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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. ag;
Scots were entirely cut off from all communica-
tion with the fliore, and became inclofed in the
Center of the ifland. And, thus fituated, they
necelTarily efcaped the notice of Ptolemy, who
juft circles along the fliore of the ifland, and
never penetrates, as he does in Britain, into
the mediterranean regions of it. The Romans,
in the days of Ptolemy, were mafters of all
the interiors of Britain, but were very natu-
rally unacquainted with the inland divifion of
Ireland. They muff however, during their
long refidence of three centuries afterwards in
Britain, have certainly obtained a good ge-
neral knowledge, at laft, even of the midland
and central inhabitants of Ireland. And Ri-
chard has accordingly tranfmitted to us fome
notices which he collefted from them, relath-e to
the origin and exiitence of the Scoti there.
But, when the population of the ifland was
compleated, wars commenced betwixt the dif-
ferent tribes. The whole body of the Iflanders
became engaged in the conteff. They divided
into two parties. One confided of the Belgic
nations, and the other of the Britlib. And
the latter confederated together, like the Ca-
ledonians and Jews before them, under the
denomination of their principal tribe, and received
the general appellation of Scots. The
war terminated finally about the year 260.
The Belgas were fubducd. The vanquiflied
adopted