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Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 7, Page 6

Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 7, Page 6
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periodical Publisher
The Antiquarian Society, 1782
periodical Editor
Vallancey, Charles
periodical Title
Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis
volume Number
1
issue Content
IRUIDISM REVIVEl).the quotations and autjiorities before recited, therei s. the greatefi probability, that the inhabitants ofthe weflern parts of Europe had the knowledge ofletters long before the Romans were much ac-quainted with the m, yet we are not to infer, thatthey had fuch knowledge, prior to the era, whenthe Ph nicians by eflabhihing colonies on thewefiern coQfis of Iberia, Gaul, and building ofCarthage, had extende4 their commerce to Gaul,Belgium and the Briti4h iAles, about 250 yearsbefore the birth of Chrifi, and zoo before theRomans were much acquainted either with Britainor Gaul.During this commerce it can fcarce be doubted,that there might be eflabliflied on the differentcoafis, faaories for the greater convenience oftrading with the natives for fkins, furs, tin andhch other commodities, as the refpe ive countriesthen produced, and thereby intt oduce among theirphilofophers the knowledge of letters; before whichperiod it is probable, they were intirely ignorantof fuch alphabetic elements. Thefe authorities,from Ibme of the moft re1pe ed names of anti-quity, are extremely favourable to the generaltenor of the iriih hiflories; which relate, that theancient inhabitants of this ille, not only receivedtheir letters, but alfo feveral of their religious cere-monies from the Milefians; who are fuppofedto be a colony of Phoenicians or Carthaginians,from the weftern cpafts of Spain, in a very earlyperiod.Though the Jrifh chronIcles, efpecial{y thole ofthe latter ages, ame very circumfiantjal on thisDRUIDISM REVIVED.ubje t, yet as they have not produced any au-thentic authorities, or living proofs to corroboratetheir affertions, their hiulories hitherto have beenconfidered by the learned n general, little betterthan ingenious fables, the invention of dark andilliterate ages. They do indeed, in feveral places,fpecify the names and order of their ancient pagan.letters, but have not given the chara t. rs them-felves, having in their ftad iriferted the Latin let-ters of the fifth and fi th centuries; to which theyhave not only given the names of their pagan,but have alfo annexed feveral fanciful interpreta-tions, that have not the leaft foundation in truth,but arofe intirely from the imagination of therefpe live writers, Notwithftanding therefore theprobability, from the authorities before quoted,that the Ph nician and Punic traders did introduceletters both into Ireland and Britain yet the truthmuft ever remain involved in darknefs an.d obfcu-rity, and a doubt muft ever hang on the affertionsrelative to the learned frate of the pagan Iriffi, ifwe were not in poffeflion of living evidence, fromfeveral monuments. of antiquity, frill remaining in.different parts of the kingdom;. fome of whichevidently owe their exiftence to ages prior byfome centuries, to the eflablithment of Chriftianityin Ireland. The infcriptions found on thefe monumnents confirm, beyond the power of confutationthe affertions. of the lnifh antiquaries, refpe ting. tlicliterature of the pagan inhabitants of this coontry,By thefe we are impowered to affert, that theItilh druids had not only the method of committingtheir 4o trine and leariming to ritin.g, but thatthe7,:
issue Number
7
page Number
6
periodical Author
[various]
issue Publication Date
2006-01-01T00:00:00
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Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 7

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