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

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Gauls would not have chofen to enter Italy and
invade Germany, where they were fure to en-
counter oppofition, and where their fettlements
nniil be precarious from the uncertainty of their
fuccefs, and expofed to danger from the remore-
nefs of their countrymen ; when all the region
of Britain, in particular, lay open to them, was
ready to receive their colonies, and by its daily
appearance to the eye feemed actually to invite
them into it. At this period, therefore, the
ifland of Britain was certainly inhabited. And
it mud have been inhabited long before.
When the Gauls firft began to difcharge their
numbers into Britain, the ifland would naturally
remain the great refervoir of the continent for
ages. Gradually as the people multiplied to be
trouble fome, they would all find a fafe and eafy
conveyance into Britain. And Gaul could not
begin to be overburdened with her progeny, tilt
the population of Britain was nearly compleated,
till the uninhabited parts of the ifland were too
remote from the continent, or till the iflanders
were obliged, in their owti defence, to forbid
any future migrations into the country. This
mufl: have been the actual ilate of population in
Britain, for fome time before the expeditions of
Bellovefus and Sigovefus from Gaul. And freflt
colonies, for fome time before, had ceafed to find
their way into Britain. The tribes of Gaul were
now pent up within their own continent. And
as