05.03.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two confefled and acknowledged to<br />

be fucb. " It was very common with <strong>the</strong> an-<br />

" tient poets," fays <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon, " to put<br />

** a part <strong>of</strong> a country for <strong>the</strong> whole." And it,<br />

is <strong>the</strong>nce Implied that this may be <strong>the</strong> cafe wiih<br />

Claudian here.<br />

" (land — <strong>the</strong><br />

" If by lerna we are to underwellern<br />

divifion <strong>of</strong> Caledonia,<br />

*^ fkc. ; Jlmdd we fupp<strong>of</strong>e that lar-in, or <strong>the</strong><br />

*^ weflern iflands <strong>of</strong> Scotland, were <strong>the</strong> lerna <strong>of</strong><br />

" Claudian, &c." And an argument <strong>of</strong> an hypo-<br />

<strong>the</strong>tical nature can plainly be <strong>of</strong> no fervice<br />

againfl a p<strong>of</strong>itive objeftion.—But let us defcend<br />

to particulars.<br />

<strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon fays, that " he has already JJjeivn<br />

" Tethys to be agitated into a foam by Saxon<br />

*' ra<strong>the</strong>r than Scottifli rowers." He h-AsJIjeian it,<br />

as he \\VisJIje:i-n <strong>the</strong> truth <strong>of</strong> too many p<strong>of</strong>itions<br />

in his work. He has affirmed it. His demonjlration<br />

is in p. 114, and runs thus; " We may<br />

" fafely affirm^ that <strong>the</strong> Tethys <strong>of</strong> Claudian was<br />

" ra<strong>the</strong>r agitated into a foam by Saxon than by<br />

" Hibernian oars."<br />

If we will but allow our author to fupp<strong>of</strong>e<br />

three things, he will entirely overthrow bifhop<br />

Stillingflect's objeftion. Give me but a footing<br />

in ano<strong>the</strong>r fphere, fays our hidorical Archimedes,<br />

and I will fliake this at pleafure. And yet, ever^ if<br />

we allow him his fuppolitions and his footing, <strong>the</strong><br />

prelate's argument and <strong>the</strong> globe v/ill remain<br />

equally

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!