 

 terpreters of fate, fucli as Valleda, in the Batavian war, go- 

 verned, in iIr* name of the Deity, the fierceil nations of Ger- 

 many. The reft of the fcx, without being adored as god- 

 defles, were rcfpefted as the free and equal companions of 

 foldicrs ; aiTociated, even by the marriage ceremony, to a 

 life of toil, of danger, and of glory. In their great inva- 

 fions, the camps of the barbarians were filled with a multi- 

 tude of women, who remained finn and undaunted amidtt 

 the found of arms, the various forms of deftruttion, and the 

 honourable wounds of their fons and hufoands. 'J'he women 

 dreaded death much lefs than lervitude. If the day was ir- 

 recoverably loft they well knew how to deliver themfelves 

 and their children, with their own hands, from an infuking 

 viitor. Heroines of fuch a call may claim our admiration; 

 but they were moft afturedly neither lovely, nor very lufcep- 

 tible of love. 



Confcious pride taught the German females to fupprefs 

 erery tender emotion that flood in competition with honour, 

 and the firft honour of the fex has ever been that of chaf- 

 tity. 



The religious fyftem of the Germans was dictated by their 

 wants, their fears, and their ignorance. They adored the 

 great vifible objefts and agents of nature, the fun and the 

 moon, the fire and the earth ; together with thofe imagina- 

 ry deities who were fuppofcd to prefide over the moft im- 

 portant occupations of human life. Tliey were perfuaded 

 that by fome ridiculous arts of divination, they could dilco- 

 ver the will of thj fuperior beings, and that human facri- 

 iices were the moft precious and acceptable offering on their 

 altars. If tliere was any difterence between the Gauls 

 and Germans in point of religion, it confifted only in tliis, 

 tliat the latter, being more fierce and untraftable, were not 

 only more tenacious of iheir fuperftitious rites, but likcwife 

 more cruel and inhuman in them. It appears, from the tefti- 

 monies of Ca'far, Tacitus, Diodorus Siculws, Strabo, 

 Athenxus, and other ancient authors, that the Germans had 

 DO temples, but performed tlieir religious rites in groves 

 eretted for tliat purpofe, or in woods, forefts, and defert 

 places. Temples were not introduced in Germany till long 

 after the Gauls had creeled them ; and the inferior divinities 

 introduced amo.ig the Gauls, inch as .love or .lupiter. Mars, 

 Apollo, Mercury, Venus, Diana, &c. were alio adopted 

 bv the Germans, though fome of them were reprefented un- 

 der different names and attributes. Jupiter was worfliipped 

 under the name of Thor or Taran, i. t. the Thunderer ; tliis 

 name was given by the Gauls to Mars ; and the Germans 

 bellowed it on their Odin or Woden ; but the name of Ju- 

 piter was never adopted by the Gauls, nor by the Ger- 

 mans. Both Gauis and Germans agreed in worfliipping the 

 fupreme deity und^r t!ie name of Helus or Eius, and under 

 die emblem of ;m oak, which was confecrated to him. The 

 goddeis Hertha was one of their ancient deities, and her 

 idol was preferred in a wood or grove, " Caftum nenuis," 

 upon a covered cart, and ftie had but one prieft to minifter to 

 her, who was the only perfon that was allowed to approach 



her. The worfhip of this goddefs correfponded with that 

 which the Romans and others paid to the " Earth," under 

 the name of " Magna Deorum Mater." A folemn procef- 

 fion was occafionally celebrated in the prefent countries of 

 Mecklenburg and Poinerania. Tlie unknown fymbol of 

 the " Earth," covered with a thick veil, was placed on a 

 carnage drawn by cows ; and in this manner the goddefs, 

 wliofe common relidence was in the iilc of Rugen, vifited 

 feverat adjacent tribes of her worlhippcrs. During her pro- 

 grefs, the found of war was huftied, quarrela were fufpended, 

 arms Liid afide, and the rcftlefs Germans had an opportunity 

 of tailing the bleflings of i>eace and harmony. The " Truce 

 of God,'" fo often and fo ineffectually proclaimed by the 

 clergy of tiie I ith century, was an obvious imitation of this 

 ancient cullom. 



The influence of religion on the minds of the ancient 

 Germans was far more powerful to inflame than to moderate 

 tlieir fierce paflions. The confecrated ilandards, long re- 

 vered in the groves of fuperllition, were placed in the front 

 of tlie battle ; and the hoftile al-my was devoted with dire 

 execrations to the gods of war and of thunder. A brave 

 man was the worthy favourite of their martial deities ; and 

 the wretch who had loft his ftiield was banifiied alike from 

 the religious and the civil affemblies of his countrymen. 

 Some tribes of the north feeni to have embraced the doc- 

 trine of tranfmigration ; others imagined a grofs paradife 

 of immortal drunkennefs. (See the Edda, fable 20.) All 

 agreed, that a life fpent in arms, and a glorious deatli in bat- 

 tle, were the beft preparations for a happy futurity, either in 

 this or in aHother world. 



It is faid that tlie Germans, as well as Gauls, were early 

 taught by their Druids, as fundamental truths, an over- 

 ruling providence, and the immortality of the foul ; but 

 thefe noble principles of religion and virtue were foon cor- 

 rupted as inflruments of divination and fuperftition. Csfar 

 fays, indeed, (Com. 1. vi. c. 21.) that the Germans had no 

 druids, asthe Celtes had ; but Tacitus, who was better ac- 

 quainted with the Germans, fpeaks frequently of their 

 priefts, whofe office and authority, as he ftates them, were 

 fimilar to thofe of the Gaulifli druids, and they feem to 

 have been of the lame order of men, though perhaps they 

 did not bear the fame name. As to the immortahty promif- 

 ed by their priefts, it was in fome degree conferred by the 

 bards, who by their military fongs kindled in the breafts of 

 their audience theenthufiafm of arms and glory. The view 

 of arms and of danger heightened the effett of thefe fongs ; 

 and the pafTions wliicli they tended to excite, the defire of 

 fame, and the contempt of death, were the habitual fenti- 

 ments of a German mind. A contempt of danger'and of 

 death was one of the principles which they infiillcd into the 

 minds of their youth, and a regard to which their priefls in- 

 culcated as the iurefl means of reputation and wealth, and 

 alfo of happinefs in a future life. Under the influence of 

 this principle their armies, whicli confifled more of ii^fintry 

 than cavalry, were eafily raifed and maintained. Eike tlie 

 Gauls and Britons, the Germans fought in feparate cantons 

 or tribes ; and thus they were induced to exert tLemfelves 

 with the greater firmncis and vigour in defence of their 

 relations, neighbours, and friends, and for the honour of 

 their reipedlive communitie?. We are told, indeed, that 

 fome of them, efpecially the Cimbri, formed their wholf* 

 infantry into one fquare battalion, and placed their wives, 

 cliildren, and baggage behind a fence made of their wag- 

 gons ; and when they were prepared for an attack, a figral 

 was given, which was re-echoed by an univerfal fhout, and 

 repeated till the engagcir.ent commenced. They ufed no 

 art or ftratagem in fighting, but wholly tonfided in a furirus 



unlvt 



