Druidēs ā bellō abesse cōnsuērunt, neque tribūta ūnā cum reliquīs pendunt; mīlitiae vacātiōnem omniumque rērum habent immūnitātem. Tantīs excitātī praemiīs et suā sponte multī in disciplīnam conveniunt et ā parentibus propīnquīsque mittuntur. Māgnum ibī numerum versuum ēdiscere dīcuntur. Itaque annōs nōn nūllī XX in disciplīnā permanent. Neque fās esse exīstimant ea litterīs mandāre, cum in reliquīs ferē rēbus, pūblicīs prīvātīsque ratiōnibus, Graecīs litterīs ūtantur. Id mihi duābus dē causīs īnstituisse videntur, quod neque in vulgum disciplīnam efferrī velint neque eōs quī discunt litterīs cōnfīsōs minus memoriae studēre; quod ferē plērīsque accidit ut praesidiō litterārum dīligentiam in perdiscendō ac memoriam remittant. In prīmīs hōc volunt persuādēre, nōn interīre animās sed ab aliīs post mortem trānsīre ad aliōs, atque hōc māximē ad virtūtem excitārī putant, metū mortis neglēctō. Multa praetereā dē sīderibus atque eōrum mōtū, dē mundī ac terrārum māgnitūdine, dē rērum nātūrā, dē deōrum immortālium vī ac potestāte disputant et iuventūtī trādunt.
notes
Their privileges. Their doctrines.
sponte: adverbial ablative: unaided; on one’s own accord (Sihler) ( A&G 419.c)
disciplina: Compare Roman Education
quod neque ...velint: ‘because it is supposed that they do not wish’ (Moberly) ( A&G 540).
litteris confisos: 'by trusting to written words' (Allen & Judson) ( A&G 496).
minus studere: ‘to pay less attention to’ (Walker).
minus memoriae studere: 'to cultivate the memory less' (Hodges).
praesidio: lit. ‘because of the protection of’ = ‘depending on’ (Walker).
remittant: 'relax' (Hodges).
quod…remittant: ‘which is the result in most cases, that persons relying on the aid of writing lose their perseverance in learning by heart as well as their retentiveness of memory’ (Peskett).
hoc: (acc.; more usually illud) refers to what follows; hōc (abl.) to what has just been said (Allen & Judson)( A&G 297).
excitari: ‘that men are incited’ (Walker).
multa…disputant: ‘they also theorise largely’ (Moberly).