Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

184 Of the Bards.
" acquire the higheft pitch of lionour by their
*' enquiries into things fublime and unknown, and,
" defpifing all that belongs to the hum'n race in
" this lower world, they made no difficuhy of
*' affirming that fouls are immortal *."
Many learned writers among the moderns have
been of opinion that the Druids, Eubates and
Bards, were three different orders of priefts. But
it requires a clearer proof than ancient hiflory can
furnifh, to fhew that the Bards took any greater
concern in fpiritual affairs than the laity of their
country.
It is plain from Strabo's teflimony t, that the
Eubates were priefts and much employed in phi-
fiological dilquifitions. But unlefs we fuppofe that
they publifhed poetical compofitions on religious
fubjedts, it is difficult to know how to diftinguifh
them from the Druids in the preceding paffage of
Ammianus. The Druids compofed in verfe, but
never publifhed any of their compofitions.
* Per hxc loca hominibus paulatim excultis, viguere ftudia
laudabilium do(5trinarum, inchoata per Bardos et Euhages ct
Druidas: et Bardi quidem fortia vironim illuflrlum facia, heroi-
cis compofita veifjbus, cum dulcibus lyras modulis cinti:arunt ;
Euhages vero fcrutanres futnma et lublimia natutx panderecona-
bantur. Inter hos Druids ingeniis celiiores, lit auc^oritas Py-
tbagorae decrevir, fodalitiis aftri(5li confortiia quiftionibus occul-
uiiim rerum akarumque tre£ti Tunt ; et deipandlantes humana
pronuntiaiunt, animas immorialcs. Ammian. lib. xv. circa
linem.
1 have taken the liberty of tranflating our author's pandered to
cxprefs in verfe. Pnndere is a poetical word, and though fome-
times found in profc writers, is never ufed in a profaic Itile. In
the fenfe of that word now under confideiation it ainioft always
cor>veys the idea of a pomp of diftion, and a harmony of nuiT^-
hers.
f Lib. iv. p '02