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

344 THE GENUINE HISTORY Of
even if wc allow it to mean the weflern Gael, in
oppofition to the Pi£l:s, as the eaftern ; yet it will
not follow, that the Scots were equally Caledo-
nians with the Pi(5ls. It would only ferve to prove
them equally Gael with them. And, as Mr.
Macpherfon has repeatedly affured us before,
that the Irifli retain the denomination of Gael with
the Highlanders •,
fo I have equally fhewn it to
have been common to all the tribes of this
ilrland.
Thus inconclufive and illogical is the whole of
the argument. The affertion, that the lerna, lu-
verna, and Hibernia of the antients meant, not
Ireland, but the weftern Highlands of Scotland,
ilas been effeftually difproved by a reference to
the accounts of the antients themfelves. And
the reafoning from the name of Arg) le has been
lliewn to be founded upon an obvious fallacy,
the fubllitution of one term for another, Gael
for Caledon. And the whole turn and com-
plexion of the argument is evidently arbitrary
-and defpotical ; aflcrnng lern^ &c. to mean the
weflern Highlands, without any dedu61ions of
reafon, and merely becaufe thefe are called Tar
at prefent ; and alledging the name of lar-gael:
as a deraonllrative evidence of the Caledonian
origin of the Scots, without any fpecification of
proofs, and merely becaufe the Scots and Cale-
(ionians were equally denominated Geel.
To