2. The very learned _Schedius_, in his treatise _de mor. germ._ XXIV. speaking of the Druids, confirms exceedingly all that we have said on this head. He writes, “that they seek studiously for an oak-tree, large and handsome, growing up with two principal arms, in form of a cross, beside the main stem upright. If the two horizontal arms are not sufficiently adapted to the figure, they fasten a cross-beam to it. This tree they consecrate in this manner. Upon the right branch they cut in the bark, in fair characters, the word HESUS: upon the middle or upright stem, the word TARAMIS: upon the left branch BELENUS: over this, above the going off of the arms, they cut the name of God, THAU: under all the same repeated, THAU.” We cannot possibly understand otherwise, than that by this they intended to show the unity in the divine nature; for every word signifies God emphatically, and in their general acceptation, _Thau_ especially. The other three words have each particularly a more restrained sense, regarding the oeconomy of the deity or godhead. And this is _Schedius_ his opinion. This tree, so inscribed, they make their _kebla_ in the grove, cathedral, or summer-church, toward which they direct their faces in the offices of religion, as to the ambre stone or the cove in the above described temples of _Abury_. Like as the Christians to any symbol or picture over the altar. And hence the writers got a notion of their worshipping trees; and of these names belonging to so many gods: which serves the poets to descant upon. But if we examine them to their origin, they are easily to be reduc’d to orthodoxy. The word _Hesus_ means the supreme God in the _celtic_ language, as ESAR among the _Hetruscans_. _Sueton. in Aug._ It was pronounced _Eisar_, as the _germans_ pronounce _Cæsar_, _Keisar_. It comes from the _hebrew_ ה _Ei_, and סר _Lord_, שר _Prince_. ה is emphatically the name of the divinity, as השם το ονομα, the NAME _Jehovah_, _Levit._ xxiv. 11. 16. Hence ה or EI, inscribed over the door of the temple at _Delphos_, of which _Plutarch_ has wrote. It was the way of the _babylonish_ monarchs to assume divine names, as _Esar-adon_, signifying no less than God the Lord. _Esi_ is God, says _Hesychius_. In the _arabic_ it signifies the _Creator_, says _Dickenson delph. phœnic._ But these authors do not go to the bottom, for it comes from AS or AT, signifying God the father. Ἄτα or Ἄττα, with the _Greeks_ is _pater_. The _Armenians_ call it Αδς, the _Egyptians_ Ὠτ, those of _Sarmatia_ and _Slavonia_ Ος: says the learned _Baxter_, _v. Ascania_, _gloss. ant. Rom._ where he has much of ancient learning upon it. This is the _Atys_ of the _Phrygians_.