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

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THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
When the BelgcE, about 350 years before
Chrift, crofTed the narrow channel into Britain,
and lucceffivcly fubdued all the tribes from Kent
to the Land's End -,
and
when, about 250 years
afterwards, they invaded feveral of the neigh-
bouring nations ; numbers ^of the Britons took
ihipping from the South-weflern fhore qf the
ifland, and pufhed acrofs the fea into Ireland.
There the two colonies of fouthern Britons, the
Qrjly inhabitants of the country, alTociatcd toge-
ther into one community, under the one appel-
lation of Scoti. Denominated Gael and Britons,
from their original appellations in this ifland ;
they received the defignation of Scoti, as the
difcriminative mark of their late emigration from
it. The Irifli to this day dillinguifli the Scottifli
language by the title of Scot-bhearla, and the
Scottifh nation by the name of Kin-Scuit. And
Scuite fignifies in the Irilh of the Highlands at
prefent, and fignified as early as the days of
Offian, an Emigrant, a Wanderer, or a Refugee \
Thefe, the Scots or Refugees of South-Britain,
as other colonies fucceflively fettled in Ireland,
gradually retired from the margin of the fea,
and fpread themfelves in the interiors of the
country. By this means, the whole circumfe-
rence of the coaft being regularly planted
with colonies before the days of Ptolemy, the
* Hiftory of Mancheller, p. 433—434.
Scots