stricts
adjoining, preaching, and converting great Numbers of People. The
_Taltenian_ Sports above-mentioned, have been much celebrated by the
_Irish_ Historians, and Antiquaries. They were a kind of warlike
Exercises, somewhat resembling the _Olympick_ Games, consisting of Racing,
Tilts, Tournaments, Wrestling, Leaping, Vaulting, and all other manly and
martial Exercises, which gave Rise to the many hyperbolical Tales,
formerly related of those _Taltenian_ Sports. They were exhibited every
Year at _Talten_, a Mountain in _Meath_, for fifteen Days before, and
fifteen Days after the First of _August_. Their first Institution is
ascribed to _Lughaid-lam-fadha_, the twelfth King of _Ireland_, who began
his Reign _A. M._ 2764 (a sufficient Proof of _Ireland_'s Antiquity as a
Kingdom). They were ordained by _Lughaid_, in Gratitude to the Memory of
_Tailte_, the Daughter of _Magh-More_, (a Prince of some Part of _Spain_)
who having been married to _Eochaid_, King of _Ireland_, took the same
_Lughaid_ under her Protection, and had the Care of his Education in his
Minority. From this Princess both the Sports, and the Place where they
were celebrated, took their Names: From _Lughaid_, the First of _August_
was called _Lugnasa_, or the Memory of _Lughaid_, _Nasa_ signifying
Memory, in the _Irish_ Language.

In the Year of the World 2700, _Gideon_ then reigning fourth Judge of the
_Hebrews_, appear'd many Heroes, as _Hercules_, _Orpheus_, _Castor_,
_Pollux_, the _Argonauts_, _Jason_, _Laomedon_, _Thesaeus_, _Dedalus_, &c.
The _Amazones_, Heroines of _Scythic_ Extraction, having lost their
Husbands in Battle, took up Arms themselves, with a manly Spirit of
Resentment, and (inspired with Love of their deceased Husbands, and Grief
for so great and irretrievable a Loss!) subdued _Asia_, and built
_Ephesus_. _Hercules_ and _Thesaeus_ waged War against those Heroines, and
defeated them, more to the Glory of the Vanquished than their own, those
Matrons having defended themselves with surprizing Resolution. They cut
off the Guards set over them, and escaped the Severity and Pride of their
Conquerors. _Hercules_, in Honour of such extraordinary heroick Females,
instituted the _Olympick_ Games; as likewise did _Thesaeus_, the
_Isthmian_, in the Year of the World, about 2700, the _Taltenian_ Sports,
the very same with the _Olympick_, brought sixty-four Years after from
_Spain_ into _Ireland_, by _Tailte_, and her Followers. Now this _Tailte_,