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

SI2 THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
' more, reje^led fome one part or other, and
'^fome the whole of Bede's account of the South-
' ern Britons; but all thefe learned men received
' without examination his fyftem of the Hiber-
' nian extraftion of the Britilh Scots."
This argument is very trifling. And Bede's
account, of the derivation of the Southern
Britons, may be juflly rejected either in part
or in whole ; and yet his extraction of the Scots
may be depended upon. The fettlement of the
former in the ifland, was long before the ex-
iflence of records. But the eftablifhment of the
latter was within the period of hiflory. For the
Scots are not fixed in North-Britain by Bede
*^ before the commencement of the Chrilhan
*' tera." In tracing the origin of the five feveral
nations that were then fettled in Britain, He
begins with the Britons, proceeds to the Picts,
and, to giTe the large account of the Romans
and Saxons in one entire and unbroken ferics,
immediately paffes to the Scots, and then en-
ters upon the Romans. And He gives us the
origin of the Britons, the Tiets, and the Scots,
in a manner that exaftly correfponds with this
idea, and that ftrikingly diftinguiflies the an-
tiquity and recentnefs of their refpc(rtn'e fet-
tlements in Britain. Concerning the migration
oF the Britons and Piifls into this ifland, he ex-
prefsly fpeaks A\it"h a dubious reference to popular
opinions