in commerce, of which he was afterwards worshipped as patron and protector. Their language was the old Celtic or Gomerian, which, with some variation, was formerly used in all parts of Europe, which is still spoken in the Highlands of Scotland, and in some parts of Ireland, and of which the Welch is a dialect.

Acmon, who was the first prince of note of the Gomerian or Titanic race, is supposed to have been cotemporary with Terah, the father of Abraham, and to have received divine honours, after his death, in Phrygia. Of his son and successor Uranus, who is said to have married his own sister Ge, or the Earth, many fabulous particulars are related by the Greeks and other writers, relative to his skill in magic, astrological predictions, &c. However, his conquests both in Asia and Europe were certainly owing to his ambition and policy; and he is said to have been deposed by his eldest son Saturn, and to have died in close confinement.

Saturn, surnamed Chronos, first assumed the regal dignity, and is said to have taken much pleasure in wearing a red cloak, or coat of the Gallatic dye, from which came the royal purple so much worn in the succeeding ages by monarchs and persons of the highest quality. This prince was peculiarly successful in his government and conquests; but his brother Titan seized on his person, and threw him into prison; and his son Jupiter, after rescuing him from captivity, compelled him to retire into Italy.

Jupiter was no sooner established on the throne, than his uncle Titan, who had formed a powerful party, excited against him a war, which raged with the most dreadful fury for the space of ten years, and which at length terminated in the total overthrow of Titan and his adherents by Jupiter, who went against them in person with a great fleet and army, and gained this important victory near the ancient city of Tartesa in Spain. From this has originated the fabulous war of the Titans or giants, against the gods. which the poets have so artfully interwoven with fiction, that the truth can scarcely be discovered. Jupiter espous ed his own sister Juno, from whom, as he had many amo rous intrigues with other women, he was compelled to endure many mortifications.

Jupiter divided his kingdom, and gave the western cr European part to his uncle Dis or Pluto, while he retained

the Asiatic or eastern division for himself. He also bestowed some part of Africa on his nephew Atlas, whom he afterwards caused to be put to death, on account of some jealousy which he had conceived against him. He married Maia, the daughter of Atlas, whom he could obtain on no other condition. Jupiter was prudent, just, learned, and brave. He died in the hundred and twentieth year of his age, and the sixty-second of his reign, and was buried in the island of Crete..

After the death of Pluto, Theutat, or Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maia, had the western part of the empire assigned to him. He was peculiarly famed for his skill in magic, auguries, and philosophy, and universally admired for his eloquence, prudence, courage, and activity. He travelled into Egypt, for the purpose of penetrating into the knowledge of that ancient kingdom; and on his return, he taught his subjects the art of melting, refining, casting, and working metals, and also instructed them in the nature and advantages of commerce. He reigned thirty-four years; and in the time of Hannibal, a large tomb stood near New Carthage, which was called the tomb of Mercury Theutat.

Under his successors, the unwieldiness of so vast an empire caused it to split into many petty kingdoms; and the intestine divisions which ensued, facilitated the designs of so vigilant and warlike an enemy as the Romans. On the dismemberment of Iberia, or Spain, by the Carthaginians, and the reduction of the northern provinces by the Scythians, some powerful colonies of the Celtes or ancient Gomerians, returned into Lesser Asia, where they formed new settlements, which were distinguished by the names of Galatia, Parthia, Sacasene, &c

Questions on the History of the Celtes.

Who were the Celtes, and what render it difficult to separate them from the Scythians, or to give their history?

Whither did they advance, on migrating from Phrygia, and what name was given to all that country, by those who settled on the banks of the Rhine, and advanced thence toward the south and west? By what name were the Celtes called, who inhabited the parts above the Euxine Sea and the north of the Danube, and what was Holstein from them denominated? Of what did Ortelius imagine the name of Celtic to be the proper appellation, and for what reason?

What were the European territories of the Celtes, and in the time of Julius Cæsar what constituted part of Celtic Gallia ?

What was the religion of the Celtes, and how was the oak regarded by them? By what was their religion corrupted in later ages? Who were the curetes, and what were their offices? What were taught only by oral tradition? What were couched in verse, and sung on proper occasions? With what were their poetic effusions accompanied, and how were the druids venerated?

What was, anciently, the kind of life of the Celtes, and what was their food? What did they, when they changed this kind of life? What were their arms? Whom did they consult on emergencies, and what did they observe before an engagement?

What was their lan

What did Mercury effect among the Celtes? guage? Who was Acmon? What is related of his son and successor Uranus, to what were his conquests owing, and by whom was he dethroned?

What did Saturn first assume, and what kind of cloak or coat did he feel pleasure in wearing? In what was he successful? What was his fate?

By whom was Jupiter attacked, and what was the issue of the war? From what originated the fabulous war of the Titans? Whom did Jupiter marry?

How did Jupiter divide his kingdom, and on whom did he bestow some part of Africa? Whom did he also marry?. What was the character of Jupiter, when did he die, and where was he buried?

After the death of Pluto, to whom was assigned the western part of the empire? For what was Theutat, or Mercury, famous? Whither did he travel, what purpose? What did he teach his subjects after his return? How long did he reign, and in whose time stood near New Carthage a tomb, called the tomb of Mercury Theutat?

What happened to the empire under the successors of Mercury? Whither did some powerful colonies of the Celtes return, on the dismemberment of Iberia or Spain, and the reduction of the northern provinces by the Scythians, and what new settlements did they form?

THIS people anciently inhabited a prodigious tract of country, which extended from the 25th to the 110th degreee of east longitude, and which was divided into European and Asiatic Scythia, including the two Samartias. The Scythians were styled the "Fathers of Nations," and were the descendants of Magog, the second son of Japhet. In migrating into Europe, the posterity of Gomer, turned toward the north-west, and these spread themselves toward the north-east into both Scythias, where the ancient Muscovites or Tartarians are still, distinguished by the name of Mogli, which seems to be a corruption of Magogli, the sons of Magog.

It appears that one or two tribes, namely the free and loyal Scythians, were anciently governed by kings, and made a more considerable figure than the rest. The justice, temperance, simplicity of life, and contempt of riches, which the Scythians uniformly exhibited, almost precluded the necessity of public rewards and punishments. They couveyed their families from place to place in covered waggons, which were drawn by oxen or horses, and which contained all their furniture. They esteemed their numerous flocks as their greatest wealth, from supplying them with wholesome beverage and warm apparel. Gold, silver, diamonds, and other articles of luxury, were the objects of their contempt; and those virtues which the Greeks vainly laboured to attain by learning and philosophy, were constantly practised by them as the happy consequence of their ignorance of vice. Some of the Scythian tribes, however, were represented as of so fierce and cruel a disposition, as even to feast on the flesh of their vanquished enemies.

At the funeral of a monarch, the royal corpse, being carefully embalmed with bruised cypress, incense, parsley, and aniseed, was placed in a chariot, and conveyed from one tribe to another through all parts of the kingdom. The inhabitants of each country imitated the royal Scythians in their mournful ceremonies*, and accompanied the hearse to the next province, till it reached that part of the Gerrians which was the remotest in the kingdom. Here the body was deposited in a large square hole, on a bed encompassed with spears, and covered with timber. A canopy was then spread over the monument; and the favourite concubines, head cook, groom, waiter, and messenger, with some horses, were strangled, and deposited under it, for the service of the deceased sovereign. Some golden cups, and other necessary utensils, were also thrown into the vacant spaces; and the earth was formed into a high mound, or an artificial mountain. At the expiration of the year, fifty young Scythians of quality, and as many horses, were strangled; their bowels taken out, and their bellies stuffed with straw; the bodies of the men were fastened upon their horses by an iron stake, and the horses, thus mounted, were set upon semi-circular boards, and placed round the royal monument.

*These consisted in cutting off one part of the right ear, shaving the head, and piercing the left hand with an arrow.

The Scythians worshipped a plurality of gods, and goddesses, among which were Vesta, Jupiter, Apis, Apollo, Venus, Neptune, and Vulcan; but their favourite deity was Mars, to whom they consecrated their finest groves, and reared an altar in every district.

The warlike temper and exploits of this people were universally dreaded by their contemporaries. It is said that they drank the blood of the first captive they took in war; that having flayed their vanquished foes, they stretched, dried, and tanned their skins, which they applied to various purposes; and that they converted the skulls into drinking cups. Their manufactures consisted chiefly in building waggons for their families, in tanning leather for their quivers, bucklers, &c., and in fabricating their own weapons. Their mode of life was altogether incompatible with commerce. They were remarkably abstemious, and abhorred the vice of drunkenness.

When they had to cross a river, they laid their saddle and weapons upon a skin filled with cork, and so well sewn, that not a drop of water could penetrate it; they then laid themselves down upon it, and taking hold of the horse by the tail, made him swim to the opposite shore. They were remarkable for the strength and fidelity of their friendship, which they usually confirmed with certain ceremonies; and as they were warm and faithful in their friendship, so were they fierce and vindictive in revenge. The Scythians were a very populous nation. Their climate, exercise, temperance, and other advantageous circumstances, rendered them hardy, prolific, and longlived.

Scythes, who is the first king of this nation mentioned in history, is fabled by the Greeks to have been the offspring of Hercules and a monster.

Sagillus is said to have sent his son Panasagorus, to assist the Amazons against Theseus, king of Athens; but the heroines inspiring the prince with disgust, he left them to the mercy of their enemies, by whom they were defeated.

Madyes was a warlike prince, under whose conduct the Scythians invaded Media, and held the greater part of Upper Asia in subjection for the space of twenty-eight years. They also made some incursions into the land of the Philistines, where they took the city of Bethshean from the half tribe of Manasseh, and gave it the name of