21 



of the Irish, are extremely different from those of the Gothic. It 

 tlierefore appears to me that Mr. Pinkerton who says the Irish is 

 lialf Gothic, and tliat Mr. Ledwich, who adopts the opinion, liave 

 taken the probabihty for a fact.^^- And though it were half 

 Gothic, this mixture of language would not prove the Irish to be 

 of Scandinavian origin, because it might have been effected by the 

 Belgae of the coasts. The experience of other countries instructs us 

 that the circumstance of one tribe adopting the language of another, 

 depends chiefly upon its inferiority in point of population. This 

 fact may account for the Gothic of the Belgce not being im- 

 mersed in the gaoileag of the Irish.^^- On the contrary we may 

 infer from it that the Belgse, as the smaller population, had adopt- 

 ed the latter language. Notwithstanding the pains taken from the 

 time of the Normans to that of Edward the Hid, to establish the 

 French language in Britain, it never, for the reason assigned, be- 

 came general in that island.^^- 



' And the Scot-Chearia was the vernacular one of the Nemetkians, 

 ifho were a Scythian or Teutonic colony.'^-- Consequently the Scot- 

 Chearla was not the vernacular language of the Nemethians. 



The quotation from "^Vhittaker's Manch. is given upon the sole 

 authority of Ossian, and therefore requires confirmation. 



The same observation applies to his Gallic and Roman authors. 

 Their assertions are without proof. It is probable that Claudian, 

 who wrote about the fourth century, was guided jjy Strabo, who 

 wrote in the first ; for the Scots, whom the former establishes in 

 Ireland, could not have fled thither in a direction north of Britain. 



49. Antiq. oflr. p. 20. 



50. Another reason may be found in tlie harshness of the Gotliic language, from the fre- 

 quent use of consonants, which was always oft'ensive to the Celtic ear, 



51. Enquiries touching the diversity of languages, by Etlw. Brerewood, P. A. p. 22. 



52. Antiq. of Ir. p. 15. 



