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lect02-第2章

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observation is a good deal more ingenious than true。 We are now






able to compare Caesar's account of the Gauls with the evidence






concerning a Celtic community which the Brehon tracts supply; and






if we use this evidence as a test; we shall soon make up our






minds that; though his representation is accurate as far as it






goes; it errs in omission of detail。 The Equites; or Chiefs;






though to some extent they were a class apart; did not stand in






such close relation to one another as they stood to the various






septs or groups over which they presided。 'Every chief;' says the






Brehon law; 'rules over his land; whether it be small or whether






it be large。' The Plebeians; again; so far from constituting a






great miscellaneous multitude; were distributed into every sort






of natural group; based ultimately upon the Family。 The mistake;






so far as there was error; I conceive to have been an effect of






mental distance。 It had the imperfections of the view obtained by






looking on the Gangetic plains from the slopes of the Himalayas。






The impression made is not incorrect; but an immensity of detail






is lost to the observer; and a surface varied by countless small






elevations looks perfectly flat。 Caesar's failure to note the






natural divisions of the Celtic tribesmen; the families and septs






or sub…tribes; is to me particularly instructive。 The theory of






human equality is of Roman origin; the comminution of human






society; and the unchecked competition among its members; which






have gone so far in the Western Europe of our days; had the most






efficient causes in the mechanism of the Roman State。 Hence






Caesar's omissions seem to be those most natural in a Roman






general who was also a great administrator and trained lawyer;






and they are undoubtedly those to which an English ruler of India






is most liable at this moment。 It is often said that it takes two






or three years before a Governor…General learns that the vast






Indian population is an aggregate of natural groups; and not the






mixed multitude he left at home; and some rulers of India have






been accused of never having mastered the lesson at all。






    There are a few very important points of detail to be noticed






in Caesar's description of what may be called the lay portion of






Celtic society。 I shall afterwards call your attention to the






significance of what he states concerning the classes whom he






calls the clients and debtors of the Equites; and respecting the






increased power which they give to the Chief on whom they are






dependent。 It is; however; remarkable that; when he speaks of the






Druids; his statements are greatly more detailed。 Here there were






no home associations to mislead him; but; beyond that; it is






plain that his interest was strongly roused by the novel






constitution of this privileged order whom he places by the side






of the Chiefs。 Let me recall; then; to you the principal points






of his description; from which I designedly omit all statements






concerning the priestly office of the class described。 He tells






us that the Druids were supreme judges in all public and private






disputes; and that; for instance; all questions of homicide; of






inheritance; and of boundary were referred to them for decision。






He says that the Druids presided over schools of learning; to






which the Celtic youth flocked eagerly for instruction; remaining






in them sometimes (so he was informed) for twenty years at a






time。 He states that the pupils in these schools learned an






enormous quantity of verses; which were never committed to






writing; and he gives his opinion that the object was not merely






to prevent sacred knowledge from being popularised; but to






strengthen the memory。 Besides describing to us the religious






doctrine of the Druids; he informs us that they were extremely






fond of disputing about the nature of the material world; the






movements of the stars; and the dimensions of the earth and of






the universe。 At their head there was by his account a chief






Druid; whose place at his death was filled by election; and the






succession occasionally gave rise to violent contests of arms






(B。G。 vi; 13; 14)。






    There are some strong and even startling points of






correspondence between the functions of the Druids; as described






by Caesar; and the office of the Brehon; as suggested by the






law…tracts。 The extensive literature of law just disinterred






testifies to the authority of the Brehons in all legal matters;






and raises a strong presumption that they were universal referees






in disputes。 Among their writings are separate treatises on






inheritance and boundary; and almost every page of the






translations contains a reference to the 'eric'…fine for






homicide。 The schools of literature and law appear to have been






numerous in ancient Ireland; and O'Curry is able to give the






course of instruction in one of them extending over twelve years。






All literature; including even law; seems to have been identified






with poetry。 the chief Druid of Caesar meets us on the very






threshold of the Senchus Mor; in the person of Dubhthach Mac ua






Lugair; the royal poet of Erin; the Brehon who was chosen by St






Patrick to arbitrate in a question of homicide; and whose 'mouth'






the saint 'blessed'。 The mode of choosing the chief Druid; by






election; has its counterpart in the institution of Tanistry;






which within historical times determined the succession to all






high office in Ireland; and which was hateful to the English; as






affording smaller security for order than their own less archaic






form of primogeniture。 Nor is that all。 The Prefaces in Irish to






the tracts contain a number of discussions on subjects which are






in no way legal; or which are forced into some connection with






law by the most violent expedients。 They leave on the mind the






impression of being a patchwork of materials; probably of very






various antiquity; which happen to have been fond in the archives






of particular law…schools。 Now; the Preface to the Senchus Mor






actually contains disquisitions on all the matters about which






Caesar declares the Druids to have been specially fond of






arguing。 It in one place sets forth how God made the heaven and






the earth; but the account is not the least like the Mosaic






account。 It goes off; as Caesar's Druids did; into a number of






extraordinary statements; 'de sideribus atque eorum motu'; 'de






mundi ac terrarum magnitudine'。 Among other things; it declares






that God fixed seven divisions from the firmament to the earth;






and that the distance he measured from the moon to the sun was






244 miles。 'And the first form of the firmament was ordained






thus: as the shell is about the egg; so is the firmament round






the earth in fixed suspension。。。 there are six windows in each






part through the firmament to shed light through; so that there






are sixty…six windows in it; and a glass shutter for each window;






so that the whole firmament is a might sheet of crystal and a






protecting bulwark round the earth; with three heavens; and three






heavens about it; and the seventh was arrange in three heavens。






this last; however; is not the habitation of angels; but is like






a wheel revolving round; nd the firmament is thus revolting; and






also the seven planets; since the time when they were created'。






Parts of the passage reflect the astronomical notions known to






have been current in the Middle Ages; but much of it reads like a






fragment of a heathen cosmology; to which a later revision has






given a faint Christian colouring。 The same Preface contains also






some curious speculations on the etymology of law…terms; and the






Preface to the Book of Aicill enters; among other things; into






the question of the difference between genus and species。






    I suggest; therefore; that the same tendencies which produced






among the Celts of the Continent the class called the 
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