40 



it not only to the north of Britain, and at such a distance as to occupy 

 the situation of the Isles of Faroe, but also in a climate whose chilliness 

 rendered it almost uninhabitable, clearly demonstrate that it never 

 could have been then at least (if ever) visited by the Romans. Mela 

 (A. D. 44.) is almost as ignorantly severe where he describes Ireland 

 as "of a soil most uncongenial for the growth of grain,"* but abound- 

 ing in the most luxuriant herbage for herds of cattle. Pliny (A. D. 77) 

 states it to be as broad as Britain, while Tacitus (A. D. 92,) with far 

 better means for information, records its soil and climate (" solum 

 caelumque,") as much similar to those of Britain. "f- The next and 

 most remarkable notice is contained in the geography of Ptolemy, 

 written about A. D. 180 ; and it is to be remarked, that while his 

 account of Britain is full of errors, and in the southern parts especially 

 replete with Roman names, his delineation of Ireland is not only accu- 

 rate as to the shores, but even as to the interior of the island, its rivers, 

 lakes, cities, and tribes ; while the names given to all these are either 

 Phoenician, or in close affinity with the Irish appellatives, such as 

 Darnii for Daire, Eblana for Dublin, Edri for Edar,|; &c. which, cou- 

 pled with the assistance that Ptolemy acknowledges he received from 

 Marinus Tyrius,§ must strengthen the belief of a Phoenician inter- 

 course then existing with Ireland. Marcianus Heracleota affords the 

 next memorial in his Periplus, (p. 91,) and he notices sixteen tribes 

 and eleven cities of that island, while Agathemir, a Greek geographer, 

 about the same time, speaks of Ireland as west of Britain, and the 

 third greatest island known. II It may be remarked, as a strong con- 

 firmation of our preliminary proposition, that Pytheas, the celebrated 



* Caeli ad maturanda semina iniqui." — Mela. lib. 3. c. 6. 



f Vita Agricola;, c. 24. 



X See O'Conor, Rer, Hib. Script, vol. 1. Prolog, p. xlviii, &c. 



§ Ante, p. 34. \\ Geog. lib. 2. c. 8. 



