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 ...
S THE GENUINE HIS TOP. Y OF publication of which vras repeatedly announced to th. world, fome years before its appearance, in a ftiaii; of high comniendation by Mr. Macrherfon \ leems to have been alfo refcued bv him from the fate often incident to pofthumcus pro- ductions, and Vv'a... 1 fuppofe, actually prefaced by him. And, in chefe agreeable and fenfible dilTertations, an intimate acquaintance with the Highland language, and no inconfideiVolc knowledge of antient hiftory, have been made the infliruments to wreH: the accounts of the antients from their true bafis, and to pufh afide the whole fyftem of the Caledonian and Iriih Hiftory from its fixed and natural center. And Mr. Macpherfon has lately clofcd the attack, in a regular and formal difquifitlon upon the fame principles. With a knowledge of the * In the preface to vol. I. of OfTian it is faid : " It was at *' fiift intended to prefix to Offian's Poems a difcourfe con- *' cerning the ancient inhabitants ot Britain ; but as a Gentle- *' man in the north of Scotland, who has thoroughly ex- *' air.ined the antiquities of this ifland, and is perfeiSdy ac- *' quainted uath ali the branches of the Celtic tongue, is juft *• now preparing for the prels a work on that fubjed:!:, the *' curiou: are referred to it." And in the DiHertation prefixed '. to vol. :. a.e thefe v/ords : " This fuhjeft I ha^'e onl- lightly *' touched upon, as it is to be difcuired with more peripicuity *' and at a n uch greater leng'/h, by a Gentleman, who has *' thorc ughly examined the antiquities of Britain and Ire- *' land." p. xix. Highland
THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 7 Highland language fuperior to the Do£ior'S;, and with a much deeper infight into antient hiilory, he has brought the whole collefled weight of evidence together, and concentrated all the fcattered rays of the argument into a fingle point. With a faculty of thinking uncommonly" vigorous and lively, and with a flow of language peculiarly elegant and fpirited, he has given fuch additional flrengdi to the argument, and thrown fuch an attractive glofs over his rea- fonings, that to mere modern innovations he lends all the femblance of antiquity, he per- fuades us where he does not convince, and bribes us over to his party with all hiftory and reafon againfl: him. In the only volume of the Hiftory of Man- chefter which has yet been pubFifiied, fome de- fire had been (hewed and fome pains had been taken, to clear up the original annals of Caledo- nia and Ireland, and to refcue ihem from the folly of antient fiftions on the one hand, and from the wildnefs of modern perverfions on the other. But Mr. Macpherfon's Introduftion, which was publiihed about three weeks after it, has thrown us back in the progrefs of hiflorical knowledge, and has once more involved the annals in all the fophiftry of ficiion and fancy. This therefore is a peculiar call upon me, to vindicate the no- tices indire£lly attacked by Mr. Macpherfon, B 4 and.
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- Page 8 and 9: With the prefent Work was publiflie
- Page 10 and 11: CONTJENTg, INTRODUCTION, />. I ^ TH
- Page 12 and 13: 5 THE GEMITINE HISTORY OF renounced
- Page 14 and 15: ^ THE GENUINE HISTORY OF feems, the
- Page 18 and 19: $ THE GENUINE HISTORY OF and, what
- Page 21 and 22: II CHAP. I. I. CONCERNING THE FIRST
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THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 7<br />
Highland language fuperior to <strong>the</strong> Do£ior'S;, and<br />
with a much deeper infight into antient hiilory,<br />
he has brought <strong>the</strong> whole collefled weight <strong>of</strong><br />
evidence toge<strong>the</strong>r, and concentrated all <strong>the</strong><br />
fcattered rays <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> argument into a fingle<br />
point. With a faculty <strong>of</strong> thinking uncommonly"<br />
vigorous and lively, and with a flow <strong>of</strong> language<br />
peculiarly elegant and fpirited, he has given<br />
fuch additional flrengdi to <strong>the</strong> argument, and<br />
thrown fuch an attractive gl<strong>of</strong>s over his rea-<br />
fonings, that to mere modern innovations he<br />
lends all <strong>the</strong> femblance <strong>of</strong> antiquity, he per-<br />
fuades us where he does not convince, and bribes<br />
us over to his party with all hiftory and reafon<br />
againfl: him.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> only volume <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Hiftory <strong>of</strong> Man-<br />
chefter which has yet been pubFifiied, fome de-<br />
fire had been (hewed and fome pains had been<br />
taken, to clear up <strong>the</strong> original annals <strong>of</strong> Caledo-<br />
nia and Ireland, and to refcue ihem from <strong>the</strong> folly<br />
<strong>of</strong> antient fiftions on <strong>the</strong> one hand, and from<br />
<strong>the</strong> wildnefs <strong>of</strong> modern perverfions on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
But <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon's Introduftion, which was<br />
publiihed about three weeks after it, has thrown<br />
us back in <strong>the</strong> progrefs <strong>of</strong> hiflorical knowledge,<br />
and has once more involved <strong>the</strong> annals in all <strong>the</strong><br />
fophiftry <strong>of</strong> ficiion and fancy. This <strong>the</strong>refore is<br />
a peculiar call upon me, to vindicate <strong>the</strong> no-<br />
tices indire£lly attacked by <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon,<br />
B 4<br />
and.
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