Hew Morrison Collection > Adhamh agus Eubh, no Craobh Sheanachais nan Gàël

CELTIC LANGUAGE. 271
fessors. It is equivalent to the sufetes, or rather
sufetin, who were supreme magistrates among our
fathers, the Tyrians and Carthaginians : it is the
Suphetim, or Judges of scripture. It blends in
ideal meaning with our EngUsh term septre, or
sceptre ; because, of old, any person preferred to
honours, bore a sceptve, or stafF of office. When
the tribes murmured at seeing the priesthood set-
tled in the family of Aaron, the chiefs of the tribes
received orders to bring their staves into the taber-
nacle. The sceptre of Levi, borne by Aaron, was
found in bloom the next day ; and the other chiefs,
we are informed, took back their rods of command :
hence the Seventy and Vulgate generally tvanslate
■^sntc, sbt, tribe, because the prince of each tribe
carried a sceptre, as a mark of dignity and com-
mand. Let us now, therefore, in deference to the
original, instead of " By these were the isles of
the Gentiles divided in their lands, every one after
his tongue," read every one after his tribe, sept,
(cn?:tr, sptm) confession, creed. This gives us a
lift beyond the walls of Babylon, where Bishop
FuUer left us, and allows us to ramble onward to
the cvadle of the human race, as we have, with
much satisfaction, done. That nations, tribes,
famiUes, and individuals, in not a few instances,
owe their distinctive appellations severally to their
insignia or tutelar deity, is a point too obvious to
dispute.