304 ESSAY ON THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTER 



The prefent Welfh letters are the fame that are 

 ufed hi England, but there appears fufficient proor 

 that the alphabet, now called the Saxon alphabet, 

 really belonged to the Britons, and was ufed in their 

 writings many centuries previous to the Saxon in- 

 vafion. When the Britons were driven out of Mer- 

 cia, a few of the mod learned were fuffered to 

 remain, and from thefe, It has been conjeftured, the 

 Saxons were nrft inllrufted in the ufe of letters. It 

 is deferving of remark that Aiferus and Scotus, the 

 infi:ru61iors of Alfred, were both Welfhmen. 



When the Saxons firft came into Britain, about 

 the middle of the iifth century, they appear, fays 

 Dr. Johnfon, who examined every record extant 

 on the fubject, " to have been a people without 

 learning, and very probably iviibout an alphabet.*^ 



It has been juftly remarked by the learned and 

 indefatigable Rowlands, that if they had brought 

 the ufe of letters with them from Saxony, or where- 

 ever they came from, there would have been fonic 

 remains either of infcriptions or manufcripts in that 

 country, unk fs they had all come over, to a man, and 



brought 



