60 



nor whence they came, who they were, the names by which their 

 septs were known, nor where they first settled in Ireland. Nay, 

 more : they are preposterously affirmed to be of the same family as 

 that of the Cangi and Brigantes, who were British and Celtic tribe». 

 — Their slay in Ireland is limited by some to 30, by others to 80 

 years ; after which period, we find them bandied from Ireland to tiie 

 adjacent isles; thence back to Ireland, from which they were ulti- 

 mately expelled by their own kinsmen, the Ultonians ; whose pos- 

 terity, even so lately as the time of Spenser, were recognized bv 

 him as Scythian or Gothic, 



These facts, conjoined with the extent of the Belgic conquest, 

 evince that those exiles had been a band of robbers ; who, after 

 Ireland had become somewhat settled, were, like the Picts among 

 their more civilized counti^men, the Britons, found troublesome to 

 their neighbours. Exclusive of the fact, that the Belgae in Gaul 

 and Britain had acquired the first military character, the foreign 

 history of Ireland, from its commencement to the 12tli century, is 

 that of Goths ; Avliich renders the supposition of their expulsion 

 from Ireland highly improbable. Beside, our national manners 

 and customs were Gothic ; and their prevalence proves, that the 

 weaker were compelled to adopt those of the stronger people. 

 They acquired the Celtic language from necessity, and consigned 

 tlieir own to oblivion ; because the Gaoill, on account of the fre- 

 quent use of consonants and its harshness in utterance, would not 

 learn it. As the Belgse had used the Gaoileag, and the Gaoill 

 acquired their manners and customs, it became difficult to discri- 

 minate the posterity of one tribe from that of the other. It is even 

 probable, that their descendants had, in later ages, intermixed with 

 those of the Gaoill, and by the tie of consanguinity become one 

 people. 



