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

14-8
THE. GENUINE HISTORY OF
** ble, he annexed to Ireland a name which fuited
*' his own ideas of its air and climate,—and
'* formed the name of Hibernia from the adjec-
'* tive Hibernus.'*
I have cited this paffage, principally to mark
the ftrange manner in which, within a few lines,
the author palpably contradifts himfelf. And I
have produced more than one inflance of this be-
fore.—In the beginning of the Extrad, Hibernia
is without hefitation pronounced to be derived
from the Caledonian lar-in. But, in the conclu-
fion, it is declared to be derived either from the
Welih H'Yverdhon or the Latin Hibernus. Thus
is Mr. Macpherfon his own greatefl adverfary.
And while, in the gaiety of indifcretion, he is
brandifliinghis fword to hew down all oppofition,
he unhappily buries it in his own bofom.
The deduftion of Hibernia from the Latin Hi-
bernus is one of the meanefl and mod frivolous
etymons, among the thoufands which have dif-
graced the fcience of etymology, that I ever remember
to have feen of late. It is only fit for that
infantine period of human learning and under-
ftanding, which originally gave it to the world,
and exhaufled all its feeble powers in the deriva-
tion of Scotland from the Greek S^cfe and of
Albion and Hibernia from the Latin Hibernus
and Albus. And I am aftoniflied that a gentle-
man, of Mr. Macpherfon's fpirit and intellect:,
could