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

?4o THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
to prove, that the Iriih were derived from the
Caledonians. And at the clofe of it he concludes,
that the Irifli were derived— from the native
Gauls. The name of Gael demonftrates the Irifli
to " derive their blood from tkofe Gael or Gauls,
*' who, in an after-period, were dijlinguijhed by
*' the name of Caledonians.'^ And the name of
Gael proves the Scots, the Pi6ls, and the Irifli to
have *' derived their origin from the fame fource,
*' the antient Gael of the continent'* Vainly
imagining, in oppofition to the moft obvious
evidences, that the name of Gael in Britain was
appropriated entirely to the Caledonians ; and
wildly fuppofmg, in contradiction to the moft ex-
prefs declarations of hiftory, that the other tribes
of Bri^-ain were German-Celtic; Mr. Macpher-
fon goes on with a falfe aflbciation of ideas from
the beginning to the clofe of his work, walking
in one circle of errors, and plunging into abfurdi-
ties and contradi£lions at every turn.
P. 54. a note. ** Mr. O'Connor, who lately
'^ gave to the public fome wild, incoherent
*' tales, concerning the antient Irifli, endeavours
*' to obviate the flrength of the argument,
*•' which rifes againft his fyftem from the name
" of Gael, by difguifing the word by the in-
" fertion of the intermediate letters, dh, as thus,
« Qadhel