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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 21^
riers, by a few hills of the Alps or a couple of
currents. And we fee the cafe ftrongly exem-
plified in the equivalent word Vift or Pift/ applied,
as 1 have fliewn in the Hiilory of Man-
cheller, to thofe Britons who were flrikingly
diftinguiflied from the others by lying without the
pale of the" Roman province, and equally applied
to the Piftones in Gaul, who were only divided
from their brethren by rivers, and to the Veft-
urion-es in Caledonia, who were only feparated
from their countrymen by mountains ^.
* Hiftory of Manchefter, p. 415— 417. The word is alfo
applied, in Veiftis, I6tis, or Wight, to a land that was merely
peninfular, and only inllilated at the tide of flood ; and, in
Portus Idius or Wit-fand, merely to fuch an opening or di-
vifion in the fliore as formed an harbour. And it therefore
ftands for an illand in the Welfh Uight (Baxter on Veftis) and
the Saxon-Welfh Ight, and for a cove or creek in the Cornifh
Ic or Id:, at prefent.—How wrong then are Mr. Carte and
Dr. Borlafe ; the one, in drawing an argument for the con-
jundion of Britain to Gaul from the name of the Promonto-
rium Icfium, becaufe the name fignifies feparation (p. 3.);
and the other for transferring the Idlis of Diodorus from, the
ifle of IVight to Cornwall, becaiife the name fignifies a Cove
in Cornifh (Borlafe's Scilly). The harbour mult have given
name to the Promontory. And I6t mull have figniiied an
harbour equally in the Gallic and Britifli. — And fo we
have Brixia, no^v Brefcia, in the Gallic part of Italy, as the
Britons of France now call themfelves Brez, and asBrix fignifies
a rupture or divifion at prefent. And fo Bruges in Flanders,
Bretten the antient name of Mens in Hainault, ike. (See Carte,
p. 6 and lo.).
Bedc