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

iiS THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
Eir-inach, or the Ir-ifli Britiili. And the cq-
lonifts of Fergus would as naturally bring it
back with them into Britain, retaining the defig-
nation as the note of their peculiar derivation
from Ireland, Thefe are fuch remarkable and
flriking coincidences, with regard to the aftuat-
ing reafon of that hiftorical faft, the fettlement
of the Scots in Caledonia ; as perhaps no con-
jeftural reafon ever poiTelTed before, and nearly
give it all the confidence of attelled truth.
Thus did the refugees of fouthern Britain
gradually become the denominators of all the
Iriih. And thus did they afterwards eflablifli a
colony upon the eaflern fliore of Caledonia, and
in the year 320 firfl fix the appellation of Scots
within the ifland of Britain. Thence the name
was carried gradually, with their poffefiions, over
the whole extent of the prefent Scotland. And
Hibernians, Caledonians, Roman Britons, and
Saxons, have all concurred to form the prefent
refpcftable nation of the Scots in Britain.
This then is the genuine origin of the Scots,
imdifguifed by the romantic impertinences of
the Irifii fabulifts on the one hand, and undif-
torted by the bold fi£lions of Caledonian pre-
judice on the other. And at the clofe it is cu-
rious to obferve, that the great point which has
been fo long agitated between the Irlfh and
Scotch criticks, and *' has for a century and an
•' half engaged two nations of contending anti-
" quarians