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In commencing the history of a country, the mythic or fabulous portion of it is commonly treated by modern writers as a ravelled skein, wherein truth is so mingled with error, as to defy extrication. But in the legendary records of our land, however garbled by the allegories of early fabulists and bards, and the accidents of oral tradition, we may discover traces of the origin of the people, and the changes that operated upon their habits and character up to the period at which these become associated with authentic history. The fabulous history of Britain continued to be an article of faith during the time of the Plantagenets, and it supplied Edward I. with arguments for his aggressions upon Scotland, and the commencement of the longest and most important warfare in which England was ever engaged. It continued to be received in the Elizabethan age, and was studied as veritable historic truth by the brightest intellects which this country has produced. Even at a still later period, also, the same pen that wrote Paradise Lost did not disdain to illustrate those shadowy ages in which a Trojan rule was established in England. With these reflections we are justified in glancing at those early legends upon which Milton employed his learning, and from which Shakspeare himself derived some of his happiest illustrations.

The collectors of these earliest traditions who first adventured upon a written history of England, after alluding to the people by whom England was inhabited before the Deluge—and about the records of whom they modestly profess their ignorance—are contented to begin as late as 200 years after that memorable event. It was then that Samothes or Dis, who was either the fourth or the sixth son of Japheth, planted Gaul and Britain with the Celtic race, and from him the island was originally called Samothea. This Samothes is also alleged, upon the authority of Berosus, to have taught his people the arts of government and the use of letters. After him succeeded Magus, who was not only a learned scholar, but a mighty magician; Sarron, a founder of schools and colleges; Druis, the originator of the order of Druids; and Bardus, the father of the Bards. In this way, four great stages of improvement are comprised within four short generations, and impersonated in as many names: it was,