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OBSERVATIONS.
THe quality and condition of the Druides is in this place very particularly described by Caesar,* 1.1 and may be reduced to these heads. First, their Office, extending both to things Divine and things temporall, whereby they executed the place both of Priests and of Judges. And for that purpose there was one known place ap∣pointed where they sate in judgement: and as I understand it, there was but one Terme in the year, which both began and ended their suits in law. The second thing is their Authority, having power to reward vertue and to punish vice. Thirdly, their priviledges and immunities, being free from contribution, from warfare, and all other burthens of the State. Fourthly, their do∣ctrine and learning, which was partly Theolo∣gicall, concerning the might and power of the gods, the immortality of the Soul; and partly philosophicall, touching the stars and their mo∣tion, the earth and the magnitude thereof. And lastly, their manner of learning, which was al∣together Pythagoricall, refusing the help of let∣ters and books, and committing their doctrine to the tradition of their Elders. But that which is specially to be observed,* 1.2 is, that this learning was not onely found out here in Brittanie, but such as would perfectly attain to the knowledge thereof, came into England to study the same, contrary to the experience which heretofore hath been observed of the Northern and Sou∣thern parts of the world: for as the South giveth a temper to the body fit for the science and con∣templation of Arts, whereby the mind being en∣larged and purified in her faculties, doth dive in∣to the secret depth of all learning, and censure the hidden mysteries thereof; so the Northern climats do bind in the powers of the soul, and restrain all her vertues to the use of the body, whereby they are said to have animam in digi∣tis,* 1.3 their soul in their fingers, not affording her that delight and contentment which is usually received by speculation. And thence it happeneth that all speculative arts and sciences, and what else soever concerneth the inward contemplati∣on of the mind, was found out and perfected by such as border upon the South, and from them it was brought by litle and litle into the Northern regions: and such as would be masters in the Arts they professed, went alwayes Southward for the attaining thereof. But here the South was beholding to the North, as well for their princi∣ples of Divinity, as for their Philosophie and morall learning, being as pure, as that which any heathen people ever drank of. Which pro∣veth an ancient singularity in the inhabitants of this Iland, touching the studie of Arts and mat∣ter of learning, and may with like evidence be proved from age to age even to this time. In witness whereof I appeal to the two Universities of this land,* 1.4 as a demonstration of the love which our Nation hath ever born to learning, being two such Magazins of arts and sciences, so beau∣tified with curious buildings, and supplied with indowments for the liberall maintenance of the Muses, inriched with Libraries of learned Works, adorned with pleasant places for the re∣freshing of wearied spirits, gardens, groves, walks, rivers, and arborets, as the like such A∣thens are not to be found in any part of the world.