05.03.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 14^<br />

very numerous in Irelnnd, before <strong>the</strong> Belgse ar-<br />

rived—in Britain. How flrangely inaccurate<br />

That <strong>the</strong> Be]ga2 were l<strong>of</strong>t in <strong>the</strong> Gael <strong>of</strong> Ire-<br />

land, is a faft which is equally alTerted and de-<br />

nied by <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon in <strong>the</strong> prefent Extradl.<br />

It is exprefsly alTerted in <strong>the</strong> Text, and plainly<br />

denied in <strong>the</strong> Note. And I have (hewn an in-<br />

ftance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fame nature immediately before.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Belgce, according to his own account in <strong>the</strong><br />

Note, muft have furvived for ages diftincl from<br />

<strong>the</strong> Gael ; or elfe no " traditions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irifli'*<br />

could exifl: concerning <strong>the</strong>m at prefent. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

muft alfo, according to <strong>the</strong> fame account in<br />

him, have furvived to <strong>the</strong> third century at leaft,<br />

not only diftin£i: from, but even opp<strong>of</strong>ed to, <strong>the</strong><br />

Gael ; or <strong>the</strong>y would not have been mentioned<br />

fo frequently, under <strong>the</strong>ir own name <strong>of</strong> Belgs,<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Poems <strong>of</strong> Offian. And <strong>the</strong>y accordingly<br />

appear in his own Temora, waging long and<br />

bloody wars with <strong>the</strong> Gael.<br />

That <strong>the</strong> former were l<strong>of</strong>t in <strong>the</strong> latter at all, is<br />

inferred evidently from <strong>the</strong> Irifh, <strong>the</strong> Belgic and<br />

Aboriginal Irifli, equally calling <strong>the</strong>mfelves and<br />

being called by o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>the</strong> Gael. But <strong>the</strong> infe-<br />

rence is gr<strong>of</strong>sly unjuft. I liave already fliewn all<br />

<strong>the</strong> Belgce <strong>of</strong> Britain to have been actually<br />

denominated Gael. And <strong>the</strong>ir language ap-<br />

pears decifively to have been <strong>the</strong> Gallic or Bri<br />

ti(h. This is plain from <strong>the</strong> only remains that<br />

L we

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!