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

;6
THE GENUINE HISTORY OF
when they wanted todifiinguiih themfelves from
their enemies around them. Thus the Cimbri of
Somerletfhire and Cornwall were polTefl; of the
denomination before the Romans arrived in the
ifland, becaufe they were clofely ikirted by their
enemies, the Belgas of Cornwall, Devonfiiire,
Dorfetlhire, and Somerfctfliire \ The Voluntii
of Brigantia in the 6th century, when they were
prelTed by the Saxons from the Eaft, laid afide
the denomination by»which they had been dif-
tinguifhed for ages; and, as the WellhCymri Is
colloquially pronounced Cumri, entitled them-
felves Cumbri ' ; and the principal part of their
country is called Cumberland at prefent. And
the Siiurcs, the Dimeta?, and the Ordovices, of
Wales, in the later ages of their Empire, whea
they Were attacked by the Saxons on every fide»
r.hrcv/ off their former appellations entirely, and
have ever hnce dilfinguiilied themfelves by the
generical tide of Cymri.
The names of Cym.rl and Gael are both equally
the general defignations of the Celt^e. The for-
mer related only to the patriarch of the line ;
' HlHory of Maaclicller, p. 6i, and 415.
2 Hence Llowaich Hen, a noblcniiiu of Voluntia, and a
writer of the 6th centviry, flying with many others from
the Saxons of the North into Shropn-.irc, calls it the paradife
of the Cumbrians, Pouys Paradius Guinri (Lhuyd's Arch.x.
j((io[^ia, under Llouai-ch),
but