& TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 313 



unlefs they all came over to a man, and 

 brought with them all their books, and 

 tombftones too, for in all Germany 

 there is no fuch character to be heard 

 of. 



That they invented them after they 

 came over into Britain, is utterly impro- 

 bable, fince there was the Roman cha- 

 racter through all Britain, ready to their 

 hands, and in common ufe, not to fay 

 any thing of the other, the Britifh cha- 

 racter. The Irifh hiftori'ans fay, that 

 they borrowed them from that country : 



it is probable that the Irifh poflefled 



X 



them in common with the Britons, as 



the chief part of their language was 

 the fame, and as they have to this day 

 retained both the character and lan- 

 guage. But what need was there for the 

 Saxons to go over to Ireland, to borrow 

 what they had in their own Illand, and 

 neighbourhood ? 



That 



