Mona, now Anglesey, was the chief seat of the Druids, A.D. 59. Suetonius Paulinus, in the reign of Nero, was invested with the command of an army, and prepared to signalize his name by victories over those barbarians. Finding this island the chief seat of the Druids, he resolved to attack it, and bring into subjection a place which was the centre of their superstition, and which afforded protection to all their baffled forces. The Britons endeavoured to obstruct his landing on this sacred island, both by the force of their arms, and the terrors of their religion. The women and priests were intermingled with the soldiers upon the shore; and running about with flaming torches in their hands, and tossing their disheveled hair, they struck greater terror into the astonished Romans by their howlings, cries and execrations, than the real danger from the armed forces was able to inspire. But Suetonius, exhorting his troops to disregard the menaces of a superstition which he despised, impelled them to the attack, drove the Britons off the field, burned the Druids in the same fires which those priests had prepared for their captive enemies; destroyed all their consecrated groves and altars--and having thus triumphed over the religion of the Britons, he thought his future progress would be easy in reducing the people to subjection; but in this expectation he was disappointed. The circumference of the island is seventy-six miles. The sea-passage from Holyhead to Dublin, is about sixty miles, which is now traversed by steam packets daily. Next to agriculture, and the rearing of cattle, mining affords most employment to the labouring population; a great number of persons are also engaged in fishing and catching wild-fowl, round the coast. It comprises 200,000 acres of land. [Sidenote: Originally the principal establishment of the Druids.] [Sidenote: Annual exportation of cattle.] [Sidenote: Prized for its marine productions.] [Sidenote: Invasion of the Romans] [Sidenote: The Druids burnt in the fires they had prepared for their enemies.]