5

—
404 NOTES;
others of (he Celtic nations. Were these manuscripts published
with a literal translation, the other Celtic nations might yet
claim their own, and the history of Ireland would be reduced
within proper bounds. But till this is done, it is impossible for
me, or any one'else, to decide on the merits,or fix the absolute
antiquity of these manuscripts^ All that can be done is, to argue
the matter on general principles.
Of all the Celtic nations, the Scots are most interested in the
publication of these manuscripts. Their history, as well as
their identity, is intervohed with that of Ireland. Pinkarton
lias strained every nerve to prove that Ireland was Scotland up
to the eleventh century. Goodal, («cc his Introduction to For*
dun) has been equally strenuous in maintaining that the north of
Scotland was Ireland. Strabo places Ireland due north of Britain,
which corresponds very well to the north of Scotland.
Tacitus (Fit. Agric. 9Up. 8.) calls that part of Scotland situated
north of the rivers Clyde and Forth, quasi aliam insidam—^i. e.
*' as if another island." Indeed, from the tenour of this whole
chapter, it is evident that Tacitus, by Hiheiiiia (Irelaud) means
the north of Scotland. So completely was his editor at Cologne
of the Allobroges in 1614 of this opinion, that, in his Notitia
Breviarium of said chapter, he says,
res tertio, quarto, quinto
expeditionum suarum anno, prcesertim in Hibernia gestae i. e.
" the exploits (of Agricola) performed in the third, fourth, and
fifth year of his expeditions, particularly in Ireland." Now
every one knows that the
scene of Agricola's actions, during
these years, lay not in Ireland, but in the north of Scotland.
Without entering into the merits of this dispute, which is of no
importance to the ScoU, it is sufficient to shew that Scotland was
the parent of Ireland. The Irish (as has already been shewn)
admit thaf the Tuath de Danan (Damnii) arrived in Ireland
1250 years prior to our aera. Ptolemy makes the territories of
the Damnii reach from Gallozcay to the Tay; and if, as Pinkar.
ton imagines, the Novantce were only a part of the Damnii,
their territories must have stretched to the Solway Frith.
Rich!
ard of Cirencester places a tribe of the same people in Argyle!