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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED, 147
could in no fenfe be reckoned the fole progeni-
tors of the old Irifli. The Irifli muft even then
be derived from a mixt race of Britons ;
and the
Belg£e of South-Britain muft have concurred with
the Gael of the North, to claim the honour of
producing them. Though the Belg^e had been
covered with the name of Gael, they would not
Icfs have been Belgse, or have lefs contributed to
-produce the Irifh.
f. 55— 57. " When the Gael arrived firft In
** Ireland they naturally giive it the name of lar-
" in, or the weftern country.— From lar-in is
" not only to be deduced the Eirin of the Irilh
^^ themfelves, but thofe various nam.es by which
*' the Greeks and Romans diflinguilhed their
*' ifland (Juverna, lerna. Iris, Ovc-^vLoi^ Hibernia).
" —Hibernia, the moft common name by which
" the Romans diftinguilhed Ireland, may appear
*' to fome too remote in the pronunciation and
" orthography from lar-in, or H'Eirin \the
" Weftern Country], to be derived from either.
*' This difficulty is eafily removed. Julius Csefar
** mentions, for the firft time, Ireland under the
" name of Hibernia. One of two reafons in-
*' duced the iiluftrious writer to ufe that appel-
*' lation. He either latinized die H'Yverdhon of
*' the Southern Britains, or, what is more proba-
jL 2 ''h\t.