Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

PREFACE. xlx:
cd from the Scots of Albany, who were f;ir
from being a powerful nation at that time,'
they began! to fearch out for themfelves,-
aneeftors of a more dignified charad:er. It
is probable that the fchifmatic difpoiition
of the ScotSi about Eafler and the Ton-
furej had its weight in inducing the Irifh
to inveftigate their origin among a lefs per-
verfe people.
That the Irifh fyftems of antiquity
were formed after the holy fcriptures were
known in that country, is beyond all doubt.
All their fidions on that head are ingrafted
upon names in the old teftament. This
fuhjed is difculTed at large^ in the DlfTerta-
tions now given to the public. I only men-
tion it now to afcertain that the fable of
the Hibernian extraction of the Scots of
Albany was formed at the fame time^ The
prefent identity of language, and the fimi-
larity of cufloms and manners which pre-
vailed among the Albanian and Hibernian
Scots of antient times> made it evident that
they were originally the fame people ; fo
it became neceffary to be very particular iri
the time .and manner of their feparation.
The Irilh fabricators of antiquities furnifn-
ed B?de with that account he gave of the-
iirft fectlemen: of the Scots in Jarghael.
b z If