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The genuine history of the Britons asserted against Mr. Macpherson ...

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THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 9»<br />

grounded in Iiiflory and contradi6lory to reafon,<br />

<strong>the</strong> etymology which is founded upon it mufl<br />

neceflarily fall with it.—Nor is <strong>the</strong> etymology<br />

juft in itfelf. Inis or In is fo far from fignifying<br />

invariably a country in general, that, I believe,<br />

it invariably fignifies an ifland only. In its gene-<br />

ral acceptation it certainly means only an ifland.<br />

And <strong>the</strong> etymology <strong>of</strong> a popular name, which<br />

flands in direct opp<strong>of</strong>ition to <strong>the</strong> popular import<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> word, mud: for that very reafon be<br />

wrong K<br />

What <strong>the</strong>n is <strong>the</strong> derivation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong><br />

Albion ? It is <strong>the</strong> fome, I think, that has been<br />

already given in <strong>the</strong> Hiftory <strong>of</strong> Manchefler \—<br />

Not imp<strong>of</strong>ed by <strong>the</strong> mere anceftors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cale-<br />

donians, as is here infinuated ; it was never im*<br />

p<strong>of</strong>ed, aifuredly, by any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> refidents in <strong>the</strong><br />

country. As <strong>the</strong> ifland regularly r<strong>of</strong>e every<br />

morning to <strong>the</strong> eye <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gauls that inhabited<br />

along <strong>the</strong> coafl: <strong>of</strong> Calais, and as its chalky cliffs<br />

glittered continually in <strong>the</strong> fun, <strong>the</strong> Gauls mull<br />

certainly have beheld <strong>the</strong>m, and could not but<br />

have given <strong>the</strong>m fome appropriate appellation.<br />

This, it is obvious, mufl: necelTarily have been<br />

* So in t)r. IVlticpherfon, p. ii6— 117, we have <strong>the</strong> fame<br />

interpretation <strong>of</strong> Albion, <strong>the</strong> fime fallacy concerning Belgium,<br />

and rhfe farae derivation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lirll: <strong>Britons</strong> from " <strong>the</strong> lovv<br />

*^ plains <strong>of</strong> Belgiun:."<br />

* P. 9"<br />

<strong>the</strong>

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