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

2i6 THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
their religious prejudices againft them, \vhich Mr.
Macpherfon alledges as the preventive caufe of
much communication, prevented not the Saxon
kings and Saxon nobles, we fee, from being edu-
cated am.ong the Scots, or from inviting Scottifli
bifliops and Scottifli teachers into Northumbria,
before the days of Bede, and were even the occa-
fion of vifits, conferences, and embaffies between
them to the period of bis writing. For more
than a century before it, the Northumbrians had
been particularly converfant with the Pi£ts and
Scots. And, at it, there were no religious and po-
litical prejudices fubfifling at all betwixt them.
Both the Pifts and Scots were then in a ftate
of peace and friendlinefs with Northumbria.
A great part of the latter had been converted by
Saxon preachers to the Saxon obfervance of
Eafter. And the whole body of the former had
adopted the ceremonial of Northumbria ^
Thus is the main point of Mr. Macpher-
ibn's argument refuted by pofitive authority.
And fuch is the unhappy conftruflion of this
and many of his arguments, that It is not only
an alTertion without proof, that It is not on-
ly falfe in itfelf, but that, If true, it would
prove nothing. It Is not of the leafl mo-
* L. V. c. 33, &c.
ment