have been Southerly, to have carried Cæfar clear of Nerium or Cape Finifter, the direct route to Ireland. We hear nothing of the Hermini in Gaul or in Britain, but we find the Clanna Heremon in Ireland. Can there be a doubt of these people having been the Hermini of Spain, especially if we confider that Cæfar followed them at Sea, half the way from Spain to Ireland. This tribe I think was originally of Armenia, defcended from Herman Son of Gelam, who defcended the Euphrates, and formed the Phænicians of the Red Sea. (f)

Extract of a Letter from J. TALBOT DILLON, ESQ. to the Author.

"Agreeable to your defire of communicating any information that might occur in the course of my reading, relating to the peopling of Ireland from Spain, I herewith send you an extract from a writer ex profeffo on the Subject, Don Francisco Huerta, member of the Spanish Academy, and Author of a Treatife entitled Efpana Primitiva, which I have lately received from Madrid; This work is in two vols. 12mo (g); and as it may not be easily obtained in Ireland, I am to request your acceptance of it.

The Author informs us, that after twelve years clofe application to his fubject, he luckily discovered feveral ancient Manufcripts, amongst others, the valuable Chronicle of Petrus Cæfarauguftus, which he promises to publifh, and to give full infor

(f) See my Irish Grammar firft Edit. Preface p. xliiii. for more particular account of the Hermini.

(g) Printed at Madrid, 1738.

mation how it fell into his hands, adding, it once belonged to the celebrated Arias Montanus."

"In the courfe of this work he means to prove, that the ancient Colonies of Spain peopled England, Scotland, and Ireland, conquered Africa, and gave Kings to the Celtic nation; poffeffed Sicily, laid the foundation of Rome, and extended themfelves univerfally over the Western Empire.

"These are the outlines of his great undertaking, in which the writer, as far as I can pretend to offer an opinion, proceeds with all the candour and coolness of a judicious critick, added to the information and temper requifite to an antiquary.

I fhall close this with a tranflation of what he offers on the Subject; for this purpose I have tranthe whole Chapter.

Tharfis fends Colonies from Spain, who people England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The colonies of Tharfis increasing every day, they extended themselves not only over the peninfula of Spain, but to the neighbouring provinces, amongst others to Britain and to Ireland.

That the Spaniards peopled England appears undoubtedly from the people fettled there, named Siluri, of whom mention is made by Pliny, Solinus and Ptolemy; moreover, Tacitus, fpeaking of them, expressly fays, (in vita Agr.) that the ruddy complexion of the Siluri and their hair frequently braided, added to their fituation oppofite to Spain, gives teftimony and conviction, that the ancient Iberians croffed the Sea and poffeffed that

Island.

Ifland. The Hiftorian Jornandes is of the fame opinion, concluding Scotland to have been peopled from Gaul and Spain. "Calidoniam vero incolentibus rutile comæ, corpora magna, fed fluida, qui Gallis five Hifpanis, quibufque attenduntur fimiles, unde conjectavere nonnulli, quod ex his accolas continuo acceperit." (Hift. Gothor.)

ea

Of these Colonies of the Siluri yet remain thofe iflands, which by alteration the English name Scilly in the Virginian Ocean.

That the Spaniards peopled England, we are convinced by the Brigantes of that Ifland, mentioned by Tacitus, Seneca, and Ptolemy, derived without doubt from the Brigantes of Galicia.

That Ireland was peopled by Spaniards, may be proved from Dionyfius and Priscian, and by modern writers: the natives themfelves acknowledge the fame, and this we shall speak of hereafter.

Petrus of Zaragofa, writes thus on this head, in his Chronicle An. M. 2870. Tharfis Colonias & claffem mittit ad Oceanum Septentrionalem, quæ Albionem & Hiberniam populaverunt; infulas magnas, & Romanis inacceffus. This Author alfo relates the Heber in the year of the world 2919, fent Colonies to the Septentrional Ocean, who landed in Ireland; and hence probably its name Hybernia, from their Chieftan Heber."

С НА Р.

T

CHA P. X.

Conclufion.

HE reader is now in poffeffion of the history

of Ireland, as collected from ancient records by Keating: The author of this vindication has made no addition to the original Keating except fuch paffages he had paffed over; as in the chapter of the Tuatha-Dadann, because that paffage is a proof that the Omanite Scythians were well acquainted with, and mixed with the Touranian or Tranfoxane Scythians, and called them by the Perfian name, viz. Touran, and in the chapter Milefius, it is evident, that they knew them by the Arabian name alfo, viz. Frange or Farangah.

There are many ancient records unnoticed by Keating, ftill worthy of being known: the hiftorical events are detailed in various manners; names and anecdotes are interfperfed, that would tend to support the general hiftory. If all these were collected and tranflated by a judicious hand, they might throw great lights on the ancient hif tories of the Eaft and of the West.

In the course of this work, the reader will observe that no positive references have been drawn from Etymology; it has only been admitted when accompanied with historical evidences, or ancient authorities, or fupported by other concurrent circumstances; in fuch cafes, the light afforded by Etymology, is not to be rejected.

The Irish history is uniform throughout: it bears no affinity with that of any of the Celtic nations; it differs from that of the Walsh or Britons, as much as the languages of the two people do at this day.

day. It differs from that of the Goths or Teutones in every particular. Here we hear nothing of Odin or his fon Skiold, yet Odin is faid by Mon. Mallet, to have been the supreme God of the Scythians (a). The Diar or priests of Odin, do indeed bear fome affinity in name with the Draoi of Ireland and the Daru of the Perfian Ghebres: and Oide in the Irish fignifies a teacher, from whence probably Odin derived his name: but the Diar or Drottar of Odin, were Lay-Lords as well as priests, an order of men unknown to the Pagan Irish.

It has been eroneously afferted by Lhuyd and others, that there is a real affinity between the languages of the Irish and Walfh, that they are in great part radically the fame. Lhuyd has fhewn that many names of places in South Britain and in Wales, the meaning of which is loft in the Welch language, can only be explained from words now extant in the Irish or Erfe, and confeffes, that he is of opinion the Irish did inhabit Britain before the Walsh; that they were the old original Celts, and that the Cymri or Welfh, were another and different race of Celts, a branch of the Celtic Cimbri, who fucceeded the other and drove them northward: but this is mere conjecture. The ingenious and accurate tranflator of Mallet has collated fpecimens of the Pater Nofter in all the Celtic and Gothic dialects; and after many learned obfervations on thefe dialects, he acknowledges,

(a) Northern Antiq. p. 60. Mallet was mifled by the Byzantine hiftorians who have confounded the Goths, Hunns, &c. with the Scythians, as we have fhewn in a former part of this work.

that