Prolegomena.

Next were the Bards, who celebrated the illustrious deeds of famous men. They skillfully arranged these stories in heroic verse and sang them to the sweet melody of the harp. Among other testimonies to this, consider Chaucer’s:

The noble Britons of old, in their time,
Composed songs original: "Layes" about various adventures,
Which were first written in their mother tongue,
And these songs they sang to their instruments.

These philosophers took their name from Bardus Druidus (the fifth King of the Celts), who was the first inventor of verses, as Berosus original: "Berofius" tells us; he died in the Year of the World original: "An. Mundi" 2138. Neither of these groups The Bards and the Druids of philosophers used any writing—indeed, it was not permitted. Such was the strategy and carefulness of ancient times (to protect their learning and mysteries from the damage of ignorant interpretations) that they passed them on to posterity by tradition only.

Julius Caesar testifies (and it is a noble testimony) that the learning of the Druids was first invented in Britain and then transferred to Gaul original: "France"; and that in his time, those in France came over here to be instructed. Agricola (as recorded by the historian Tacitus) prefers the Britons over the students of France (even though the French had a teachable mind and were quick to learn) because the Britons were eager to master the eloquence of the Latin language.

As for Magic, Pliny tells us it flourished in Britain, and that the people there were so devoted to it (performing it with every possible ceremony) that one would think even the Persians learned their magic from there.

A German poet says that when the world was troubled by Pannonian Invasions from the region of Pannonia, a Roman province in central Europe. invasions, England flourished in the knowledge of all good arts and was able to send her learned men into other countries to spread learning. He cites Winifrid (also known as Saint Boniface, the man from Devonshire) and Willibrord (the man from the North) who were sent to Germany.

Nay, more—England was twice a "school-mistress" to France (as Peter Ramus A famous 16th-century French humanist and logician. says). Specifically: first through the Druids (who taught them their discipline) and later through Alcuin original: "Alcunius" during Charlemagne’s original: "Charles the Great's" time. It was through Alcuin’s persuasion that the Emperor founded the University of Paris.

As for the Saxons, it cannot be denied that many of them, after...