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

S52 ^ Parallel between the ancient
It would be no difficult matter to carry the
Jjarallel between the Germans and Caledonians
much further. Thofe who have enquired with care
into the primseval flate of North Britain, will fee
the comparifon in a much ftrorger light, upon per-
ufing, v/ith attention, tl-at admirable treatife of
Tacitus concerning Germany and its inhabitants.
There is certainly a flrong uniformity between
all rations in a barbarous ftate. The fimilarity
muft be much more apparent between nations ori-
gii.ally fprung from the fame fource. But it evi-
dently appears to any one acquainted with the
early hiftory of the Germans and Caledonians,
that the conformity bctv/een thsm, in point of
cuflorns and national manners, is much more flrik-
irg than between the Caledonians and Britons *
This feems greatly to favour the opinion of Ta-
citus, and the tradition preferved by Bede. But
}t mufl: b* confe{fed, that nothing decifive can be
faid on this h:ad, though I intend to do all juf-
tice to the fyftem of the fuppofed Germanic ex-
tratflion of the Caledonians.
The great objedlion againft the fyftem is, that
as in that early period Vvherein North Britain was
peopled, the art of building and navigating veffels
muft have been either totally unknown, or very
jmperfedly underiiood jn Germany, it is much
overpowered hinl with fuperior numbers. Rrtjce performed pro-
digies of valour, \r\ a narrow pafs where he po^fted himfclf fingly
till all his friends were out of danger ; but "he was forced at
length to give way, and In liis retreat loil: hi; upper g;arn;enr, or
al leart the buckle with which it \va.- faflened. This iciiffle in
■which Bruce was thus worfted, is fung by Barbour, an old Scot-
tifh bard.
* Sir William Temple^
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