THE BRITONS.

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great authority among them. Besides ministering c H a fat the altar , and directing all religious duties, i.they presided over the education of youth; theyenjoyed an immunity from wars and taxes ; theypossessed both the civil and criminal jurisdiction;they decided ail controversies among states aswell as among private persons , and whoeverrefused to submit to their decree was exposed tothe most severe penalties. The sentence of ex-communication was pronounced against him : Hewas forbidden access to the sacrifices or publicworship: He was debarred all intercourse withhis fellow - citizens, even in the common affairsof life : His company was universally shunned, asprofane and dangerous : He was refused the pro-tection of law *: And death itself became to himan acceptable relief from the misery and infamyto which he was exposed. Thus, the bands ofgovernment, which were naturally loose amongthat rude and turbulent people , were happilycorroborated by the terrors of their superstition.

No species of superstition was evermore terriblethan that of the Druids. Besides the severe penal-ties, which it was in the power of the ecclesiasticsto inflict in this world, they inculcated the eternaltransmigration of souls ; and thereby extendedtheir authority as far as the fears of their timorousvotaries. They practised their rites in dark grovesor other secret recesses 7 ; and in order to throw agreater mystery over their religion , they com-municated their doctrines only to the initiated,

* Cæsar, lib. 6 . Strabo, lib. 4. 7 Plin. lib. 12, cap. 1.

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