But in order to complete the conquest of the country, the Roman
generals resolved to crush the power of the Druids (S3), since these
priests exhorted the Britons to refuse to surrender. The island of
Anglesey, off the northwest coast of Wales, was the stronghold to
which the Druids had retreated. (See map facing p. 14.) As the Roman
soldiers approached to attack them, they beheld the priests and women
standing on the shore, with uplifted hands, uttering "dreadful prayers
and imprecations."
For a moment the Roman troops hesitated; then they rushed upon the
Druids, cut them to pieces, and cast their bodies into their own
sacred fires. From this blow Druidism as an organized faith never
recovered, though traces of its religious rites still survive in the
use of the mistletoe at Christman and in May-day festivals.