—_— 
A VINDICATION 
to the history of Anglo-Saxon literature. 
Every writer in that dialect should be 
enumerated, the biographical notices 
concerning him collected, the works, 
whether printed or manuscript, appre- 
‘eiated, and their lurking places indi- 
OF THE CELTS. 22% 
cated. To the religion, the legislation, 
the manners and sports even, distinct 
disquisitions should be appropriated. It 
becomes us to light up many a taper be- 
fore the shrines of our forefathers. 
Arr. II. A Vindication of the Celts from ancient Authorities : with Observations on 
Mr. Pinkerton’s Hypothesis concerning the Origin of the European Nations, in his Modern 
Geography, and Dissertation on the Scythians or Goths. 
THIS author begins by stating, that 
he considers it as a duty to combat the 
‘system ‘of Mr. Pinkerton, because its 
principles reject the authority of the 
holy scriptures. "This is announcing be- 
forehand that we are not to expect truth; 
but the perversion of testimony to the 
support of preconceived opinions. What 
have Mr. Pinkerton’s antiquarian no- 
tions to do with the authority of scrip- 
ture; or his religious opinions with the 
probability of his antiquarian system? 
This author, who writes in the plural 
number, as if he spoke the sentiments 
of a bench of bishops, says: 
*« We shall confine ourselves to a few 
grand points, which form the fundamental 
parts of his system. , 
« 4. His chronology; 2. The bounda- 
sies and extent of ancient Scythia, and the 
identity between the Scythians and Goths ; 
3. Whether the Celts were confined to the 
furthest west of Gaul 500 years A. C.; 4. 
The early progress of the Goths in Europe ; 
particularly in Thrace, Greece, Italy, and 
Gaul; 5. Their settlements in Germany, or 
an exainination of the proofs that the ancient 
Germans were Scythe, and that the Belge 
of Gaul were Germans ; 6. The progress of 
the Goths, or Picts, in Scandinavia.” 
On the first topic the author thus 
continues : 
«« He begins his chronology with the 
fables of Egyptian history, and lays it down 
#s a certainty, that Menes, king of Egypt, 
reigned about 4000 years before Christ, or 
nearly coeval with our zra of the creation. 
: He then establishes a vast Scythian em- 
pire in Asia, extending from Egypt to the 
Ganges, and from the Caspian to the Persian 
gulf and Indian sea, 3660 vears before Christ, 
or only 344 years afier the creation. Of this 
empire, not the smallest mention is made 
by Herodotus, or any of the early writers; 
but it is barely hinted at in two passages of 
Justin (one of which is obscure and viti- 
ated), in his abridgement of the History of 
Trogus Pompeius, who lived in the time of 
Augustus. 
« In one of these passages, Justin, after 
speaking of Ninus, king of the Assyrians, 
says, * that he first made war against the 
neighbouring people, who were incapable of 
Svo. pp. 180. 
resistance, and subdued them as far as the 
confines of Libya. But in more ancient 
times lived Vexoris, king of Egypt, and 
Tanaus, king of Scythia; the first of whom 
made irruptions as far as Pontus, and the 
other into Egypt; but they waged distant 
wars, and not near their own frontiers, were 
content with victory, and abstained from 
empire. Ninus contirmed the magnitude of 
his power by permanent possession. Having 
conquered the neighbouring people, he passed 
to others with. this accession of force; each 
conquest became the instrument of a sub- 
sequent conquest, and he thus subjugated 
the whole east, The last war was with Zo- 
roaster, king of the Bactriani, who is first 
said to have inyented magic arts, to have 
discovered the origin of the world, and the 
motions of the stars. Zoroaster being killed, 
Ninus also died, leaving his infant son Ni- 
nias, and his wife Semiramis, &c. 
*« In the second book, Justin, after describ- 
ing the origin and conquests of the Scythe, 
adds, ‘ After continuing fifteen years for the 
purpose of pacifying Asia, they returned at 
the solicitation of their wives, who declared, 
that unless they returned, they would ob- 
tain progeny from their neighbours, and 
would not suffer the Scythian name to be 
extinct, To these people, therefore, Asia 
was tributary 1500 years. Ninus, king of 
Assyria, put an end to the tribute.” Without 
the least hesitation in regard to the authen- 
ticity of this last passage, which is proved 
to be corrupted, Mr. P. computes the origin 
of the Scythian empire 1500 years before 
Ninus, believes the history of Ninus to be 
authentic, and fixes the ra of his. rei 
about 2169 years before Christ, whereas the 
history of Ninus is generally reported to be 
fabulous, or is placed ata much tie period. 
«« Mr. Pinkerton attempts to support this 
slight testimony by the authority of Euse~- 
bius, Epiphanius, and the Chronicon Pas- 
chale, who all say nothing on the existence 
of this great and early Scythian empire. 
Two of these writers, according to Mr. 
Pinkerton himself, only divide religious er 
rors into four periods, Lerkaceon before the 
flood ; after the flood Scythism, Hellenism, 
and Judaism; Epiphanius attributes the 
building of the tower of Babel, among 
others, to the Scythians, and Eusebius puts 
the Scythians as the immediate descendants 
of Noah, down to Serug, his fourth de- 
seendant, a period of 400 years. 
