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and often venturing to explain what they do not understand. They may, it is true, give a clear account of some simple dogmas; but a religion is chiefly characterized and distinguished by the sentiments it inspires; and can these sentiments be truly represented by a third person, who has never felt the force of them?
In order then to draw from their present obscurity the ancient Celtic ‘and Gothic’ Religions, which are now as unknown, as they were formerly extensively received, we must endeavour (if we can) to raise up before us those ancient Poets who were the Theologues of our forefathers: We must consult them in person, and hear them (as it were) in the coverts of their dark umbrageous forests, chant forth those sacred and mysterious hymns, in which they comprehended the whole system of their Religion and Morality. Nothing of moment would then evade our search; such informations as these would diffuse real light over the mind: The warmth, the stile and tone of their discourses, in short, every thing would then concur to explain their meaning, to put us in the place of the authors themselves, and to make us enter into their own sentiments and notions.
But why do we form vain and idle wishes? Instead of meeting with those
