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

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igi tHE GENUINE HISTORY OF<br />

P*. iig—^115. " In Claudian's I^anegyric df!<br />

*' Stilicho, <strong>the</strong>re is a paffage which has been<br />

** <strong>of</strong>ten tranfcribed with triumph in opp<strong>of</strong>itiois<br />

•* to <strong>the</strong> antiquity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Britiih Scots.<br />

'' Me quoque vicinis pereilntem gentibus inquit^<br />

" Munivit Stilicho, totam cum Scottus lernam<br />

*' Movit ; et infedo fpumavit remige Tethys.<br />

*' lUius effc^lum curis, ne bella timerem<br />

^' Scottica, nee Piftum tremerem, nee littore toto<br />

*' Pr<strong>of</strong>picerem dubiis venientem Saxona ventis.<br />

" — <strong>The</strong>re is no neceffity to believe that <strong>the</strong><br />

'* Poet adhered to hiftorical hSt. Virgil, with--<br />

" out any authority, extended <strong>the</strong> vidories <strong>of</strong><br />

*'" Auguflus to nations, whom nei<strong>the</strong>r He n<strong>of</strong><br />

** his lieutenants ever looked in <strong>the</strong> face : and<br />

*' why Ihould not <strong>the</strong> fame privilege <strong>of</strong> invention^^<br />

" exaggeration, and flattery be allowed to <strong>the</strong> lau-<br />

** reat <strong>of</strong> Honorius ?"<br />

<strong>The</strong> point v/hich <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon has- under-<br />

taken to prove in <strong>the</strong> prefent Se6^ion is, that this<br />

and <strong>the</strong> preceding paffage <strong>of</strong> Claudian have been<br />

mifapplied by <strong>the</strong> criticks who affert <strong>the</strong> Irifli<br />

extraftion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scots. " <strong>The</strong> abettors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

*' Hibernian Antiquities," he fays in his entrance<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> examination <strong>of</strong> Claudian, "—had re-<br />

** courfe to fome paffages <strong>of</strong> foreign Writers,<br />

I<br />

*' which

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