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

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tion was directed to the nearest coast of that
island, from the opposite shore of the great
country anciently called by the Romans Gallia,
whose inhabitants they called Galli. Were we
to be regulated by probable conclusions with
respect to our original descent, we should, with
more reason, derive our origin, and the popula-
tion of the Britannic Islands, from that country
and that people, than from colonies fiom Egypt
or Spain, under Simon Brek or Gaethelglas as
their leaders, a few generations after the time
of Japhet.
Scotland was called Scotia from Scota the
daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt: so we are
told by both Irish and Scottish historians; the
latter following the fabulous legendary tales of
the former, both equally fond of marvellous ac-
counts relative to antiquity and lustre of ori-
gin. Were we, however, disposed to combine
sound and sense together, we might be satisfied
to hold the vicinity of Britain to Gaul, and the
similarity of the appellation of its inhabitants,
Galli, as pronounced by the Romans, with that
which the descendants of the ancient inhabitants
of Albinn and Erinn have retained as their gene-
ric appellation down to this day, — as a rational
inference of the progress of population westward
from Gaul to Great Britain, and thence to Ire-
land.
The name Arigathel, Arigadhel, pronounced
Arigael, demonstrates its meaning. It signifies