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

ai8 THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
Maximus or the refugees of Kent could have
fettled hi it. It is ridiculous to fuppofe, that
they fettled there in any confiderable numbers.
No numbers could have iinpofed their own ap-
pellation on the country, without an abfolute
conqueft of the natives. And as, in the circum-
flances of both the colonies, a conqueft of Armorica
was abfolutely impracticable, fo the name
of Britain appears the well-known, the acknowledged,
and the cuftomary appellation of Armo-
rica, within lo years only after the firft migration,
and even within 4 only after the laft.
The name of Britons, then, was the antient
and equal appellation of the Armoricans, as in
the Hiftory of Manchefter I have Ihewn the
names of Morini and Rhemi to have been for
the Durotriges and Blbroces ; was taken up in
the later ages of the Empire, and at laft fuper-
feded the other. And thefe appellations of
Britons for the Celtce of Armori^:a, Picardy, or
Flanders, were all evidently occafioned by the
fame principles of diftindion that planted Pi6l-
on-es in France and Pict-i in Scotland, and that
/ettled Brigantes equally on the continent and
in the ifland. The principle which ftamped the
appellation of Britanni, Brigantes, or the fepa-
rated People, upon the Gauls that had crofied
the channel into Albion, as naturally operated
to give the fame name to the Gauls which were
feparated from the reft by much flighter bar-
riers.