ee ae 
Tue Milefians, in a ftarry winter night, difcovered Ireland 
from the * tower of Brigantia in Galicia by the help of a telef- 
cope. This fiction could not be older than the , thirteenth 
century, probably much more recent. Roger Bacon } affirms 
Julius Czfar, before he invaded Britain, viewed with a telefcope 
her fhores and harbours. 
Tue Milefians, when they landed in Ireland, had various 
battles with the Tuatha de Danans, a nation of { magicians 
and enchanters, whom at length they fubdued by fuperior. fkill 
and bravery. 
In § Offian’s combat of Ofgar and Illan, a beautiful damfel 
- complains, that Illan, eldeft fon of the king of Spain, purfued 
her, and threatened wounds and deftruction to the Fians: 
“ wherever he goes,’ adds fhe, “ to the eaft or weft, or to the 
“ four quarters of the world, his fharp-edged weapon makes 
“ every foe yield the victory.” The drefs and arms of Illan 
are then defcribed: He had a coat of mail, a vizor polifhed 
and. fet with precious ftones; his garments were of rich fattin, 
tied with: filken ftrings. This romantic tale befpeaks its age 
not tobe anterior to the fifteenth century. Were I to men- 
tion the Clanna Baoifgaine, or Bifcayan colony, the Liafail, or 
magical ftone,' the Gai Bulg, or forcerer’s fpear, the magical 
helmet, and numberlefs other particulars in Irifh romantic ftory, 
relating to Spain, to the occult qualities of bodies, to conjura- 
tion and ‘enchantment, derived from Arabic ideas and Arabic 
‘Vou. IV. (D) philofophy, 
* Keating, pag. 44. + Warton, fup. t Keating, pag. 55. 
§ Tranf. of the Roy. Irith Acad. vol. I. pag. 74. 
