m ESSAY ON THE 



extent of these barriers. The Semnones, says he, had desolated the 

 coimtry all round their own, for the space of one hundred miles, which 

 .they kept in that state as a barrier. Their own country could not be less 

 than one hundred miles in diameter : and in that case, there was not 



room for two such tribes in Germany. 



The mode of life, manners and habits of those nations at an early 

 period, greatly facilitated these emigrations, which proceeded with great 

 expedition ; and when arrived at the place of destination, a new settle- 

 ment was not attended with so many difficulties, as it would be with 

 more civilized and polished tribes. 



Nothing but Gonje6lure has ever been advanced concerning the colo- 

 nization of the British Isles, The opinion of the monk of Cirencester 

 is a mere surmise ; ^md of course is of no weight, for he could not 

 have had more lights on this subje61:, than we have, I acknowledge that 

 he hsid the Roman itinerary ascribed to Antoninus, in a more perfeft 

 state, than we have it now; and we are much indebted to him for pre- 

 serving that part, which relates to Great-Britain : but I can never believe 

 that there ever were memoirs of a certain Roman general, containing any 

 thing about the first population, and settlement of the British Isles. It 

 was not customary among the K<>»2J?25 to notice such things: and these 

 boasted memoirs, are nothing more than the military roads through Bri^ 

 tain, which he has preserved, and which we had before, but in a more 

 Imperfe6l condition. Should it appear hereafter, that the Ph(racians 

 were Goths, or 'Sdcas, and that the island of Scheria is Britain, it may 

 settle nearly the time of the first emigration of the 'Sdcas and other Go-. 

 thick tfihes into the British Isles, The Paurdnics consider the Rdmacas 

 (Romaicoi in Greek) or Romans, znd the Tavanas,as tribes of the same 



