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into Britain, as is reported, from the Parts of h Armorica, (now Britany in France,) poflefs'd themselves of the Southern Parts thereof. When they, beginning at the South, had made themfelves Mafters of the greatest Part of the Ifland, it hapned, that the Nation of the Picts 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 feated to the Weftward of it; but as it is fhorter than Britain to the Northward, fo running out far beyond the Bounds thereof to the Southward, it is oppofite to the Northern Parts of Spain, tho' a spacious Sea lies between them. The Picts, as has been faid, arriving

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in this Inland by Sea, defir'd they might have a Place to fettle and inhabit granted them. The Scots anfwer'd, that Ifland could not contain them both; but we can give you good Advice, faid they, what to do, we know there is another Inland, not far from ours, to the Eaftward, which we often fee at a Distance, when the Days are clear. If you will repair thither, you may be able to get. Habitations there; or if they fhould oppofe you, make use of us as Auxiliaries. The Pits 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 fhould arife, they fhould rather choose themselves a King from the Female Royal Race than from the Male: The which it is evident, has been obferv'd among the Picks this Day. In Procefs of Time, Britain, after the Britons. and the Picts receiv'd the third Nation of the Scots in that Part which was poffefs'd by the Picts, they departing out of Ireland under their Leader Reuda, either by fair means, or by force

* To this Account of the Pis 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 Cuftom 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 alrer'd by fome later Hand.

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This Renda is thought to be chief of the Sons of the King of Ulfter, who, as Girald, Camb. fays, came into the Northern Partsof Britainwith a largeFleet,and there fettled.

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

Part.

Ireland, in breadth, and for wholfomenefs Ireland. and ferene Air, far furpafles Britain; so that the Snow fcarce ever lies there above three Days: no Man makes Hay in the Summer for a Winter's Provifion, 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, moft Things in that Ifland are good against Poifon. In fhort, we have feen that when fome Perfons 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 fame immediate

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ly expell'd the spreading Poifon, and affwag'd the Swelling. The Iland 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 the Scots. Coming out from thence, as has been faid, 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 Weft into the Land, where, to this Day, ftands the very ftrong City of the Britons, call'd Alcuith, (or as in other Manufcripts, Alcluith, or Alduick.) The Scots arriving on the North fide of this Bay, fettled themselves there.

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

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CHA P. II.

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

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HIS Iland of Britain was neither reforted 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 Paffage into Britain, and having provided about eighty Ships of Burden, and Veffels 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 fmall Number of Soldiers, and almost all his Horfe. 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, whilft he was marching with a mighty Army towards the Enemy, the Ships riding at Anchor, were by a Tempeft either dafh'd one against another, or drove upon the Sands, and ftav'd. Forty of them perifh'd, the reft were with much Difficulty repair'd. Cafar's Ca