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

THE BRITONS ASSSRTED. 129
Friths. And the fame fpirit occurs here again.
We have before been informed pofitively and
without hcfitation, that " the Gael, under the
" general name of Caledonians, inhabited from
" the Tweed to the extremitj^ of the North."
But we are here informed, that their inhabiting
from the Tweed to the Friths is only '^ more
*' than probable," that Mr. Macpherfon " fup-
" pofes it,'* and that there is " a prefumption"
for it. The certainty in p. 32 is all dwindled
away in p. 50. And as the reader proceeds in
the work, and naturally expefts a clearer light
and flronger convi£^rions, he finds his author him-
felf faukering in his ftyle, and becoming more
dubious of his own pofitions.
The Caledonians were brought down at firft
to the Solway and Tweed, and are occafion-
ally brought down at prefent, merely becaufe of
the name of Galloway there; as the name of
Cumberland occafioned the Cimbri, before, to be
placed betwixt the Tweed and the Humber.
And the Caledonians were carried at firft, and
are occafionally carried at prefent, to the North
of the Friths, becaufe hiftory exprefsly places
them to the North. The two ftrong and a(5live
principles, thus unwarily blended together, are
continually (Iruggling for fuperiority, and fome-
times the one colour and fometimes the other
predominates.'—But the reafon here adduced, for
the refidence of the Caledonians betwixt the
K WaUs,,