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OP THE DRUIDS.19Ssame book, as doubting whether he was in theright, and pretending it was no great matter shou'dhe be in the wrong, affirms that at least it is notknown w^hether there be any habitable place beyondIreland (which he stilt places to the northof Britain), *' nor is it of any importance to theprince V' says he, *' to have an exact notice of suchregions or their inhabitants, especially shoii'dthey Ihe in such ilands, which cannot contributeany thing toour damage or profit (meaning theRomans) there being no intercourse between us.**This reflection might perhaps be true with respectto the emperor and the empire; yet it is a verylame reason for a geographer, who isaccuratelyto describe all places, let them have relation tohis prince or not. But the truth of it is, he woivdnot believe the antient Greec and Massilian sailors,neither had he any better inforniation himself,wherby to supply or to correct them.VI. As for Ireland, itwas very well known tothe more antient geograpliers, as I showed before;it being directly in the way of the Pheiiicians (wlioare said by Aristotle f to have discovered it) whenthey saird for Britain.Lying therefore so con-)(a>fag kai rcyj eixcuvra? : x«i fxaT^i^a, ei VK7c-jq Gix€» ToiAvTaq, Ui y-nrc 'h-Jireiy y^n-ev^}