5t 



part of Britain, and that he died there."* (Nenniiis, it m^y m 

 remembered, mentions^ the " regions of Dalrieta," as the ultimate 

 place where the Scythian colony settled in Ireland.) Bede, the 

 venerable^ monk of Girwy, whose character is thus given by Doctor 

 Mac-Pherson, " pious and fervent, but calm in his zeal for religion, 

 his writings breathe throughout the sentiments of humanity and devo- 

 tion; he certainly had more knowledge than all his cotemporaries 

 joined together. "§ This very Bede is the great external authority 

 that establishes the fact. " In process of time," he writes, " the 

 population of Britannia was increased in the quarter of the Picts, by 

 the accession of a third nation, that of the Scots to the Britains and 

 Picts. The new comers, having passed out of Ireland under the 

 guidance of Reuda, obtained for themselves, either in friendship or by 

 the sword, those possessions which they hold to the present day, and 

 from their leader are still called Dal-reudini. * * * They added 

 a third nation in Britain to the Britons and Picts."ll And he concludes 



part of Meath, even to the celebrated hill of Usneach, whence he tranferred his visitation to 

 the district of Rathcline, whose dynast he slew, as also, among others, Neill O Eire, Murrough 

 O'Conor, &c. Many other instances might be given, (if space pennitted,) illustrative of the 

 extent of the name and achievements of the family of Erch. 



• Annal Tigern. ad ann. 502, f Cited ante p. 22. 



J Spelman assigns a curious reason for this cognomen of " venerable " being given to 

 Bede. — See Glossary, tit. " Venerabilis Beda." 



§ Pref. to Dissertation, p. xv. 



II " Procedente autem tempore Britannia post Britones et Pictos tertiam Scotorum natio- 

 nem in Pictorum parte recepit, qui duce Reuda de Hybernia egressi, vel amicitia vel ferro 

 sibimet inter eos sedes, quas hactenus habent, vindicarunt, a quo videlicet duce usquam hodie 

 Dalreudini vdcantur ; * * * • tertiam in Britannia Britonibus et Pictis gentem addide- 

 runt. • • • Est autem sinus maris permaximus, qui ab occidente in terras longo spatio 

 erumpit, ubi estcivitas Britonum munitissima usque hodie, quae vocatur Alcluith; ad cujus 

 videlicet sinus partem septentrionalem Scotti, quos diximus, advenientes sibi locum patricE 

 fecerunt." — Eccl. Hist. lib. 1. c. 1. 



VOL. XVI. I 



