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A recent French writer describes thus the aspect of G-aul, 
which to a considerable extent must also have been that of 
Britain in those days * * * § : — 
Instead of a cultivated country, it presented to view only an immense 
forest with thickets almost impenetrable, from the bosom of which arose, 
like rounded domes, oaks of secular antiquity. 
Nevertheless, in this immense forest there existed vast openings. The 
dry lands of Champagne, where the chalky soil would not support abundant 
vegetation, or the sterile districts of Brittany, where cromlechs and stones 
unhewn by the tool of man + presided over human sacrifices. Here and there 
were fortified camps whither the population retired with their cattle. 
In Britain vast fortifications encircled the summits of the 
Downs, as we see abundantly from remains still existing. 
The area of Stonehenge (or of Avebury ?) was looked upon as a quasi- 
island in the midst of the expanse of Salisbury Plain. In the north of Gaul 
the people availed themselves of real islands, and probably of lake dwellings. 
In the depth of these sombre forests the Druids had their retreats and 
their principal sanctuaries. They consecrated them to their divinity, and 
gave the name of God to that internal something ( secretum illud) of which 
they were naturally cognizant (qu’ils sentaient par la piete)-! 
They were forbidden to cut or to lop these sacred forests. They believed 
them inaccessible to wild animals, impenetrable to the storm, and safe from 
the lightning. The earth was believed to tremble, and serpents issuing forth 
from its recesses to coil themselves round the trees. These forests were 
arsenals. The spoils of their enemies were here deposited under the care of 
the ministers of religion. These sacred woods were called virgin forests 
(castum nemus), and they formed sanctuaries, the privileges of which were 
afterwards attached to the churches. 
We see, then, that all was consecrated. They had only to retreat within 
themselves to be conscious of God, or if their souls “mingled with the 
universe ” of outward things it was to be conscious everywhere of Divinity. 
But this gave them no peace. It was a religion of fear, and consistent 
with the grossest immorality. Nevertheless, there was felt a need of recon- 
ciliation with this awful mystery above them. It needs be that heaven and 
earth should in some way be brought together. There was a pure and serene 
heaven above them if they could share its blessings. 
This meeting-point was found whenever the oak, itself a symbol of 
Taronowy, the god of thunder, found a celestial visitant in the (ethereal tree 
( Pren awr), the tree of the high summit ( Uchelvar ). 
This tree of pure gold {Pren pur aior) could not fix its roots in earth, § 
it must be altogether of heavenly original ; and so to find a congenial home 
on earth it rooted itself into that which was already of congenial nature, the 
dread Taronowy, the mystic oak. 
So it was not common mistletoe that would answer the purpose, but it was 
the mistletoe upon the oak, a conjunction even then rare and now almost 
extinct. It was the great object of the Druids to ascertain when this 
* Le Gui de Chine et les Druids. E. Magdaleine, 1877. 
+ The writer refers to Deut. xxvii., v. 5 and 6. “ Thou shalt not lift up 
any iron tool upon them.” J P. Beynaud. 
§ Ou yap aXrjQeir) (bvrov tvi xQovi. Oracle3, Zoroaster. 
