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

THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 287
of his fons. And in 320 Fergus eftablilhed
himfelf in the country, with a body of troops
and the authority of a fovereign ', Thefe ac-
quilitions of the Scots in Britain were exaftly
commenfurate with the territories of the Creones,
beginning from, or nearly from, the borders of
Rofs, and extending to the banlc of the Clyde =.
And the Scots fettled in the country with
the abfolute confent of the Caledonians, as
appears decifively from the friendly concur-
rence of both, within only 20 years afterwards,
in expeditions into the Roman Province % Nor
did they merely fettle there by confent. They
took poffeflion of the Creonian dominions, in
confequence of the laws and prefcriptions of
the country ; as the Creones now alTumed a new
appellation from them, and were denominated,
like them, Ar-gathel, lar-gael, or Ar-gyle. This
name has puzzled all the criticks and hillo-
rians. But it is nothing more than the IRISH.
The Britons being univerfally called Gathel and
Gael, fuch of them as went over into Ire-land,
lar-in, or Er-in would naturally have received
the appellation of lar-Gael, Er-Gael, Ar-Gael, or
the Ir-ifh Britons ; and the appellation remains
to this day among the Irifli^ in their cuftomary
appellation for their own language, Caelich
* Hiftory of Manchefler, p. 444, and 447.
* P. 412, and the dimsnfions of Argathel before.
' MarcellinuSj 1. xx. c, r.
Elr-inacli,