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

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THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 97<br />

for tlie country which <strong>the</strong>y had ufed for ages<br />

before in Gaul ; and Albion accordingly remained<br />

<strong>the</strong> regular appellation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ifland. Ent <strong>the</strong><br />

new coionifls would naturally be diftinguilhed,<br />

among <strong>the</strong>ir brethren and <strong>the</strong>mfelves, by fome<br />

denomination expreffive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir remove acr<strong>of</strong>s<br />

<strong>the</strong> Channel, and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir feparacion from <strong>the</strong><br />

great body <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir countrymen in Gaul. <strong>The</strong><br />

idea, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir disjunction from Gaul, would<br />

be <strong>the</strong> firft that prefented itfelf to <strong>the</strong> mindo<br />

And <strong>the</strong> idea, <strong>of</strong> our feparation from <strong>the</strong> con-<br />

tinent <strong>of</strong> Europe, always appears a leading one<br />

in <strong>the</strong> language <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> antients concerning us.<br />

This <strong>the</strong>n mnH naturally have vented itfelf in<br />

,<br />

fome appellation <strong>of</strong> disjunftion, for <strong>the</strong> colonifts<br />

that cr<strong>of</strong>fed <strong>the</strong> Channel into Britain. And<br />

<strong>the</strong>y could fcarcely avoid calling <strong>the</strong>mfelves,<br />

and being called by <strong>the</strong>ir brethren, <strong>the</strong> Sepa-<br />

rated or Divided Perfons. An etymon <strong>the</strong>re-<br />

fore, expreffive <strong>of</strong> this idea, ihould be <strong>the</strong> firft<br />

that is fought for by a judicious enquirer into <strong>the</strong><br />

meaning <strong>of</strong> Britain. And any eafy etymology,<br />

which is expreffive <strong>of</strong> this idea, will for that<br />

reafon be fuperior to every o<strong>the</strong>r. Such is<br />

<strong>the</strong> etymologVj v/hich is <strong>of</strong>fered in <strong>the</strong> Hiflory<br />

o\ Manchefter,<br />

<strong>The</strong> primitive and radical word in <strong>the</strong> name<br />

<strong>of</strong> Britain, is obvioufly Brit. One <strong>of</strong> our iilanderi;<br />

is repeatedly denominated Brit-o and Britt-us

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