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

sS4 THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
yet this, if properly autheuticated, would (land
un impeached.
P. loS— 109. "The Saxon auxiliaries of
" Vortigern were not {o modefl: as the Irifti Scots j
*^ or elfe the Picls were a people of much lefs
*' fpirit than the fouthern Britons. When the
'* Saxons raiftd their demands to an unreafonable
**' height, the Britons difputed with them every
" inch of ground—:. Had the Hibernian merce-
*' naries incroached upon the Pi(5ls, as the Sax-
" ons did on the Britons, we might naturally
" fuppo.; that the latter [the Pifts], inftead of
" carrying war and delblation into a foreign
" country, in conjunflion with the Scots, would
^' have fo^md employment for their arms at
" home. 1 he unanimity in expedition which
^' fubfiftcd for ages between the Caledonian
** nations, is proof fufficient that they derived
** their orie;in from one and the fame fource."
't)'
This is the fixth argument againfl Bede'a affer-'
tion, of a fcttlement of Scots upon the weftern
lliore of Caledonia. But it is obvioufly pointed
only againfl: a fettlement by violence. It is there-
fore of no moment againil the peaceable and
amicable edabiilhment of the Scots in Cale-