resist Messiah's advance, and now he gives the sign of his victory to Manasseh through Jacob.

It will be noticed that this gift is made by itself, and not in connection with the family in general. So, among the apostles, Paul stands by himself "as one born out of due time." The reason, probably, is that, like Manasseh, Paul makes a thirteenth, and there must be only twelve mentioned or counted at any one time. For a like reason it must not be recorded that Abram was born when his father was ten times thirteen years old, and so that is left to be inferred by putting together several facts, of which one is stated after the ascension of Messiah. (Acts vii., 4). Abram's mark is not thirteen like Seth's; (Gen. v., 3) but this is left for Ishmael and his descendants after him, till the end of the world, as also first to the adherents of Jeroboam and the heretics of the first five Christian centuries, for Ishmael's descendants have no settled place in history until thirteen times two hundred and three years from his circumcision at the age of thirteen, when their career is ready to be marked all down to the fall of the Turks by multiples of thirteen.*

It cannot but be noticed that scarce anything in the last words of Jacob and Moses can refer to the earthly condition of the Hebrews under the Theocracy, and Jacob expressly shows this at the beginning. Still there is no good reason why their earthly condition in the last days should be excluded. They, for instance, that shall "push the nations to the ends of the earth" are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh (Deut. xxxiii., 17), the same of whom it was said long before (Gen. xlviii., 19) "He shall be a great people," and "He shall become a multitude of nations," where everything is plain and without the semblance of mystery. As to the whole, the Jews have ever referred nearly everything to the times of Messiah, according to the rule that all the prophets prophesied of the times of Messiah. A right apprehension of the relation of astronomy, as well as of artificial numbers and

*Twelve hundred and sixty years were to elapse from the Hejra to the occupation of Egypt by the Hebrews of England, and so the first Moslem period, from 622 to Omar, must be twelve years. Then all is divided by thirteen till the end, for 1260 is not an exact multiple of thirteen, but is short of thirteen times ninety-seven.

names, to the text of the Scriptures, will go far to render them intelligible, as they never have been since the apostolic age to the great body of the religious world, for, after the death of the apostles, Hebrew thought was scarcely studied, and the Hebrew language in its most external forms was but partially known, even to the scholars of Alexandria and Rome. Hence, artificial and spurious modes of interpretation became adopted, along with the vain philosophy of the Gentiles, whereby the darkness of the middle ages and the growth of popish frauds for many weary centuries became but too well assured. It is only by mastering the problems partly solved by St. Paul and the great Rabbinical circle in which he was trained that the supremely glorious truth of the Scriptures can be realized, in anything like its fullness, to modern times.

Searching investigation will discover many allusions to the old sacred astronomy not noticed in this paper, for no one can gather them all. They are frequently so subtle and obscure as to elude all but the sight of one divinely inspired. Thus "abundant waters wrung out" to the upright among the violent and lawless* may pass unnoticed by nearly the whole world, though it is to an adept a clear allusion to the sufferings of Messiah, indicated in Aquarius-Aristæus, when he receives into his urn, or swallows down the whole violence of the river of death. Again, Messiah ruling "from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth," may seem a Judaism for the land sworn to the fathers in western Asia; but this is too poor a patrimony for the supreme Solomon, and we must look for it in the celestial way. He shall set in the earth the dominion of the "ordinances" declared in the whole circle, from the sea by Aries to the sea beyond the Gemini, and from (nahar) the flood they meet by Zidon, round to the shores of the same, the "going out" (Deut. xxxiii., 18), whence sails the ship that bears all the best hopes of the world. The "waters above the heavens," in the Psalms (cxlviii., 4) are, probably, upon the sphere, and the "heavens of the heavens" (here and in Ps. lxviii., 33) are the (shamayim) high places or signs (Cherubim) whereinto Messiah transforms himself. Above

Ps. lxxiii., 20.

all "the things in the heavens" mentioned by St. Paul (Heb. ix., 23) whose "patterns" on earth were purified with the blood of bulls and goats, while these were to be justified by something better, are evidently the "ordinances of the heavens," whose "dominion" is to be "set in the earth." (Job xxxviii., 33.)

Thus, while astronomical enigmas mingle in the world's sacred history only in the Penteteuch, in Joshua and the Judges till the close of the story of Samson, and there disappear forever, while artificial numbers and names go on to the end, allusions to astronomical aspects occur everywhere through the whole Bible, from Job to the Apocalypse, everywhere reminding adepts in sacred study that God becomes man for purposes of manifestation, and in that manifestation is included the sloughing off of a heresy, the punishment of the wilfully perverse, and the salvation of all that imitate God in choosing excellence and ensuing it to the end.

ASAHEL ABBOTT.

THE DRUIDS.

"And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other, and there thou shalt serve other gods . . . and among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy feet have rest." Deut. xxviii, 64. "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Hosea. ix, 17.

In the preceding article, the learning of the ancient Britons has only been incidentally mentioned; their astronomical observations, their schools and colleges which were famous in Gaul, their tribunals of justice, their prophets and their bards have been omitted that the one point might be more clearly shown, namely, that wherein they were idolators, their idolatry was that of Israel-the Beth Khumri.

The inferential proof is strong that the same can be asserted of their luxury and civilization, particularly at their earliest settlement. It is the custom to claim much for the influence of the Romans over these people whom they miscalled "barbari

ans," but the view of the conquered nation was different; they are reported to have said that when the Romans made a desert they called it peace!

These same Romans could hardly understand the high and lofty bearing of the members of the royal "barbarian" families who were taken captives to their capital.

Tacitus said of Caractacus (Welsh, Carra-dag)—the king of the Welsh Silures-that when he appeared in the street in chains before Claudius, his noble appearance and his eloquent harangue so impressed the emperor that he at once ordered him to be set at liberty. Some of his words were: "If I had yielded at once without opposing you, neither would my fortune have been remarkable, nor your glory memorable; you could not have been victorious, and I had been forgotten. If now therefore you spare my life, I shall continue a perpetual example of your clemency." His father, Bran, remained seven years at Rome as hostage for his son, and there learned of Paul the religion which he took back to Wales. He took with him also, three Christian teachers, Illtid, Cyndaf and Arwystli-which is Welsh for Aristobulus-whose household, perhaps including Bran, Paul greets (Rom. xvi. 10). The 35th Triad tells us: "The three Blessed Sovereigns of Britain were: first, Bran the Blessed, who first brought in Christianity among the Cymmry from Rome; second, Llerwg the Blessed, who built the first church in Llandaff, which was the first church built in Britain, and endowed it with legal rights of country and district and judicial powers, and that of taking attestation on the faith of a Christian; third, Cadwalader the Blessed, who gave permission to all the faithful who fled from the infidel Saxons and their chiefs, to settle in their territories." (Welsh and Ancient Britons,' by Prof. Tanner, F. R. S.)

Of Claudia, the daughter of Caractacus (probably mentioned in 2 Tim. IV, 21), we have such a description from one of the Roman poets, that we are reminded of the Nazarites who are said by Jeremiah (Lam. Iv, 7) to have been "purer than snow -whiter than milk-and more ruddy in body than rubies." Her appearance the Roman poet thought the more remarkable, as she was descended from the blue or woaded people; this

coloring of the skin he seems to have mistaken for a natural peculiarity.

The history of this people covers so great a period that what is true of one time is untrue of another, and we cannot learn from Cæsar the early civilization- which belongs more particularly to this branch of the subject-of the several centuries following the entrance of the Cymmry into the country. This civilization is not only a proof of their origin, but was of such a nature, so mixed with their religion, that it was never wholly lost. Throughout their entire history it appeared in fair ard vigorous blossoming whenever there were times of peace, ard when these periods of rest were long continued,,the abundant fruit was clearly that of the parent tree.

Taleisin, the Welsh bard, thus describes the first settlers:

"A numerous race, fierce they are said to have been,

Were they original colonists, Britain first of isles,

Natives of a country of Asia, and the country of Gaffis;

Said to have been a skilful people, but the district is unknown.

Which was mother to these children, warlike adventurers on the sea.

Clad in their long dress, who could equal them?

Their skill is celebrated; they were the dread of Europe."

These "long dresses" appear to be one of the distinctions of the Israelites. On the Black Obelisk found in Shalmanezar's palace at Chalah, in connection with his victories there is a rep resentation of five nations bringing him their tributes. Among them are the deputies of Jehu, tenth king of Israel. These Israelites are bearded, and have long hair, round caps on their heads, and shoes on their feet. Their under garments reach to the ankles, the outer fall in two parts to the hem of the under. The inscription is "The tribute of Jehu, the son of Khumri." Shalmanezar, was however, mistaken in calling Jehu the son of Khumri." He was only so in being one of the Kings of Israel, to whom Omri-Khumri-had given this name.

Dr. Nicholas, in speaking of the inhabitants of Britain, says, they were "free, industrious, ingenious, spirited, with superior knowledge of the arts, working in metals, commercially enter prising, ready to welcome strangers, holding intimate communications with the continent; subsisting in small kingdoms, each under its hereditary sovereign; proving respect to women by