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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 109
and Belga?. Since feveral of them were, feve-
ral mud hcive been known as fully. As many
were reduced by the Romans, the Romans mufl
have been converfant v/ith a confiderable part of
Caledonia. And, as the greater part of the
tribes fubmitted to their power, the greater part
of the country mufl: have been open to their
obfervations. That this Was the cafe, may be
eafily fhewn. The Gael or Caledonians arc
placed by Mr. Macpherfon, before, in the large
divlfion of the ifland which runs from the Tweed
to the Orkneys. " The Cimbri," he fays in
p. 32, '^ — poffefTed — the country — from the
" Huraber to the Tweed. The Gael, under the
*' general name of Caledonians, inhabited the
" reft of the ifland to the extremity of the North."
Now this region comprehended no lefs than
twenty-one tribes '. And no fewer than eleven
of thefe had been aftually fubdued by the Romans,
and brought within the pale of their em-
pire, being formed into the province of Valentia
to the South of the Friths, and of Vefpafiana to
the North of them -. Vefpafiana continued a
province from the year 140 to 170
s. And Va-
lentia remained one, from the days of Agricola to
the late period of the Roman departure 4, The
^ Hillory of Manchefter, p. 63, and 409— 41 1.
"^ Ibid. ^ Hiftory of Manchefter, p. 419.
* Hiftory of Maucheiler, p. 4^3—458.
I Gael