CELTIC LANGUAGE. 33
this people — would be to dazzle the reader by too
strong a glare of light, especially if his eyes have
been much accustomed to darkness. We shall,
therefore, meanwhile, proceed with the examination
of other witnesses.
SECOND WITNESS.
Opinion of Huddle ston, in his Preface, to " Toland's
History of the Druids^*
" Early imbued with a competent knowledge of the Greek
and Roman languages, I imbibed along with them every possi-
ble prejudice against the Celts. I was from my infancy taught
to consider them a parcel of demi-savages, their language an
unintelligible jargon, and their boasted antiquity the raving oi
a disordered imagination.
" Dazzled with the splendour of the classic page, I endea-
voured to derive every thing from the Greek and Roman
languages.
" About 20 years ago, the treatise now offered to the pub-
lic fell into my hands. I was astonished that it tore up by the
roots the whole philological system which I had so long held
sacred and invidnerable. The boasted precedency of the
Greek and Roman languages now appeared at least doubtful.
" Determined to probe the matter to the bottom, I devoted
ray serious attention to the history, antiquities, and language
of the Celts. The result was that I found it established by
the most unquestionable authorities, that the Celtic language
was a dialect of the primary language of Asia ; that the
Celts ivere the aboriginal inhabitants of Europe, and that
• Toland was born in 1670.
B 2