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thick; this is the Meificith it was originally let through the cover, fo that the light could pass through on the back of it, there is now a foil of tin, moveable, evidently the work of a modern day. At the right hand corner at top, is another crystal on a red foil; next to it a bead of a transfparent compofition: the ornament that ftood next is loft: thofe of the two left hand corners have been taken out, and the fockets filled with common glafs on a red foil. At the right hand corner at bottom is an oblong piece of crystal on a red foil; next it a transparent bead; and laftly, an amethistdrop of a deep purple colour: there have been ornaments at the two ends of the Meificith, which are alfo loft.

The box reprefents the Roman Thuribulum, in which the incenfe burnt during the facrifice. Several drawings of these may be feen in Montfaucon.

I am favoured with drawings of feveral boxes of this kind, fabricated fince chriftianity, being ornamented with crucifixes: this has no marks of that kind, and appears to be the Druidical Liath Meificith or Liath Fail, in which they pretended to draw down the Logh, the effence or fpiritual fire, and prefence of Aefar, (God) whenever they confulted this Oracle.

Hence the xy, the articulate voice or speech in man, (in its kind or degree) what the Divine λóyes, word, is to the effence, viz. the Irradiaion ad extrà of the mind or foul. The fame notion, therefore, the Heathens had of their God, the folar light, and called it accordingly, by the fame name λòyos. (Holloway's originals, v. i. p. 222.) With fubmif

fion

fion to this author, the word Logos was applied by John in oppofition to the Druidical Logh, for John wrote against Cerinthus, a converted Druid, and therefore very properly used this word; from Logh is derived the Irish and Coptic Lo, day, the light of the day.

How this fire was communicated, I cannot pretend to fay, but, as it is well known, that Cobalt ground up with oil, will lye an hour or more in that unctious ftate and then burst into an amazing blaze: it is probable that the Druids, who were skilful chimyfts, (for their days) could not be ignorant of fo fimple an experiment. A fire lying fo long concealed, would afford them ample time for prayers and incantations.

Nothing could fo well fuit the purpose of the Druids as bringing fire from oil. Oil was the emblem, the facrament of that complex vertue, of wisdom, justice and mercy, called Holiness. "Myftice fic intelligentibus, Oleum eft ipfe Dominus, a quo ad nos pervenit mifericordia." + Specimen quoddam divinatis in oleo præ omnibus terræ, atque arborum fructibus, veteres omnes agnoviffe quamdamque excellentiam divinitus quodammodo in eo oleo collocatam oftendunt. And thus probably the facred fires were lighted. Juftus Lipfius, thinks this was done by an inftrument like a funnel

Experiment lately made in London, before Mr. Banks. (Letter to me).

+ Clem. Alex. p. 129.

Schac. Myroth, p. 224. ibid. p. 567. See alfo Eufeb.

Demonftr. Ev. 1. 3.

nel, collecting the rays of the fun in a point; a thing impracticable in this climate. The fire was facred, "nofter ignis, actionem divini ignis imitans quicquid materiale reperit in facrificio deftruit, & admota purificat, & a vinculis materiæ folvit, ac propter naturæ puritatem ad Deorum communionem idonea facit."

Christianity took its name from the emblematical inftitution of oil. The emblem was, oil; the action was anointing: the perfon anointed, was m Mefuh: thofe who anointed or conftituted, are : The word conftantly ufed in this cafe, is nup Meffiah, rendered anointed. Whence the Greek Mirrias, Xpisos, the Meffias, Chrift.

משיה

Mr. ODonnell, of the Barony of Innifhowen, informs me, there was in the hands of the Rev. Mr. Barnard, of Fahan, a precious box, fet with ftones; called in Irish, Meefhac, a word fuppofed to be Hebrew, and to fignify a Vow. This is ornamented with a crucifix and the twelve apostles: Another is described by Sir Henry Piers, in his history of Westmeath *, by the name of Corp nua, that is the new prefence, the new body: a name given by the first Christian miffionaries, in oppofition to the Druidical Aefar, or Logh, the fpiritual light of the Godhead, they pretended to draw from Heaven.

The crystal stone in the center, is named Liath Meificith; or the Magical stone of speculation. Liath, i. e. Lith, i. e. Seod, i. e. Liath & Lith, fignify a gemm. (Vet. Gloff. Hib.)

Cellectanea Vol I. We fhall give drawings of these, in the course of this work.

Meifi,

Meifi, i. e. Dealbha Sithbheara, i. e. Meifi fignifies, magical representations. (ibid).

Meifi, a judge, fairies, ghosts, hobgoblins. (OBrien and Shawe.)

Lith, folemn, festival. (OB. & S.) Lith lai, festival days. Lia fail, the fatal stone. (ibid.).

Leice, (corrupted of Liath-cith) a precious ftone, a diamond: In the highlands of Scotland, a large crystal of a figure fomewhat oval, which priests kept to work charms by; water poured upon it at this day, is given to cattle against diseases; thefe ftones are now preserved by the oldest and most fuperftitious in the country, (Shawe). They were once common in Ireland: I am informed the Earl of Tyrone, is in poffeffion of a very fine one.

Aitos, gemma, politus lapis; hence Philo-lithos, qui gemmas amat. (Pliny).

Mais & Meifi, have both the fame fignification in Irish, viz. Draoidheact, * i, e. Druidism. Cith, is a vifion; whence cim, I fee; ocitear, feeing that. The corresponding Hebrew words are mafa, prophetia dura, maza invenire, comperire ; chi, revelatio; Chald. chitseh, videre; Arab khei, a phantom.

חזה

The use of this stone was strictly forbidden to the Jews by Mofes, in the xxvi. chap. of Lev. ye fhall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither fhall ye fuffer the ftone mafhcith, to be within your dominions.

משכית

Every term appertaining to the tenets of the Druidical religion, is tranflated draoidheacht, by our modern Lexicographers.

The

But fays Millius, we muft diftinguish between mezceh, de rudi & impolito lapide and the n' mafhcith. Obfcurius eft vocabulum & variis expofitionibus obnoxium. He then fhews where Onkelos, Bechai and Maimonides, have mistaken the meaning of the word, and quotes Manilius, who thought it was teffelata pavimenta; and concludes his opinion that the word Mashcith is derived from

, afpicere, profpicere-id eft, lapidem adfpectus. Et mihi expofitio Ebn Mafcith, placet, lapides ingenio & arte ficti & formati :-id eft opus ingeniofum & artificiofiffimum; etiam lapides intelligam Magica arte parata; which is evidently our Liath Meificith, here represented.

The compofition of cobalt, ground with oil, must fometimes have failed and, from various caufes, not blaze: then probably the Aefar was displeased; and vengeance was denounced on the ftate, or perfon offering the oblation.

This feems to be well reprefented on two antient Etrufcan Releivos, engraved in Dempster's Etruria. Tab. xxxvii.

No. 1. Reprefents a facrifice or thurma, for a bounty recieved. The fire blazes on the altar, one man is pouring on wine or oil; another holds a lamb ready for the sacrifice, and a third is bringing turma, or a difh of the fruits of the earth. An old man richly dreffed in a lay habit, attended by a domeftick, ftands by the altar behind are musicians, All is joy. The Etrufcan Inscription is,

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