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70 ON THE AUTHENTICITY
Is this the nation that, in 258, could, with
the imperfect means of those times for
transporting troops by sea, send an army to
Scotland sufficient to sweep off its aborigi-
nal inhabitants with such complete extermi-
nation?
The truth, on this part of the subject,
seems to be, that Ireland derived its origin-
al population from Scotland. This was the
opinion of Sir James Ware ; * of Sir William
Temple; of Sir William Petty ;| and of the
best informed writers of both countries. In-
deed, it is the opinion of Sir James Ware,
that nothing certain is known of Irish af-
fairs, till the middle of the fifth century.
To these, we may add the opinion of Mr
Gibbon, who was abundantly acute in bis
investigations; and, surely, in no degree
prejudiced in favour of Caledonian antiqui-
* Antiq. Hib. ch. 2.
t Polit. Anat. p. 101.

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