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

was firji planted in Caledonia. 321
it is certain, from the feveral different paflages
Vvhicli TertuUian has quoted from Tacitus, that
he had read the writings of that gj-eat hiftorian ;
and from them he certainly muft have underftood
that South Britain had been entirely reduced into
the form of a Roman province, before the end of
the firft century;
To fay nothing of the fuccefsfui campaign
Claudius Casfar had made there in perfon, the
Piasror Aulus Plantius had vanquifhcd fome Bri-
tifh Kings, taken many garrifons, and conquered
feveral whole nations, Oftorius Scapula, who fuc-
ceeded Plantius, fought and defeated the Iceni,
Cangi, Silures, andBrigantes. Suetonius Paulinus,
Petilius Gerealis, and Julius Frbntinus, three greac
generals, carried their vidorious arms much far-
ther than Oftorius had done : and the famous
Agricola had finifhed the conqueft of the couhtry
now called England, before he invaded Caledonia,
near twenty years before the end of the firfl cen-
tury.
1 T is pad all doubt that Agricola performed
great things in North Britain. He ravaged or fub-
dued thofe diftrids of that country which front
Ireland. He defeated the Caledonian army on the
Eaftern coaft. His fleet reduced the Orkney illes.
His land and fea forces had fpread either defola-
tion or terror over dll the maritime places of Cale-
donia, but ftill there were many corners of the
country, and even whole diftrids, which the dif-
ficulties arifing from their fituation, and his want
of ti.rrte, hindered that illufirions general from per-
vading. Thefe diftrids may be reafonably thought
"to have been the places meant by Tertullian *.
* Et Britanaorum inaccefia Romanis loca,. Chriilo vero fub-
dira. Term', lib. contra 'udxo-^ cap 7.
X If