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

2S^
THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
" Genius, language, manners, drefs, fituation,
" and climate, the Scots of both illes had a
" much better title to the common appellation
" of Hiberni, than Italy, Spain, and a confider-
" able part of Africa, had to the name of Hef-
" peria ^"
We may judge of the whole argument from
this, Mr. Macpherfon's, account of it. And no
author can defire a fairer treatment, than to be
tried by his own reprefentations of his own
rcafonlngs.
Our author has here jumbled together the
two etymons of Hibernia, which he had given
us feparately before. We have been told ia
p. ^6 and 57, that Hibernia is " more proba-
*' bly" derived from the Latin Hybernus than
the Britilh Yverdhon, and that *' we may con-
*' elude" it to be formed from Hybernus. Not-
withftanding this, in p. 130 we have it direftly
deduced from Yverdhon. And here, in p. 133,
we have it derived from both together. " The
* So Dr. Abercromby in his Martial Atchievements of the
Scots fays— " There was a period of time, wherein the Scots
" in Ireland and thofe in Britain were by foreigners, who
" obferved them both to fpeak the fame language, wear the
*' fame fort of garments, and follow much the fame culloms,
*' almoft indifferently called Scots and Hiberni" (p. lO.
v. I.). — And Dr. Macphcrfon p. 96. argues, that the Irifli
muft have been Caledonians from a ' perfeft limilarity of ge-
*' nius, language, arms, drefs, manners, and cuftoms" between
them.
*' Scots