Page 153. ν 14. Thou art a king, a fov'reign o'er frail man; The fupreme authority of the Druids over their Page 154. v. 6. The time fhall come, when destiny and death Strabo, and other writers, tell us, the Druids Page 161. v 1. The gods, my brethren, Ineffe enim fanctum quid & providum feminis pu- to to the like purpofe, l. vii. "Απαντες γὰρ τῆς δεισια δαιμονίας ἀρχηγὸς οἴον]αι τὰς γυναῖκας. Page 165. v 14. Behold yon huge And unhewn fphere of living adamant. This is meant to defcribe the rocking-stone, of which there are feveral ftill to be feen in Wales, Cornwall, and Derbyshire. They are univerfally fuppofed, by antiquarians, to be Druid monuments; and Mr. Toland thinks, "that the Druids made the "people believe that they only could move them, " and that by a miracle, by which they condemned "or acquitted the accufed, and often brought cri"minals to confefs what could in no other way be "extorted from them." It was this conjecture which gave the hint for this piece of machinery. The reader may find a description of one of these rocking-ftones in Camden's Britannia, in his account of Pembrokeshire; and alfo feveral in Borlafe's hiftory of Cornwall. Page 190. v 8. -And it's name TRIFINGUS. The name of the inchanted fword in the Hervarer Saga. Page 190. v 14. By the bright circle of the golden fun. This adjuration is taken from the literal form of the old Druidical oath, which they administered to their difciples; and which the learned Selden, in Prolog. de Diis Syr. gives us from Vettius Valens Antiochenus, 1. vii. It is as follows: Ts Tais παραγ[ελίαις ἡμῶν πειθομένες ὁρχίζω ΗΛΙΟΥ μὲν ἱερὸν κύκλον καὶ ΣΕΛΗΝΗΣ ανωμάλος δρόμος, τῶν τε λοιπών ΑΣΤΕΡΩΝ δυνάμεις καὶ κύκλον ΔΥΟ ΚΑΙΔΕΚΑ ΖΩΔΙΩΝ, ἐν ἀποκρύφοις ταῦτα ἔχειν, καὶ τοῖς ἀπαιδεύτοις ἢ ἀμυήτοις μὴ μεταδιδόναι, τιμήν τε καὶ μνήμην τῷ εἰσηγησαμένω ἀπονέμειν, &c. Page 198. v 9. Near each a white-rob'd Druid, whofe ftern voice Thunder'd deep execrations on the foe. This account is taken from what history tells us did really happen fome years after, when the groves of Mona were deftroyed by Suetonius Paulinus. Igitur Monam infulam incolis validam, & receptaculum perfugarum aggredi parat, navefque fabricatur plano alveo, adverfus breve litus & incertum. Sic Pedes; equites vado fecuti, aut altiores inter undas, adnantes equis tranfmifere. Stabat pro litore diverfa acies denfa armis virifque, intercufantibus fœminis: in modum Furiarum, vefte ferali crinibus dejectis faces præferebant. Druide circum, preces diras fublatis ad cœlum manibus fundentes, novitate afpectus perculere milites ut quafi hærentibus membris, immobile corpus vulneribus præberent. Dein cohortationibus ducis, & fe ipfi ftimulantes ne muliebre & fanaticum agmen pavefcerent, inferunt figna, fternuntque obvios & igni fuo involvunt. Tac. Ann. 1. xiv. c. 29. Page 107. v 14. Thefe fhapeless fymbols of your barbarous gods. The Druids did not really worship the divinity under any fymbol. But this is put intentionally into the mouth of the Roman, as miftaking the rude ftones placed round the grove, for idols. Thus Lucan in his beautiful defcription of a Druid grove, -fimulacraque mofta deorum Arte carent, cæfifque extant informia truncis. Phar. Lib. iii. Some imagery from the fame defcription is alfo borrowed in the opening of the Drama. Page 211. v 24. -Soldier, I had arms. This paffage, and fome others in this fcene, are taken from Caractacus's famous fpeech in Tacitus, before the throne of Claudius; but here adapted to his dramatic character. Though the two following poems are omitted in the London impreffion of this work; yet, as they are confeffedly written by Mr. Mafon, and were published in his name, the reader, it is prefumed, will not be difpleased at finding them annexed to this edition, which the editors were defirous of readering as complete as poffible. Senate-Houfe at Cambridge, July 1, 1749, At the Inftallation of his Grace THOMAS HOLLES Duke of NEWCASTLE, CHANCELLOR of the University. -canit errantem Permes ad flumina Gallum Aonas in montes ut duxerit una fororum; Utque viro Phabi chorus affurrexerit omnis. VIRG. Set to Mufick by Mr. Boyce, Composer to his Recitative. H Majesty. ERE all thy active fires diffuse, Thou genuine British Muse; Hither defcend from yonder orient sky, Cloth'd in thy heav'n-wove robe of har mony. M 2 Air 1. |