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

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2+6 THE GENUINE HISTORY OF<br />

'^ from <strong>the</strong> Pifliih dominions, <strong>the</strong>re is a lake,<br />

** which, to this day, is called Erin. <strong>The</strong> river<br />

'' Erin or Ern rlfes from that lake, and gives its<br />

" name to a very confiderable divificn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

*' county <strong>of</strong> Perth. In thisdiflrift <strong>the</strong>re are to<br />

*' be feen feveral Roman camps to this day. <strong>The</strong><br />

*' Romans could not beflrangers to <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> a<br />

*' country where <strong>the</strong>ir armies remained long<br />

*' enough to leave fuch lading memorials <strong>of</strong><br />

** <strong>the</strong>mfelves behind. Juvenal, from <strong>the</strong> foldiers<br />

^' <strong>of</strong> Agricola, might have heard <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> diflrift <strong>of</strong><br />

" Erin, which he f<strong>of</strong>tened into Juverna; and <strong>the</strong><br />

5' troops <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong>od<strong>of</strong>ius might have carried <strong>the</strong><br />

." fame intelligence to Claudian."<br />

This is <strong>the</strong> third conclufive argument againfl<br />

<strong>the</strong> Hibernian extraction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scots. And it is<br />

full <strong>of</strong> errors.<br />

<strong>The</strong> firft amounted merely to a p<strong>of</strong>fibility. <strong>The</strong><br />

fecond alTumed <strong>the</strong> air <strong>of</strong> certainty and decifive-<br />

nefs. And <strong>the</strong> third relapfes to a mere poifibility<br />

again. *' Juvenal, from <strong>the</strong> foldiers <strong>of</strong> Agricola,<br />

." might have heard <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> diftri^l <strong>of</strong> Erin —<br />

** and <strong>the</strong> trpops <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong>od<strong>of</strong>ius might have car-<br />

" ried <strong>the</strong> fame intelligence to Claudian,'- This<br />

is furely a llrange mode <strong>of</strong> reafoning ; p<strong>of</strong>fibk in<br />

<strong>the</strong> outfct, certain \n <strong>the</strong> progrefs, and pojjihle<br />

again at <strong>the</strong> cl<strong>of</strong>e ; like a ninepin, great in <strong>the</strong><br />

jjiiddle, and fmull at ihc extremities.<br />

But

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