unnecessary, (for Pliny had no farther Design than to let us know, that Men first of all consented in the Writing and Form of their Letters) as because ’tis false, that the Ionian Letters were the first invented; as Pliny himself in his foregoing Chapter, and Tacitus, lib. 11. have told us?  I have observed however two Places, (Gregorius Turonensis, lib. 5. and Aimoinus, lib. 3. cap. 41.) wherein ’tis intimated, that the Gauls used the Forms of the Greek Letters:  For where they speak of King Chilperick,—­“He added (say they) some Letters to our Letters; and those were, [Greek:  o, ps, z, ph]; and sent Epistles to the several Schools in his Kingdom, that the Boys should be so taught.” Aimoinus mentions only three Letters, [Greek:  ch, th, ph].  But we must understand, that these were Franks, not Gauls; or rather Franco-gauls, who made use of their own native Language, the German Tongue; not that ancient Language of the Gauls, which had grown out of use under the Roman Government:  Besides, if the Francogalli had made use of the Greek Letters, how came they at first to except these, when they made use of all the rest?  But we have said enough, and too much of this Matter.  As for their Opinion who believe that the Gauls spoke the German Language, Caesar confutes it in that single place, wherein he tells us, that Ariovistus, by Reason of his long Conversation in Gallia, spoke the Gallick Tongue.

Now for two Reasons their Opinion seems to me to be most probable, who write, that the Ancient Gauls had a peculiar Language of their own, not much differing from the British:  First, because Caesar tells us it was the Custom for these Gauls who had a mind to be thoroughly instructed in the Learning of the Druyds, to pass over into Britain; and since the Druyds made no use of Books, ’tis agreeable to Reason, that they taught in the same Language which was used in Gallia.  Secondly, because Tacitus in his Life of Agricola, writes, that the Language of the Gauls and Britains differ’d but very little:  neither does that Conjecture of Beatus Rhenanus seem unlikely to me, who believes the Language which is now made use of in Basse Bretayne [Britones Britonantes] to be the Remains of our ancient Tongue.  His Reasons for this Opinion may be better learn’d from his own Commentaries, than told in this Place.  The Language which we at present make use of, may easily be known to be a Compound of the several Tongues of divers Nations.  And (to speak plainly and briefly) may be divided into four Parts.  One half of it we have from the Romans, as every one that understands Latin ever so little, may observe:  For besides, that the Gauls being subject to