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

loS
THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
within the Roman empire. The fad Is not true.
And the reafoning is not juft.
Many nations were well-known to the Ptomans,
that were never comprehended within the pale of
their empire. Ireland is a rcmari.able inllance
of this, \vhere we have all the tribes recited, all
the towns enumerated, and all the headlands and
rivers fpecified, equally as in the provinces of
Britain. As the Roman empire extended itfelf
lipon every fide, the Roman geographers and
Liftorians enlarged the circle of their obferva-
tions, gained an acquaintance with all the na-
tions that bordered upon their frontiers, and
carried their refearches where the arms of their
countrymen never penetrated. And Mr. Mac-
pherfon in another place, and to ferve another
purpofe, not only allows but contends for it.
*^ It is .morally irapoflible," fays he in p. 190,
'' that a migration fufficient to people* Caledonia
^' and Ireland^ could have happened, without
" falling within the knowledge of the writers of
*' R.ome, who certainly extended their enquiries to
" the tranfaSlions of the zvild 7iations on the fron-
" tiers of the ejnpire."
But the faft is not true, that the Caledonians
Vv^ere unknown to the Romans, becaufe they were
never comprehended within the empire. Since
fome of them were comprehended, thofe mufl
have been fully known, as fully as the Cimbri
iind