Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

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mountains retained the ancient dress of the braca.
This circumstance points out, that the principal
garment which figured most to the eye was the
cause of the distinctive appellation.
Tranquiilus, who wrote the life of Czesar,
speaks of the Gauls in these words :
— " lidem in curia
" Galli braccas deposuerunt ; latum clavura sunipserunt.'"
The latiis davits was the purple garment that
denoted senatorial dignity. It will readily occur,
that the Gallic trouse was not here understood
to be laid down, but a garment similar to the
hreacan of the Gael, an exterior vesture dropped
by the Gauls when they assumed the latus clamis,
or purple goxvn.
Aulus Gellius giving account of the Sarmat<£^
says, " Atq. oh sceva hyemis admodum assidua de-
" mersis in humum sedi/ms, specus aut suffossa
" habitant, totum braccati corpus, et nisi qua 'vi-
" de7it etiam ora vestitir This vestment evident-
ly covered the whole body and all its members.
Lib. ii. c. 1.
Tacitus, in his history, lib. ii. c. 20. " Quod
" versicolore sagulo, braccas barbarum tegmen
" indutus, togatos alloqueretur."
Ovid, speaking of the Scythians, says, " Pelli-
" bus et laxis arcent mala frigora braccis."
The Romans derived the word from the Gauls.
This word they applied to a part, at least, of the