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

Principality of the IJles. 241
tribes who lived near the gulphs of Bothnia, Fin-
land, and Livonia, followed the fame pracStice,
The maritime nations inhabiting the Southern
coafl of the Baltic were led by the example and
fuccefs of thofe rovers to try their fortune in the
more wealthy divifions of the South of Europe.
If to thefe numerous nations of p'underers we add
thofe of Denmark, Holftein, Saxony, and Frief-
land, all the way to the mouth of the Rhine, we
do not make the country of thofe Northern rovers,
wlw have done fo much mifchief in former ages,
more extenfive than hi (lory affirms. It is alfo ex-
treamly probable that thofe who dwelt in the more
inland diftrids of the kingdoms of the North
joined the freebooting inhabitants of the fea coafls
in their Expeditions. In a divifion of Europe (o
€Xtenfive, it could have been no difficult matter
to mufter up fwarms of adventurers, fom€ thirft-
ing after glory, others rendered defperate by po-
verty, and all of them animated by the fuccefs of
their neighbours or predeceflbrs in emigrations of
the fame kind.
It may alfo be fufpeded that the piratical
Eaflerlings and Normans, who committed fucli
devaftations ia the lower Germany, France, Bri-
tain, Ireland, and other places, were not fo very
numerous as they have been reprefented. Inflead
of making war in a regular manner, tliey gene-
rally invaded one particular divifion of a country
near the coaft, in flying parties, gathered all the
(poils they could carry away, and dcllroyed every
thing elfe. They were compofed of feveral bo-
dies independent of one another, and no fooner
was one band gone than another came. By this
means the countries cxpofed to their ravages had
Q^ fcarce