Caractacus, a Dramatic Poem/Illustrations

The few following quotations, from ancient authors, are here thrown together, in order to support and explain some pas­sages in the Drama, that respect the manners of the Druids; and which, the general account of their customs, to be found in our histories of Britain, does not include.

*i.e. The Euvates; one of the three classes of the Druids, ac­cording to Am. Marcellinus. Studia liberalium doctrinarum in­choata per Bardos, Euvates, & Druidas. This class, Strabo tells us, had the care of the sacrifices, and studied natural philosophy; which here, by the changeful universe, is shewn to be on Pythago­rean principles. Whenever the Priests are mentioned in the subse­quent parts of the Drama, this order of men is intended to be meant, as distinguished from the Druids and Bards.

Alluding to the Druidical power of excommunication, mentioned by Cæsar. Si quis aut privatus, aut publicus, eorum decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt. Hæc pœna apud eos est gravissirra. ​Quibus ita est interdictum, ii numero impiorum ac sceleratorum ha­bentur—neque iis petentibus jus redditur, neque honos ullus com­municatur. C. Comment. Lib. vi.

In the minute description which Pliny gives us of the ceremony of gathering the misletoe, he tells us, they sacrificed two white bulls. See Pliny's Natural History, L. 16. c. 44. which Drayton, in his Polyolbion, thus versifies.

The existence of female Druids seems ascertained by Tacitus, in his description of the final destruction of Mona by Paulinus Sueto­nius. Stabat pro litore diversa acies densa armis virisque intercursan­​tibus fæminis, &c. Also by the known story of Dioclesian, on which Fletcher formed a play, called the Prophetess.

The ovum anguinum, or serpent's egg; a famous Druidical amulet, thus circumstantially described by Pliny.—Præterea est ovorum genus in magna Galliarum fama, omissum Græcis. Angues innumeri æstate convoluti, salivis faucium corporumque spumis arti­fici complexu glomerantur; anguinum appellatur. Druidæ sibilis id dicunt in sublime jactari, sagoque oportere intercipi, ne tellurem attingat. Profugere raptorem equo, serpentes enim insequi, donec arceantur amnis alicujus interventu, &c. Nat. Hist. Lib. xxix. c. 3.

There are remains of this superstition still, both in the north and west parts of our island. For Lhwyd, the author of the Ar­cheologia, writes thus to Rowland; see Mona Antiqua, p. 338. "The Druid doctrine about the Glain Neidr, obtains very much thro' all Scotland, as well lowlands as highlands; but there is not a word of it in this kingdom (Ireland); where, as there are no snakes, they could not propagate it. Besides snake-stones, the highlanders have their snail-stones, paddock-stones, &c. to all which they attribute their several virtues, and wear them as amu­lets." And in another letter he writes, "The Cornish retain variety of charms, and have still, towards the land's-end, the amulet of Maen Magal, and Glain Neidr, which latter they call a Mil­preu, or Melpreu, and have a charm for the snake to make it, when they have found one asleep, and struck a hazel wand in the centre of her spires."

​The few and imperfect accounts antiquity gives us of ceremo­nies, &c. which are unquestionably Druidical, makes it necessary in this, and in other places of the Drama, to have recourse to Tacitus's account of the Germans, amongst whom, if there were really no established Druids, there was certainly a great corre­spondency, in religious opinions, with the Gauls and Britons. The passage here alluded to is taken from his 10th chapter. Proprium gentis, equorumque quoque præsagia ac monitus experiri. Pub­lice aluntur iisdem nemoribus ac lucis, candidi & nullo mortali opere contacti, quos pressos sacro curru, sacerdos ac rex, vel prin­ceps civitatis comitantur, hinnitus & fremitus observant, nec ulli auspicio major sides non solum apud plebem, sed apud proceres, apud sacerdotes.

The supreme authority of the Druids over their kings, is thus ascertained by Dion. Chrysostom. Κελτοι δε ους ονοαζουσι Δρυιδας, και τουτους ῶερι Μαντικην οντας και την αλλη σοφιαν, ων ανευ, τοις βασιλευσιν ουδεν εξην ῶραττειν, ουδε βουλεσθαι, ωστε το μεν αληθες εχεινους αρχειν τους δε βασιλεας αυτων υπηρετας και διαχονους γινεσθαι της γιωμης, εν θρονοις καθημενους, και οικιας μεγαλας οικουντας, και ῶολυτιμως ενωχουμενους.. Helmodus also de Slavis, l. ii. c. 12. asserts, Rex apud eos modicæ est æstimationis in comparatione flaminis.

Strabo, and other writers, tell us, the Druids taught, that the world was finally to be destroyed by fire; upon which this allegory is founded.

Inesse enim sanctum quid & providum fœminis putant. Nec aut consilia ipsorum aspernantur, aut responsa negant. Tac. de morib. Germ. and Strabo to the like purpose, l. vii. Απαντες γαρ τησ δεισιδαιμονιας αρχηγους οιονται τας γυναικας.

This is meant to describe the rocking-stone, of which there are several still to be seen in Wales, Cornwall, and Derbyshire. They are universally thought, by antiquarians, to be Druid monuments; and Mr. Toland thinks, "that the Druids made the people believe that they only could move them, and that by a miracle, by which they condemned or acquitted the accused, and often brought criminals to confess what could in no other way be ex­torted from them." 'Twas this conjecture which gave the hint for this piece of machinery. The reader may find a description of one of these rocking-stones in Camden's Britannia, in his account of Pembrokeshire; and also several in Borlase's history of Cornwall.

The name of the inchanted sword in the Hervarer Saga.

​This adjuration is taken from the literal form of the old Druidical oath, which they administered to their disciples; and which the learned Selden, in Prolog. de Diis Syr. gives us from Vettius Valens Antiochenus, l. vii. It is as follows: Εντυτχανοντας ορχιζω ΗΛΙΟΥ μεν ιερον κυκλον και ΣΕΛΗΝΗΣ ανωμαλους δρομους των τε λοιπων αστερων δυναμεις και κυκλον ΔΥΟΚΑΙΔΕΚ ΖΩΔΙΩΝ εν αποχρυφοις ταυτα εχειν και τοις απαιδευτοις η αμυητοις μη μετα διδοναι, τιμην τε και μνημην τω εισηγησαμενω απονεμειν, &c.

This account is taken from what history tells us did really happen some years after, when the groves of Mona were destroyed by Sue­tonius Paulinus. Igitur Monam insulam incolis validam, & re­ceptaculum perfugarum aggredi parat, navesque fabricatur plano alveo, adversus breve litus & incertum. Sic Pedes; equites vado secuti, aut altiores inter undas, adnantes equis transmisere. Stabat pro litore diversa acies densa armis virisque, intercursantibus foemi­nis: in modum Furiarum, veste ferali crinibus dejectis faces præ­ferebant. Druidæ circum, preces diras sublatis ad coelum manibus fundentes, novitate aspectus perculere milites ut quasi hærentibus membris, immobile corpus vulneribus præberent. Dein cohorta­tionibus ducis, & se ipsi stimulantes ne muliebre & fanaticum agmen pavescerent, inferunt signa, sternuntque obvios & igni suo invol­vunt. Tac. Ann. l. xiv. c. 29.

The Druids did not really worship the divinity under any symbol. But this is put intentionally into the mouth of the Roman, as ​mistaking the rude stones placed round the grove, for idols. Thus Lucan in his beautiful description of a Druid grove,

Some imagery from the same description is also borrowed in the opening of the Drama.

This passage, and some others in this scene, are taken from Ca­ractacus's famous speech in Tacitus, before the throne of Claudius; but here adapted to his dramatic character.