Blair Collection > Archaeologia Britannica, giving some account additional to what has been hitherto publish'd, of the languages, histories and customs of the original inhabitants of Great Britain

THE PREFACE.
fay much tlicicunto. All I fhall take notice of is, that us poUible, what became in time the
Talk of" fcveral, might have been at Hrfl but the Surmilcs ul one Fcrlbn ; And that it's too
Common a Milbke to take Charac'lcrs uponTiult, and an Humiliiy too much m Falhion to re-
peat the Sentiments ol Pcrlons ot Reputation tur Learning, as our own ; without relietihing chat
our Deference to iuch Men, ou^ht not to exceed thole Studies they are known to have been
Converlant in ; and without making due Allowance for l^rrourand Prejudice, from which nu
Man can be wholely exempted, by any Advantage of Kducation. Men of Extenlive Reading,
a Happy Memory, ind a Genius lor Diiconrle, ilciicumlpee'f in their Lives and Convcrlatioii,
and endued with an Occ.dional Allurance, can never fail of a Characler; but it often happens
that being too leiiliblc thereof themlclves, they take the Liberty of cenlunng what perhaps
they have but little conlider'd ; depending on being lecured by their Charader from any Bold
Contradidions. And if, contrary to expeefation, they meet with any Iuch, (ome are fo well
prepared that they can maintain wliat ever they have once alicited, tho' it fliould be with the
Expence of lb much time as is Requilite to the Silencing any Opponents, that have not a like
Proportion of Confidence ; or a Greater Talent at continuing a Dilpute, than isconliltent with
Sociable Converlation and Good Manners. This when duly conlider'd Ihould feem an Argu-
ment of" a Greater Concern for friunour than Impartiality, and no fign at all of that Candour
required in thole Perf'ons whole Judgement we Ihould be willing to acquielce m. Another
Conlideration which ought to difhvade us from regarding Characters at lecond Hand, is that
Ibmetimcs Iuch Leading Men are fo far Slaves to their Ambition, that it makes them a fort of
Ottoman Politicians, fuch as out of Particular Deligns or for fbmc long Profpedfs that none but
thcmfelves mull; know; make no Scruple in Private and as Opportunities of Coniequence are
oHer'd, ofiujuriiig the Reputation of any Perfons they fufpetit to be in the Contrary Luereft;
altho' they can aliord to be either filent or to fpeak civilly of them, when in Company with
their Friends. And fo H.xorbitant are the Projeds of fome Gentlemen ofthislort, that they
can continue the fame Pradlice thro' the whole Courfe of their Lives, and carry it on lb far,
that even they that have but the leafl Dependance on fuch Perfons, lliall allb ( iho' they may
never know whence it comes ) receive a Proportionable llure of the fame lort of Benevolence.
Thcfe Cenlureis of Defign, arc with a little Oblcrvation calily dilfinguilh'd from Men of Can-
dour and Impartiality. Gentlemen that have no Aim but the Truth, commonly propofe with an
An of Modeity and J ullice -txhetlxr [uch and fuch CouJUerattons fnay mt f^an Mataidl Uhju&ions ,
but the Men ofDefign tho' in order to gam attention they lomctimes ipeak favourably, are yet in
the mam when there are any real Objciilions ffiil (with a leeming tendcrnels) improving them,
and when there are not, obtruding foii:e of their own Invention where they fuppole their Au-
thorityimay influence ; which are yet often fo far f train'd as to be too apparenr. It's thi Optnicn
of a great many, vchich in troth I am forry for ( lays a Gentleman that would leem coaccrn'd
for this Undertaking ) that this fir jl f^olurne will 7nest but with a Cold Reception, ft confijis
only of Etymology and fVelp and Trip Vocabularies : Now there are not perhaps above ha^ a
dottzen or half a [core in the Kingdom that are Curious that uiaj/. The fVoi Id expeSled according
to his Vtomifc and Undertaking, a Natural Hijlory, which is a Study of e/lablijh'd Rejuejl and
that a great many are Cuiious m, ike. Haifa douzen or half a fcore ! A very Comfbrtable
Number truly towards carrying off an Impreflion; and a Speech of great Encouragement to all
Lovers of the Antiquities of Britain and Ireland. Should we not exped that an Impartial
Man would at the lealt have laid Three or Four Hundred mltcad of half a fcore? Or can we
fiippofe that any who had not fome Unfair Defign, would ever have faid, the World expelled
I ikould publilh that firlt, which (as he knew very well ) I had faid in the Printed Propofals
for Travelling, I defign'd lalt; ixddim^ / could propofe no time for it's publifhing, if it frould pleafe
God I might live to write it ? Theie mean Pradiccs I always defign'd to pals by, as no Material
Information to the Generality of Readers ; but finding the Notions, tho' perhaps at firft noc
much regarded, to fteal by Degrees on Ibme Gentlemen of Diftindhon, and fuch as are Perfons
of Judgement and Candour; I thought I fliould be much wanting to my fclf, if I pafs'd it by
wholely unregarded, and therefbre that the mentioning it on this Occafion, might prove nei-
ther wholely U>elels nor very Unlealbnable.
Aindra Mc Ghileoin Fear an Cnuic, an tindhc
mac Easbuig Earraghaoidhil c e.
ORdheirc an gniomh faor bhur comhluinn
Cliu t30 phoghlum beijiio uainn :
Ti i>o chur oo na thuic or (innfrea&lt
Cus so fgeimh bhur linn ampuaim.
Molfid Mc Liath na Sheanchas,
Ochd mhacigh'achd to Icanmhuinn oirinii,
Brathreachus GaoMil Fear Shaxan,
Thabhart narccuimhnc ceartna loi'g
c a M