'20 V^ 



occupied all Spain."* The evidence of Thomas of Walsinghani,-f* is 

 fully as explicit as that of Nennius ; the venerable Wintown adopts 

 all the traditions of the Irish bards upon the subject, and Dr. Mac- 

 pherson admits,:]: that such of the ancient records of Scotland as 

 escaped the barbarous policy of Edward the First, support this 

 account. 



Having thus conducted the Navigators to Spain, it may be natu- 

 rally inquired, whether those who have written the history of that 

 country, have encountered the tradition, or furnish any traces of the 

 arrival and long sojourn of this Eastern colony ; the suggestion can be 

 satisfied. Mariana§ admits the high probability of Spain having been 

 peopled to a great extent from the East. Juan De Ferreras expressly 

 mentions the Phoenicians as its principal colonizers. The Hispania 

 Illustrata, a rare and valuable work, comprehending the labours of 

 upwards of 60 authors, and published by Andreas Schottus, confirms 

 the colonization of Spain bi/ the Phcenicians, and fixes its period, on 

 the authority of Eusebius, to the year 764, A. C.I) De Bellegarde 

 says, "the first of whom mention is made in history, is Hercules, the 

 Phoenician, by some called Melchart. It is alleged, that he lived in 

 the time of Moses, and that he retired into Spain, when the Israelites 

 entered the Land of Promise. This will be consistent with old accounts, 

 if faith can be placed in the inscription of the two colunuis, which were 



• " Iberes Asiaticos esse Thubalis posteros, atque eo3 coloniam duxisse in Hispaniam, 

 fluvioque Iberi item genti Iberiai nomen dedisse, hoc voluit Josephus cujus verba antea 

 adduximus. Plinius quoque Varronem secutus Iberes sive Iberos primo loco collocat inter 

 nationes qua; ante Romanos in Hispania fixerunt sedes ; sic enim scribit, — in universam 

 Hispaniam M. Varro pervenisse Iberos et Persas et Phoenicas Celtasque et Poenos tradit." 

 De Orig. et Progr. Idolotriae, lib. 1. c. 33. 



f Ypodigma Neustriae, ad ann. 1185. J Dissertation, p. 15. 



S Hist de Reb. Hisp. lib. 1. c. 7. || Edit. Franc. 1603, p. 626. 



