into Britain, as is reported, from the Parts of h Armorica, (now Britany in France,) posless'd themselves of the Southern Parts thereof. When they, beginning at the South, had made themselves Masters of the greatest Part of the Island, it hapned, that the Nation of the Pitts coming into the Ocean from Scythia, as is reported in a few tall Ships, the Winds driving them about beyond all the Borders of Britain, arriv'd in Ireland, and put into the Northern Coafts thereof, and finding the Nation of the Scots there, requested to be allow'd to fettle among them, but could not obtain it. Ireland is the greatest Island next to Britain, and seated to the Westward of it; but as it is shorter than Britain to the Northward, so running out far beyond the Bounds thereof to the Southward, it is opposite to the Northern Parts of Spain, tho a spacious Sea lies between them. The Picts, as has been said, arriving in

n Bede's bringing the Britains from Armorica in Britain, was (I suppose,) grounded upon Tacitus and Cafar's Conjecture, from the Similitude of their Language and Customs; for our British Historians could afford him no Information; of whose Ignorance Gildas and Nennius complain; their Miseries, neither giving them time for Learning, nor Leisure to convey their History down; but however obfcure their Original may be, it is evident, that neither Gildas, Nennius, Bede, nor Malmsbury, fo much as dreamt of the fabulous Story of Brute.

i The Original of the Pitts has caus'd various Opinions, Hector Boethius derives them from the Agathryfi, others from the Germans, Bede from Scythia, and the Author of the Saxon Annals, from the Southern Parts of Scythia; Mr. Cambden is of Opinion, that they were originally Britons, who fled into the Northern Parts of the Island from the Roman Invasions, as the Welch into the Western. But this see oppos'd by Bishop Stillingfleet Orig. Brit. c. 5.

in this Island by Sea, defir'd they might have a Place to fettle and inhabit granted them. The Scots answer'd, that Island could not contain them both; but we can give you good Advice, said they, what to do, we know there is another Island, not far from ours, to the Eastward, which we often see at a Distance, when the Days are clear. If you will repair thither, you may be able to get Habitations there; or if they should oppose you, make use of us as Auxiliaries. The Picts accordingly failing over into Britain, began to inhabit the Northern Parts thereof, for the Britons were poflefs'd of the Southern. Now the Picts having no Wives, and asking them of the Scots, they would not confent to grant them upon any other Terms, than that when k any Difficulty should arife, they should rather choose themselvesa King from the Female Royal Race than from the Male: The which it is evident, has been observ'd among the Picts to this Day. In Process of Time, Britain, after the Britons and the Pitts receiv'd the third Nation of the Scots in that Part which was possess'd by the Pitts, they departing out of Ireland under their Leader Reuda, either by fair means, or by force

To this Account of the Pitts Marriage and Landing agrees the Saxon Chronicle, but with this Difference, there is no mention made of any Difficulty arifing; and whereas Bede tells us, they retain'd that Custom to his Time; the other fays only, they continu'd it a long time after; which feems to intimate, that even that early Part of the Chron. was after Bede, or elfe touch'd up and alrer'd by fome later Hand.

This Reuda is thought to be chief of the Sons of the King of Ulster, who, as Girald, Camb. says, came into the Northern Partsof Britain with a large Fleet, and there settled.

of Arms, secur'd to themselves the Settlements they still have among them. From which Commander, they are to this Day call'd m Dalreudins; for in their Language Dal signifies a

Part.

Ireland, in breadth, and for wholsomeness Ireland. and serene Air, far surpafles Britain; so that the Snow scarce ever lies there above three Days: no Man makes Hay in the Summer for a Winter's Provision, or builds Stables for Beasts of Burden. No creeping Vermin is seen there, and no Snake can live, for Snakes often carried thither out of Britain, as foon as the Ship comes near the Shore, that the Scent of the Air reaches them, they die. On the contrary, most Things in that Island are good against Poison. In short, we have seen that when some Persons have been bit by Serpents, the Scrapings of Leaves of Books that were brought out of Ireland, being put into Water, and given them to drink, the same immediate

1.

4

ly

ly expell'd the spreading Poifon, and asswag'd the Swelling. The Island abounds in Milk and Honey, nor is there any want of Vines, Fish, or Fowl; and it is remarkable for Deer. This is properly the Country of then Scots. Coming out from thence, as has been said, they added a third Nation in Britain to the Britons and Picts. There is a very large Gulf of the Sea, which formerly divided the Nation of the Picts from the Britons; the which Gulf runs in very far from the West into the Land, where, to this Day, stands the very strong City of the Britons, call'd Alcuith, (or as in other Manuscripts, Alcluith, or Alduick.) The Scots arriving on the North side of this Bay, fettled themselves there.

n To this Authority of Bede we may produce many others, Buchanan says, Dalree ager Regius, Claudian makes the Scots Issue from Ireland, to which Orofius, and other Writers agree, as likewife King Alfred's Paraphrafe upon Orofius, he calls Ireland, Scotland, Igbennia that pe rcolano hatach.

• Or Alcluid, call'd by Nennius, Pen-Alcloit, a Town near the River Cluid in Sterlingshire, now call'd Dunbar. Forden describes this Wall, as beginning at a Village, call'd Karedin, Kaer-Eden, or Edenborough, the ending at Kirk Patrick.

CHÁP

CHAP. II.

Caius Julius Cæfar, the first Roman that came into Britain.

of Britain was neither resort- V. C.

THIS Iland of Brit

ed to, nor known to the Romans till the Time of Caius Julius Cafar, who, in the Year ante C.60. 693, after the Building of Rome, but the 60th Julius. Year before the Incarnation of our Lord, being Conful with Lucius Bibulus, whilst he made War upon the Nations of the Germans and the Gauls, which were divided only by the River Rhine, came into the Province of the Morini, (Part of Picardy, &c. as above) from whence is the next and shortest Passage into Britain, and having provided about eighty Ships of Burden, and Vessels with Oars, fail'd over into Britain, where being first roughly handled in a Battle, and then meeting with a violent Storm, he loft a confiderable Part of his Fleet, no small Number of Soldiers, and almost all his Horse. Returning into Gaul, he put his Legions into Winter Quarters, and gave Orders for building fix Hundred Sail of both Sorts. Paffing over with them early in the Spring into Britain, whilst he was marching with a mighty Army towards the Enemy, the Ships riding at Anchor, were by a Tempeft either dash'd one against another, or drove upon the Sands, and stav'd. Forty of them perish'd, the rest were with much Difficulty repair'd. Cafar's Ca