132 Mr. planta’s Account of 
The motive of their flight, their civil deportment, and 
perhaps more fo, the wealth they brought with them, pro- 
cured them a favourable reception from the original inha- 
bitants of that inhofpitable region, who are mentioned by 
authors (I) as being a Celtic nation, fabuloufly conjectured 
from their name (Asmovtioi, reliSH) to have been left 
there by Hercules in his expedition into Spain. 
The new adventurers had no fooner climbed over the 
higheft precipices, but thinking themfelves fecure from 
the purfuits of their rapacious enemies, they fixed in a 
valley which, from its great fertility in companion of the 
country they had juft pafled, they called DomefticateA 
They intermixed with the old inhabitants, and built fome 
towns and many caftles, whole prefent names manifeftly 
befpeak their origin w. They foon after lpread all over 
the country, which took the name of Rliaetia from that 
of their leader; and introduced a form of government 
fimilar to their own, of which there are evident traces at 
this day, eipeciall-y in the adminiftration of juftice; in 
which a Laertes , or Prefident, now called Landamman, 
or Miniftral,. together with twelve Lucumones(‘) , or J.u- 
rors determine, all caufes, both civil and criminal (*J: and 
( f ) cluver, Ital. Antiq. lib. i. c. 14, 
(g) Probably by them pronounced Tomiliafca , the name it now bears. 
(h) Tufis (Tufcia) and in Italian Tofana , the principal place ; Rhcalta (Rhetia 
alta); Rbeambs (Rhetia ampla); Rbazunz (Rhetia ima), and above twelve other 
caftles, the remains of which are now to be feen in the valley Tomiliafca. 
(i) In fome communities there are fourteen jurors befides the Landamman. 
(b) sjlrv. in iEneid, lib. viii. 65. lib. x. 202. sprech. Pall. Rha;t. p. 9. 
siMt, Rep. Hclv. p. 281. ed. 17 35; 
UVY 
