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

36 Of the Pinijh Monarchy.
fettled in Britain, it is far fiom being certain that
thofe Picts were governed by general monarchs in
any early period-
Adamnan, abbot of lona, is the fiift that men-
tions any Pidtifli King, and the oldefl author after
him is Bede. We are told by thefe two writeis,
that St. Columba converted Brudiiis, King of tlie
Picts, to the Chrif^ian faith ; and we learn further
from Bcde, that Biudius was a molt powerful
prince, and that Columba came into Britain in the
A ear of the vulgar sera five hundred and fixty-fivc.
If there were any Pidifh Kings before that period,
Pi(fti(h Kings poflefled of extenfive dominions, or
monarchs of Caltdonia, we have no genuine record
to afcertain their very names.
But the lofs arifmg from the filence of antient
writers is perhaps more than fi.i]ly compenfated by
the accounts given of the Pidifh Kings, and the
antiquity of the Pidlilh monarchy, by the Senna-
chies or hiftoriai.'s of Ireland. We are told by
them, that the Pidifh monarchy began at the
fame time with that of their own country, that is
to fay, thirteen, or at leaft eleven whole centuries
before the birth of Chrift *. They alTure us fur-
ther, that the Pi6ls had a fuccelfion of feventy
Kings, from Caihluan., who was cotemporary with
Heremon the firft Irifh monarch, to Conilantine,
wl o reigned about the end of the eighth century.
Though the Scots hiftoriars took care not to do
too much honour to the Pidifh nation, yet it
feems they found themfelves under a neceflity of
granting that the Pids were fettled early in Bri-
* Keat. Gen Hifc. of Ireland, p. 120, Sec Flaherty Ogyg.
p. 190.
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