in her primitive and awfully interesting forms and varieties; and mankind, as it were, in their cradle, beginning only to lisp the feeble accents of the social language that will call hereafter for laws and for police to unite them happily with the mistress and patroness of nations.

To these objects, therefore, I have turned the whole of my attention during my separation from Cæsar; having had the choice of my own quarters, and with a strong guard, and with gifts to obviate the danger of devious excursions, enquired diligently into the nature of the soil, and situation, and manners, of the country. Nor have I been neglectful of examining the religion and language of the people, which differ less than you would imagine from those of our ancestors, as related in the Sybilline Tables, and yet to be traced in the language and manners of Magna Græcia, and the other extreme provinces of Italy.

The temples of the Britons are raised in the depths of woods, constructed in a circular form, with obelisks of stone, over which are imposts of the same material, and all of huge dimensions, untouched by the chissel.

One of these I saw, while it was erecting by the rude and unskilful hands of the natives, as a peace-offering to their Grianus, or Apollo, to mediate the good offices of Cæsar.

The huge stones of which it was composed lay scattered by the hand of Nature on the plain; these, with myriads of the votaries of

the god, to afford their labour, the high priest, who directed the operations, caused to be rolled up upon inclined planes of solid earth, which were formed from the excavation of trenches, until they were brought to a height equal to their own altitude; then pits having been dug, they were launched from the terrace, and sunk so as to stand perpendicularly at due and equal distances in the circle, and over them were placed others horizontally; and after having compleated one circle, they form another that is concentric, at some dis tance, and towards the extremity of the area of the inner circle they place a huge stone for -the performance of their religious rites. When the sun enters the sign of Cancer, is their great -festival of the god; and on all the high mountains and eminences of the country they light fires at the approach of that day, and make -their wives, their children, and their cattle, to pass through the fire in honour of the deity, Deep and profound is the silence of the multitude during this ceremony, until the appearance of the sun above the horizon, when, with loud and continued exclamations, and songs of joy, they hail the utmost exaltation of that transcendant luminary, as the supreme triumph of the god of their adoration.

From the East, they say, they drew their original; and their religion actually resembles that of the Hyperborean nations. In their temples, surrounded by venerable and deep forests, and adjoining to pools of water, they

annually worship, (by washing in the living streams) a rude image, representative of the mother of the gods, and giver of fruitful seasons. This goddess they call Andate, or Anaite, and her temples are most sacred. By her they swear, to her they offer sacrifices, and by her name I caused them to vow fidelity to the commonwealth. Into ten tribes they are divided in their respective communities ; and to the king, who is also head of the sacred order, as well as supreme governor, is allotted the tenth of all the fruits of the earth, from i which he maintains the government and the priests, with all the costly apparatus of their religious ceremonies, their sacrifices, and their m processions. Other contributions to the king i or to the priests they know not, nor will they suffer, except on the marriages of the sons and daughters of their chiefs.*.

Their two great divinities, which, by dif ferent names and rites they diligently worship, are the Heavens and the Earth †.

* This origin and intention of tythes is highly interesting and curious, and deserves to be maturely weighed by ecclesiastial antiquaries. If ever the necessities of modern times should render a change unavoidable in the disposal of the revenues of the church of England, I beg leave to observe, that, without sacrilege, the venerable clergy of England might, upon recurring to their ancient and indefeasible right of tythes, be obliged to maintain the king and the civil government, to the infinite ease and comfort of the people, and glory of the church.

"Dua numina quæ precipue colunt, terram et coelum va"riis nominibus et ritibus diversis, ubique repetimus,"

Persons who arrogate to themselves the knowledge of future events they have, and these, covered with goat skins, and lying prostrate on the ground, utter strange, confused oracles, which, when refused, they are extorted by blows given by rods, or by the pizzles of bulls, prepared for the purpose, until they. become propitious to the votaries.

Concerning the language I can only say, that it resembles that of Gaul, with a mixture of what has been infused by mariners, who have for ages frequented the shores in search of the precious metals; and that I have, by the aid of my interpreters, discovered a great many words that exactly resemble the ancient dialects of Italy, of which I give you the following, without pretending to shape the barbarous sounds of their language to a Roman ear; nor, as they are unacquainted with the arth of writing, to make them intelligible to the eye: M

and many others, which haste will not permit me to mention in this letter. May the gods enable me to bestow my time better than in unfolding the babarous manners of a barbarous people, and restore me quickly to the seats of philosophy and empire. Farewell, my Marcus: take care of your health, and may

your life long remain for the safety of the com monwealth.

XV of the Kalends of September.

Ad Fines cum Excercitu.

IN

Letter Sixth.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BEE.

(Nov. 9. 1791.)

N performance of my promise to continuè my translations of the epistles in my select volume, formerly mentioned, please accept of the following, from, SIR,

Your humble Servant,

A. B.

L. ANNÆUS SENECA TO LUCILIUS.

Your letter delighted me, and raised me from languor. It excited the powers of my declining imagination. You are convinced, then, my Lucilius, that the foundation and preserver of a happy life, is the persuasion, that to be good is to be happy, and that they only are truly happy who circumscribe their ambition by the attainment of virtue. Indeed, how can it be otherwise? since they who seek for happiness on the slippery and ever-revol