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

Of the Scots. 6^,
have therefore reafon to beh'eve, that he content-
ed himfelf with regaining thofe territories which
the Scots, Pidts and Attacots, had wrelled from
the provincial -, and it was undoubtedly in thefe
territories that he ere(5ted the new province of Va-
lentia ; though Gildas, Bede, and after them a
great number of modern writers, were of anorlier
opinion.
Whatever the extent or boundaries of Va-
lentia may have been, it is certain that neither the
Furius Camillus of the fourth century, nor Maxi-
mus the Spaniard, nor Stilcho's legions, nor wails
either new or repaired, obftruded or intimidated
the barbarians of North Britain, or confined them
within their native hills. Impatient of controul,
greedy of plunder, and thirfting for fame, they
refumed their former fpirit of conqucft and deva-
ftation. They frequently invaded tfie fouthern di-
vjfion of the ifland, recovered the diftrid of Va-
lentia, and continued their hofcilities, till Hono-
rius refigned all his pretenfions to Britain, and left
the provincials to fhift for themfelves. It was be-
tween the 420 and 435 of the Chriftian asra that-
this inglorions, though involuntary, derelidion of
Britain happened.
Every one mud acknowledge, that the Scots
and Pids were by much too powerful for the Bri-
tons, after they were abandoned by the Romans.
The letter written by the degenerate provincials to
iEtius theconful, exhibits a moil lively pidure of
their diftreffes. The following paflage of it has
been prefervcd by Gildas : *■'■ The barbarians drive
us back to the fea : the fea drives us back to the
barbarians : inevitable dellrucftion mufl be our
fate, ii either of thei'e ways : we are either killed
or drowned."
Some