Excerpt from A Child's History of England
Charles Dickens

The Britons had a strange and terrible religion, called the Religion of the Druids. It seems to have been brought over, in very early times indeed, from the opposite country of France, anciently called Gaul, and to have mixed up the worship of the Serpent, and of the Sun and Moon, with the worship of some of the Heathen Gods and Goddesses. Most of its ceremonies were kept secret by the priests, the Druids, who pretended to be enchanters, and who carried magicians' wands, and wore, each of them, about his neck, what he told the ignorant people was a Serpent's egg in a golden case. But it is certain that the Druidical ceremonies included the sacrifice of human victims, the torture of some suspected criminals, and, on particular occasions, even the burning alive, in immense wicker cages, of a number of men and animals together. The Druid Priests had some kind of veneration for the Oak, and for the mistletoe—the same plant that we hang up in houses at Christmas Time now—when its white berries grew upon the Oak. They met together in dark woods, which they called Sacred Groves; and there they instructed, in their mysterious arts, young men who came to them as pupils, and who sometimes stayed with them as long as twenty years.

What is the author's purpose in including the idea of France in the first two sentences of paragraph 7?

The author's purpose in including the idea of France in the first two sentences of paragraph 7 is to provide historical context and underscore the origins of the Druids' religion. It establishes that the religion had a foreign origin and was not endemic to Britain, potentially highlighting the interconnectedness of ancient European cultures and the movement of religious practices across regions.

Charles Dickens’ reference to France, anciently called Gaul, serves a dual purpose. Initially, it locates the origin of the Druidic practices to a geography familiar to readers – linking the ancient Britons to the continental Europeans and suggesting a shared or exchanged cultural/religious heritage. Furthermore, by introducing France, Dickens creates a narrative bridge that connects his British readers to the larger European historical context, reinforcing the notion that British history did not exist in isolation but was part of a tapestry of European civilization. The Druids, with their enigmatic rituals and teachings, exemplify religious influences that crossed the English Channel, underscoring the broader theme of cultural diffusion and interaction in ancient times. This approach also primes the reader for any subsequent revelations about the practices and impact of the Druids on British society.