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

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the hiflorical fyftem, which was the prodiK^Io^
of all thefe principles, to be merely the fading
^bric of. an eaftern romance, rifing in a night,
and vanifliing in the morning. Having heard
the full charge againft himfelf, He exprefsly de-
clines to make any reply to it. He will not give
his judges any farther trouble j
felf on the mercy of the court.
but throws him-
And this ingenuous behaviour is of fmgular- fer-i
vice to the interefts of hiftory. Had Mr. Macpherfon
taken a different part ; had he, however
infufficiently, attempted to vindicate his fyflem, and
drawn from me (as he certainly would have drawn)
an examination cjf his defence, then replied to
my anfwer, and rejoineti to my reply ; the caufe
of truth muft have fuffered in the protrafted
conteit. The combatants would foon have been
loft to the general eye, in the cloud which their
own efforts muft have raifed about them. And
thefe points of hiftory would have been fup-.
pofed by the many to remain ftill undecided, have
therefore called out future writers, and produced
an indeterminable rotation of controverfy. But
this is happily not the cafe at prefent. And
that it is not, we owe to the fairnefs of Mr.
Macpherfon's condu£l. Thefe hiftorical fubjefts,
which have found employ for the a^live fpirit of
'Acriticifm during two centuries nearly, and were
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