The union Democrat., 1866-07-28
NUMBER Z.
Manner. and CUSTOM. of .h. Gauls.

The Gauls were tall in stature. their skin
was white their eyes blue, their hair fair or
chestnut. which they dyed, in order to make
the color more brilliant. They let their
beard grow the mobiles alone shaved, and
preserved only long moustaches. Trousers and
Sieeches' were very wide among the Belg@,
hut narrower among the southern Gauls, aud
shirt with sleeves, descending to the mid.
die OF the thighs, composed their prineipal
dress. They were clothed in a mantle or
safe, magniicently embroidered with gold
and silver among the rich, aud held about
the neck by means of metal brooch. Th>
lowest classes of the people used instead the
animals skin. The Aquaitanians covered
themselves, probably according to the Iberic
eustom. with cloth of coarse wool, unshorn.
The Gauls wore collars, earrings, Bracelets. i
and rings for the arms, of ga d or copper.
acrording to their rank, neckmces III amber.
aud ri g., which they piacedun the 81 Hnger.
They were naturally agrlcnlturists, and we
may suppes, that the Institution Of private
property existed among them. because, on the
one hand, all the citizens paid the tax, except
the Druids, and, on the other, the latter were
Judges of the questions of boundaries. They
were not acquainted with certain manutac.
lures. In some countries they fabricated serges,
which were IN great repQte, and cloths or
tets; in others they worked the mines with
skill, aud employed themselves in the fabri.
cation of metals. The Biturisss worked in
iron, aud were acquainted with Tho art of
timing. The artifcers of Alesia atei cop.
per with silver leaf, to ornament horses bits
aud trappings. The Gauls fed IN the flesh Of
swine, and their drinks were milk, ale aud
mead. They we're reproached with being in.
clined to drunkenness. They We're frank and
open in temper, and hospitable toward stran.
gers, bat vain and quarrelsome; Il ckle in
their sentiments, and iond of novelSies, they
took sudden r solutions, regreting one day
what they had rejected with did in the 4 ~
before; inclined to war and eager tor adven.
lures, they showed themselves hot in the at.
tack. but quickly discouraged in defea..
Their language was very concise and fgura-
tive; in writing they employed the Greek
letters. The men we're not exempt from q
shameful vice, which we might have believed
less common to this country than among the
people Of the East The women united an
extraordinary beauty with remarkable cour.
age and great physical force Among their
customs they had one which was singular;
they considered it as a thing unbecoming to
appear in public with their children. until
the latter had reached the age for carrying
arms. When he married, the man took from
his fortune portion equal to the dowry Of
the wife. This sum, placed as common
fund, was allowed to accumulate with inter.
est, and the whole reverted to the survivor.
The husband had the right of life and death
over his wife and children. When the de.
cease of a man of wealth excited anv suspi.
cion, his wives. as well as his slaves. were
put to the torture. and burnt il they were
found guilty. The extravaganza of their fu.
uerals presented contrast To the simplicity
of their life. All that the defunct had cher.
ished during his life was thrown into the
flames after his death aud even before the
Roman conquest, they joined with it his ia.
vorite slaves and clieats.-Napoleon's Julius
Cesar. ~