And the same thing Ammianus Marcellinus testifies in his 15th Book.  But what many Learned Men (especially of our own Country) have maintain’d, viz. That the Gauls commonly used the Greek Tongue, may be refuted by this single Instance which Caesar takes notice of lib. 5. cap. 12.  That when Q.  Cicero was besieged in his Camp, he dispatched Letters written in the Greek Language, “Lest (if they were intercepted) his Designs shou’d be discover’d by the Gauls.”  But to this some object, what Strabo writes, lib. 4. viz. “That all Sorts of good Literature (and especially that of the Greek Language) flourish’d at Marseilles to such a degree, that the Gauls, by the Example of the Massilians, were mightily delighted with the Greek Tongue, insomuch that they began to write their very Bargains and Contracts in it.”  Now to this there is a short and ready Reply:  For, in the first place, if the Gauls learnt Greek by the Example of the Massilians, ’tis plain, ’twas none of their Mother-tongue.  Secondly, Strabo in the same place clearly shows us, that the Fashion of writing their Contracts in Greek began but in his Time, when all Gallia was in Subjection to the Romans.  Besides, he speaks precisely only of those Gauls who were Borderers and next Neighbours to the Massilians, of whom he says, that not only many of their private Men, but even their Cities (by publick Decrees, and proposing great Rewards) invited several Learned Men of Massilia to instruct their Youth.

It remains that we shou’d clear that place in Caesar, where he tells us the Gauls, in their publick and private Reckonings, Graecis literis usos fuisse.  But let us see whether the word Graecis in that place ought not to be left out, not only as unnecessary but surreptitious.  Since it was sufficient to express Caesar’s Meaning to have said, that the Gauls made no use of Letters or Writing in the Learning of the Druids, but in all other Matters, and in publick and private Accounts, they did make use of Writing:  For uti litteris, to use Letters, is a frequent Expression for Writing among Latin Authors.  Besides, it had been a Contradiction to say the Gauls were unskill’d in the Greek Tongue, as Caesar had averr’d a little before; and afterwards to say, that they wrote all their publick and private Accounts in Greek.  As to what many suppose, that the words literis Graecis in that place, are not to be taken for Writing Greek, but only for the Characters of the Letters; I can less approve of this Explanation than the former; because though many ancient Writers (as we just now said) frequently used the Expression, Uti litteris for Scribere;