Theimpressionmadeisnotincorrect，butanimmensityofdetailislosttotheobserver，andasurfacevariedbycountlesssmallelevationslooksperfectlyflat。Caesar’sfailuretonotethenaturaldivisionsoftheCeltictribesmen，thefamiliesandseptsorsub-tribes，istomeparticularlyinstructive。ThetheoryofhumanequalityisofRomanorigin；thecomminutionofhumansociety，andtheuncheckedcompetitionamongitsmembers，whichhavegonesofarintheWesternEuropeofourdays，hadthemostefficientcausesinthemechanismoftheRomanState。HenceCaesar’somissionsseemtobethosemostnaturalinaRomangeneralwhowasalsoagreatadministratorandtrainedlawyer；
andtheyareundoubtedlythosetowhichanEnglishrulerofIndiaismostliableatthismoment。ItisoftensaidthatittakestwoorthreeyearsbeforeaGovernor-GenerallearnsthatthevastIndianpopulationisanaggregateofnaturalgroups，andnotthemixedmultitudeheleftathome；andsomerulersofIndiahavebeenaccusedofneverhavingmasteredthelessonatall。
ThereareafewveryimportantpointsofdetailtobenoticedinCaesar’sdescriptionofwhatmaybecalledthelayportionofCelticsociety。IshallafterwardscallyourattentiontothesignificanceofwhathestatesconcerningtheclasseswhomhecallstheclientsanddebtorsoftheEquites，andrespectingtheincreasedpowerwhichtheygivetotheChiefonwhomtheyaredependent。Itis，however，remarkablethat，whenhespeaksoftheDruids，hisstatementsaregreatlymoredetailed。Heretherewerenohomeassociationstomisleadhim，but，beyondthat，itisplainthathisinterestwasstronglyrousedbythenovelconstitutionofthisprivilegedorderwhomheplacesbythesideoftheChiefs。Letmerecall，then，toyoutheprincipalpointsofhisdescription，fromwhichIdesignedlyomitallstatementsconcerningthepriestlyofficeoftheclassdescribed。HetellsusthattheDruidsweresupremejudgesinallpublicandprivatedisputes；andthat，forinstance，allquestionsofhomicide，ofinheritance，andofboundarywerereferredtothemfordecision。
HesaysthattheDruidspresidedoverschoolsoflearning，towhichtheCelticyouthflockedeagerlyforinstruction，remaininginthemsometimessohewasinformedfortwentyyearsatatime。Hestatesthatthepupilsintheseschoolslearnedanenormousquantityofverses，whichwerenevercommittedtowriting；andhegiveshisopinionthattheobjectwasnotmerelytopreventsacredknowledgefrombeingpopularised，buttostrengthenthememory。BesidesdescribingtousthereligiousdoctrineoftheDruids，heinformsusthattheywereextremelyfondofdisputingaboutthenatureofthematerialworld，themovementsofthestars，andthedimensionsoftheearthandoftheuniverse。AttheirheadtherewasbyhisaccountachiefDruid，whoseplaceathisdeathwasfilledbyelection，andthesuccessionoccasionallygaverisetoviolentcontestsofarmsB。G。vi，13，14。
TherearesomestrongandevenstartlingpointsofcorrespondencebetweenthefunctionsoftheDruids，asdescribedbyCaesar，andtheofficeoftheBrehon，assuggestedbythelaw-tracts。TheextensiveliteratureoflawjustdisinterredtestifiestotheauthorityoftheBrehonsinalllegalmatters，andraisesastrongpresumptionthattheywereuniversalrefereesindisputes。Amongtheirwritingsareseparatetreatisesoninheritanceandboundary，andalmosteverypageofthetranslationscontainsareferencetothe’eric’-fineforhomicide。TheschoolsofliteratureandlawappeartohavebeennumerousinancientIreland，andO’Curryisabletogivethecourseofinstructioninoneofthemextendingovertwelveyears。