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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. [91
countrymen, confound this obvious diftin^lion,
and make the Scots of lerne and the Pi(5ts of
Thule one and the fame people, and inhabitants
of one and the fame country ? And fhall the
flaughtered heaps of the Scots, for which lernc
is reprefented as mourning, be only the fame
with the bleeding Pifls of Thule ? Criticifm and
Common-fenfe equally concur to forbid it.
There is, it fliould be obferved in juflice" to
Claudian and the truth, a ftriking propriety
and precifion in the expreflions of this paflage.
Theodofius fitted out a ^lavy, and attacked the
Saxons of the Orkneys. Theodofius marched
with an army, and invaded Caledonia. And the
expreffions carry the greateft adaptednefs to-
thefe two incidents. The Orkneys are actually
befmeared with the gore of the Saxons. And
Caledonia is aftually bathed in the blood of the
Pi£ts. But Ireland was not attacked or invaded.
The Jrifli were themfelves invaders. And the
language is varied accordingly. The two images,
that referred before to aflual engagements in
the Orkneys and Caledonia, are now difmilTed,
and another is adopted which fpeaks only of
the confequence and effeft of the engagement
to lerne, of the forrow which the news of the
defeat diffufed among the tribes of Ireland. And
fuch an exaftnefs as this ferves ftrongly to prove
the hiflorical fidelity of Claudian, amid all his
poetical imagery.
P. 113— 115.