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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 133
reafonings, I think, to be at once arbitrary in
their principles and frivolous in their conclufions.
And 1 have demonftrated the Geography
of the ifland, I apprehend, to be both falfe and
contradiflory.
P. 51. "As that tracH: of country which Is
'* comprehended between the Tweed and Solway,
" and the Scottilh Friths, was more expofed to
*' invafion than Caledonia, we may conclude
•' that the Gael who poflefled it were, in fome
*' degree, mixed with the Cimbric Ottadini and
'' Brigantes, even before the invalions of the
** Romans preffed thofe tribes towards the North,
'' It was from this unavoidable mixture that the
** Selgovse, Gadeni, Damnii, and Novantes, were,
*^ in an after-age, diftinguilhed by the name of
*' Mceatje, which fignifies a people defcended
** from a double origin, as well as the inhabitants
*' of a controverted country. (Moi-atta, or Moi-
** attich, the inhabitants of the Plains : Masan-
" atta, the poffeffors of the Middle country ^ :
" Moai-atta, a mixed people)."
The errors in this part of the Diflertatlon
feem to rife before us every ftep that we take,
and are perpetually flopping us in our progrefs.
This paflage immediately follows the former.
} Thefe two etymons are given by Dr. Macpherfon, p. 23.
K The
3