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

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THE BRITONS ASSERTED. 73<br />

into Britain, and <strong>of</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e who had fcqueflered<br />

<strong>the</strong>mfelves from <strong>the</strong> reft among <strong>the</strong> mountains<br />

and vallies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Alps. Nor was it confined to<br />

<strong>the</strong> Aborigines <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ifland. It was extended<br />

equally to <strong>the</strong> communities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Belg^e within<br />

it. <strong>The</strong> Belgic Trinovantes are included by Gal'<br />

gacus, toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> Iceni and Cafiii, under<br />

<strong>the</strong> general defignation <strong>of</strong> Brigantes. And all<br />

<strong>the</strong> tribes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Belgce in Britain were <strong>the</strong>refore<br />

exprefsly denominated, as a nation on <strong>the</strong> conti-<br />

nent, that was incl<strong>of</strong>ed on three fides from <strong>the</strong><br />

reft <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gauls by <strong>the</strong> Soane and <strong>the</strong> Rhone,<br />

equally was, <strong>the</strong> Allo-Brog-es, or <strong>the</strong> fequeftered<br />

and feparated Gauls '.<br />

It is an obvious truth, but it has been little<br />

attended to by <strong>the</strong> tribe <strong>of</strong> etymologifts from<br />

Bochart to <strong>Mr</strong>. Macpherfon, that names defcrip-<br />

tive <strong>of</strong> national manners cannot be <strong>the</strong> orip-inal o<br />

appellations <strong>of</strong> any people. <strong>The</strong>y refult from<br />

<strong>the</strong> intercourle and experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ftates<br />

around <strong>the</strong>m, and are <strong>the</strong> natural expreffions <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>ir paffions and feelings. And <strong>the</strong>y muft <strong>the</strong>re-<br />

fore in <strong>the</strong>ir own nature, not be prim.ary, but<br />

p<strong>of</strong>terior, denominations ; not <strong>the</strong> names under<br />

which <strong>the</strong> nations originally fettled in <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />

p<strong>of</strong>reffions, but th<strong>of</strong>e which were im^p<strong>of</strong>ed upon<br />

<strong>the</strong>m afterwards, when <strong>the</strong>y encroached on <strong>the</strong><br />

* See Illftory <strong>of</strong> 3Ianchcikr, p. 9, andCa;far, p. 4 and 6.<br />

polTeffions

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