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

Antiquities of Nations. i r
giants, fays the eloquent Saxo Grammatlcus. Thefe
giants were of matchlefs ftrength of body and
vigour of mind. There were local demonftrations
of the one, and traditional proofs of the other.
Dan was the father of the Danifh nations, and
Arpil, his brother, gave being to the Englifh.
Thefe two great perfonages flourifhed an innume»
rable feries of ages before the birth of Chrill.
If any one fhould afk, how the hiftory of Z)^;?,
and of his immediate poflerity were preferved,
Saxo will f^tisfy his curiofity on that head. Den-
mark, according to him, produced a fucceflion of
excellent bards ; whofe bufinefs as well as amufe-
ment it was to record the adions of its kings and
heroes, in all the fublimity of heroic compofiti-
on : but as the produdions of bards, however
happy, may be deftroyed or effaced by time, our
author alTures us, that the works of the Danifh
poets were liable to no fuch inconvenience, as they
were engraved upon folid rocks and obeli fks of
the moil durable nature. He even affirms, that
he himfelf extraded thofe numerous hiftorical
rhimes, which crowd his work, from thofe per-
manent monuments of antiquity.
A LEARNED archbifhop has traced the kings
of Sweden all the way up to Magog, a perfon
whofe clofe connection with Noah fitted him high-
Jy for fo eminent a ftation.
The Englifh v/ere once enthufiaflically fond of
an ideal predeceflbr, and of an imaginary fuperi-
ority derived from him. Brutus, thefon of Silvius,
rhegrandfon ofAfcanius, and great grandfon of
.^neas, was, to their great happinefs, reputed the
parent and founder of their nation, Brutus, hap-
pily for England, had the misfortune to kill his
father ; fo that he found it neceffary to leave Italv,
6 and