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

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THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 139<br />

h<strong>of</strong>lility with fome <strong>of</strong> his former p<strong>of</strong>itions and<br />

all hiftory. If he does not, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> Irilh may<br />

be defcended from <strong>the</strong> Gael <strong>of</strong> Galloway. And,<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r he does or not, his reafoning from <strong>the</strong><br />

name <strong>of</strong> Gael is quite impertinent. <strong>The</strong> name<br />

is no evidence at all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Caledonian defcent <strong>of</strong><br />

tTie Irilh. It was not appropriated to <strong>the</strong> Cale-<br />

donians ei<strong>the</strong>r North or South <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Friths. It<br />

was, as I have previoufly (hewn, common to all<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Britons</strong>, deduced with <strong>the</strong>m from Gaul, and.<br />

retained by <strong>the</strong>m in all <strong>the</strong>ir iflands. And <strong>the</strong><br />

Irifh might be equally demonjlrated to be derived<br />

from <strong>the</strong> Gael <strong>of</strong> Wales, <strong>the</strong> Gael <strong>of</strong> Cornwall,<br />

or <strong>the</strong> Gael <strong>of</strong> Kent and Suflex.<br />

<strong>The</strong> antient <strong>Britons</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> South are alfo faid<br />

to have given <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Gael to <strong>the</strong> Scots, <strong>the</strong><br />

Pifts, and <strong>the</strong> Irifli, and '* confequently to have<br />

** very juftly concluded" <strong>the</strong>m to be all one and<br />

<strong>the</strong> fame people. This conclufion, however, is<br />

jiot <strong>the</strong> antient <strong>Britons</strong>, but <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon's.<br />

And it is not juft at all. Though <strong>the</strong> antient<br />

<strong>Britons</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> South did call <strong>the</strong> Scots, <strong>the</strong> Pi£ls,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>lrifti, by <strong>the</strong> common name <strong>of</strong> Gael, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

did not mean to derive <strong>the</strong> lirfl and <strong>the</strong> laft from<br />

<strong>the</strong> fecond. <strong>The</strong>y equally gave <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Gael<br />

to <strong>the</strong>mfelves, as I have fliewed before, to <strong>the</strong><br />

tribes <strong>of</strong> Kent and Suflex, <strong>the</strong> nations <strong>of</strong> Corn-<br />

wall and Wales, and to all <strong>the</strong> <strong>Britons</strong>.<br />

But <strong>the</strong> courfe <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> author's reafoning here<br />

is very remarkable. He produces an argument<br />

to

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