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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 227
bent to the authenticity of the fa(^, whether Bede
derived his knowledge of It from the Scots of
Ireland or the Scots of Caledonia. Either would
be a fufficient and competent authority for the
ivhole. And, even according to Mr. Macpher-
ibn's own account in this very extraft, the Irilh
Scots muft have been the bed hiftorians, as the
Caledonian were then in a ilate of *' ignorance,
** credulity, and barbarifin," and as Ireland was
the feat of learning even to the Englifli, and the
"^^ Saxon fludents fccked into the coantry."
P. 124. Having triflingly obferved, that " the
" Tudden tranfiiion which Bede makes from the
" tale of Reuda to a panegyric on Ireland," and
afterwards concluding with a new declaration of
the fame talcj furniihes a ftrong prefumption that
he derived his information from the Irlfli ; Mr.
Macpherfon proceeds thus — " It is apparent
'** from another circ'umftance, that Bede borrow-
*' ed his account of the Scots from the Irifh. He
*'^ calls the inhabitants of lar-ghael [Argyle] by
** the name of Dalreudini, an appellation ut-
^^ terly unknown to the hidorlans, writers of
*' chronicles, bards, and fenachics of Scotland^
** though common in the annals of Ireland."
9^ 2 I have