13.07.2015 Views

A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

KOTES. 429Albanach] and e?en in Galloway, where <strong>the</strong> tiame zo'dd Scot isstill proverbial, it is expressed, if we credit Buchanan, by Gal.luvid, <strong>the</strong> literal impert <strong>of</strong> which is GaUi sylvestres. The quasialia Insula <strong>of</strong> Tacitus, <strong>the</strong> Glacialis lerne <strong>of</strong> Claudian, <strong>the</strong> HUberni and Picti <strong>of</strong> Eumenius, <strong>the</strong> Scoiti and Ficti<strong>of</strong> Ammianus,Avith a few o<strong>the</strong>r ambiguous passages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roman authors, gavea plausible pretext for <strong>the</strong> ridiculous fiction that Scotia Antiqudwas Ireland.Sensible that <strong>the</strong> whole tenour <strong>of</strong> Roman evidencewas against <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong> Irish mutilated <strong>the</strong> Dvan Albanach^ passedover <strong>the</strong> first Scottish colony under Riada^ with barely men.vtioning it, and <strong>the</strong>n proceeded to <strong>the</strong> second colony, under Lonrnand Fergus, in 503. Having thus overstepped <strong>the</strong> Roman periodin Biitain, <strong>the</strong>y gravely tell us that <strong>the</strong>re were no Scots inBritain till 563, and that <strong>the</strong> Scots mentioned by <strong>the</strong> RomansMere Irish auxiliaries, Rot resident in Scotland, and that consequentlyIreland was Scotland.This foundation being laid, itis not to be wondered at, considering <strong>the</strong> influence and numbei'<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irish Ecclesiastics, not only in Britain, but on <strong>the</strong> Continent<strong>of</strong> Europe, that this fraudulent imposition was widely.spread, and took deep root.Usher, Lloyd, Siillingfieet, O'Flaiierty,Keating, and many o<strong>the</strong>r respectable writers, were imposedon, and positively deny <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first colonyaltoge<strong>the</strong>r ; and had it not been <strong>the</strong> publicAtion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Duan ALoatiachy mutilated as it is, <strong>the</strong> error had been irretrievable.Mr. Toland, (see his Nazarenus) contrary to <strong>the</strong> opinion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r Irish historians, had <strong>the</strong> honesty and disinterestedness taassert <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first colony.Before dismissing this subject, it may not be improper to hazarda few remarks on <strong>the</strong> probable origin <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> word SqoI.Aoimianus, under <strong>the</strong> year 360, is <strong>the</strong> "very first who mention'?<strong>the</strong> Scots and Picts, making war on <strong>the</strong> Romans.liOt drop a single hint that <strong>the</strong>y were Irish auxiliaries.But he do? ^50\\ <strong>the</strong>^contrary, he always speaks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m as immediate, and at hand.The next author who mentions <strong>the</strong>m is Ilieronyraus. In orderto get over <strong>the</strong> evidence <strong>of</strong> ihis author as superficially as possible,!}ilr. PinLaitun inserts Aitarotti instead <strong>of</strong> Scotl, oml te)h us.'>1

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!