History of the house and race of Douglas and Angus

g HISTORY OF THE
beginning of our nation, yea of both nations, Scots and Eng-
lish, such as they now are, or of those that were before, Picts
and Britons, is not yet sufficiently cleared; neither is it as yet
fully known from what people they are sprung, or how they
got their name of Scots, English, Picts and Britons, although
the learned have bestowed their pains, and employed their pens
on this subject, to the wearying, but not satisfying of the read-
er. As for Scotland, Mr. Cambden grants so much, and
mocks those that have laboured in it: yet hath he himself be-
stowed his time and pains to as small purpose in behalf of his
countrymen the Britons: neither hath he done any thing, save
that by his fruitless attempt, (notwithstanding all his bragging)
he hath made it appear, that to go about it is but to labour in
vain; he himself, after all his travel, remaining no less scep-
tic; and, to use his own words, Scotizing, than others. And
even Rome itself, the mistress of the world, though the noon-
tide of her empire be clear and bright, like the sun in her
strength, yet how misty is the morning and dawning thereof.
Darkness triumphs over the reigns and triumphs of her first
kings; which are covered over with such uncertain obscurity,
or rather drowned in so profound and deep night of darkness,
that all her children, though they have beaten their brains,
and spent much lamp-oil in searching of it, could never clear
their mother's nrtivity,or vindicatetheir father Romulus's birth
from the fable of the incestuous vestal, nor his nursing from
being beholden to a she-wolf. Dctur race venia ctntiquitali y
lit miscendo human a divinis primordia urbium aitgnslicra
faciat. (Livius.) If he had said, that writers must have leave
to be obscure or uncertain in setting down the original of
cities, it could not well have been denied him; but for men to
invent, and to thrust their inventions upon others to be be-
lieved, because they know not what else to say, Detur hcec
rcnia nobis, to believe no more than is probable. Neither
will that serve his turn, Jam hoc gentes hiimance paliantur
xcquo animo, ut imp'ernvm patiuntur. They may command
our bodies, who cannot command our souls, or our belief; and
now we have shaken off the yoke of the one, and so we do