he was, certain national type, 299—it revealed no Druids, 24-most learned and distinguished bankrupt, ib.- great suffering, 330—the Eng- lishman, or American pays a heavier debt than the Russian, 331 et seq.-our resources constitute our wealth, 332-sinking fund of national debt, ib.-sinking fund considered, ib.-raising loans and increasing taxes, ib. our resources are great, 337—the national currency a bond of union, ib.-effect of in. crease of population and manufactories, ib. payment of the debt by subscription regarded criticism, 367–plans of education, 368 et seq. 205-it requires a poet to translate poetry, ib.-other qualifications indispensable, 206-7 -Homer superior to all other poets, ib. a thorough knowledge of Greek necessary to understand the ib.—the laws of nature never stationary, 208_beauty not the same in all lands, ib.-language constantly chang- ing, ib.-one language powerless to reproduce what is sublime in another, ib.-Greek lan- Homer, Derby's translation inferior to most others, 210_deficiency in poetic spirit, ib.- poets admired most in their own tongues, ib. to enlighten the world, 2-the Druids ob- the result of unalterable laws, ib. —Lord Der- first view of the study of languages, ib. essay on the basis of the Basque language, ib.--cor- ib.-second step commenced with the Sanscrit, ib.--contributions to the Prussian Academy, his celebrated letter, 234-nature of writing, the guage, 237 et seq.-Humboldt's answers, Congreve, a brilliant young wit, 264-hig viewed, 183 et seq. civil tribunals more judicious than 'courts martial, 158-object of execution of crimi- nals, ib. martial law subordinate to cvil, acording assassins, ib.not to laws nations to execute leader of a rebellion, ib. nothing to be gained by executing Davis, 160—his wife justified in assisting him, ib. --leading English journals regard the resuscitation of the Union impos- sible, it -Lee's manner of surrender entitles him to his liberty, 168—confiscation next to capital punishment, ib.-injudicious to deprive the rebel states of their rights, ib.-denying the rights of the rebel states would be ac- knowledging the dissolution of the Union, 169—Slavery abolished forever, ib. all these questions settled—the Union enters on a more glorious career, 169. Savage, John, his Sybil reviewed and criticised, 405-9. Smith, Francis 0. J., his Grant to aged indigent mothers noticed, 396-7. ies in article on, 131-á skilful physicians, 132 -effect mistaken for cause, ib.-ignorance of sound physiology and anatomy, ib.-10. im- provement down to the times of the Ptolemies, ib.-dissection the true means of shedding light on disease ib. -discoveries of the Alexandrian doctors, 133—noted physicians, ib. -system of empiricists led to valuable discoveries, ib. — benefits resulting from change in the medical mind, ib.--systems of tions, 134—the Italians gave little attention to medicine, ib.--temples dedicated to deities, ib.-slaves first practice medicine in Rome, ib.-Mahometanism forbade dissection, 137-modern medicines preventive of disease, to the community than drugs, 156, et seq. Queen Anne, Wits of the Reign of, 251—most Statesmanship, English, Phases of, article on, splendid in the annals of literature, i.- 96_essays, 98–English history, 100_Macau- 26.-resorts of the wits at this time, manship bears & close resemblance to Great ib.—tories supporters of the royal ib.—Peel's administration, i. et seq.-Russell Trollope, T. A., his History of Florence noticed, 194-5. Wise, James A., his Address reviewed, 397-9. Wallenstein, article on, 27-played a conspicu- ous part in Europe, ib.-his career a most 35—a powerful ally to Ferdinand, ib.-his but ib. THE NATIONAL QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. XXI. JUNE, 18 6 5. Art 1.-1. Celtic Researches on the Origin, Traditions, and Language of the Ancient Britons, with some Introductory Sketches of Primitive Society. By EDWARD DAVIES, Curate of Olveston, Gloucestershire. London, 1804. 2. Histoire des Gaulois. Par AMEDEE THIERRY. Paris, 1845. 3. The Celtic Druids. By GODFREY HIGGINS, Esq., F. S. A, of Skellow Grange, near Doncaster, Yorkshire. London, 1827. 4. La Religion des Gaulois. Par D. MARTIN. Paris, 1727. 5. Commentatio de Druidis. J. G. Frikius. Ulm, 1744. 6. Ueber die Druiden der Kelten. Von KARL BARTH. Irlangen, 1826. 7. The Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry. By J. WILLIAMS. London, 1844. 8. Les Fées du Moyen Age. Par ALFRED MAURY. Paris, 1842. It is impossible to estimate the amount of valuable knowledge the world has lost, by the unwillingness of certain sects of philosophers to commit the results of their researches to writing. And if this fact be admitted, it must follow that no argument can justify such a course. Few, if any, will dispute that those who avoid recording their discoveries, lest the public at large might have the benefit of them in common with themselves, are guilty of a most reprehensible selfishness; and yet it is to be feared that this has been the prevailing motive. That some have been influenced only by VOL. XI.-NO. XXI. 1 modesty in avoiding publicity is well known; others have brought valuable truths to the grave with them, rather than seem actuated by vanity or the love of praise. But each have seriously erred. Modesty is indeed a virtue, but when carried to excess it degenerates into a vice. Nor is vanity always culpable or pernicious in its influence; on the contrary, it often, if not always, prompts us to deserve the good opinion which we wish our neighbors to entertain of us. In short, vanity, as well as modesty, has been implanted in us by nature ; and it is the abụse, not the use, of her gifts which is injurious. Man is a social being, and as such he should not conceal from his neighbor any knowledge which would benefit him without injuring himself. If he persistently does so, he violates a law of nature, for which he will have to pay the penalty, in one form or other sooner or later. In no instance:has this been more forcibly exemplified than in that of the sects of philosophers who have hoarded up their knowledge as jealously as the miser dues his gold. Thus the Druids, who form the subject of our present paper, would have occupied a very different position in history from what they do to-day had they committed their speculations to writing. Because they have failed to do so they are spoken of alternately with contempt and horror by all who lack either the ability or the disposition to investigate their history. The number who do this must ever be small, because all the knowledge we possess as to what the Druids really were is scattered over a wide field, and has to be carefully searched for in every direction. The authors who tell us most of what is reliable about them are seldom read but by the learned. This affords the unscrupulous halflearned an opportunity of blackening their character more and more from one lustrum to another, so as to pander to the prejudices of those who regard the Druids as belonging to a different race from their own. Thus, not only does the memory of the Druids suffer at this day more than it did centuries ago, because they failed to vindicate themselves by placing their ideas on record, but the people whose priests and philosophers they were are as much as possible made partakers in their odium. What our object is in this paper is to show how grossly the Druids have been misrepresented. In doing so, however, we have no intention of representing them as models worthy of imitation. Far be it from us to deny that they had grave faults, or to assert that their system of theology, however superior it |