“This island at present, following the number of the books in which
the Divine law was written, contains five nations, the English,
Britons, Scots, Picts, and Latins, each in its own peculiar dialect
cultivating the sublime study of Divine truth. The Latin tongue is,
by the study of the Scriptures, become common to all the rest. At
first this island had no other inhabitants but the Britons, from
whom it derived its name, and who coming over into Britain, as is
reported, from Armorica, possessed themselves of the southern parts
thereof. When they, beginning at the south, had made themselves
master of the greatest part of the island, it happened, that the
nation of the Picts coming into the ocean from Scythia, as is
reported, in a few tall ships, were driven by the winds beyond the
shores of Britain and arrived off Ireland, on the northern coasts,
where, finding the nation of the Scots, they requested to be allowed
to settle among them, but could not succeed in obtaining their
request. The Scots answered, that the island could not contain them
both; but ‘we can give you good advice,’ said they, ‘what to do; we
know there is another island, not far from ours, to the eastward,
which we often see at a distance, when the days are clear. If you
will repair thither, you may be able to obtain settlements; or if
they should oppose you, you may make use of us as auxiliaries.’
The Picts accordingly sailing over into Britain, began to inhabit
the northern parts thereof, for the Britons were possessed of the
southern. Now the Picts having no wives, and asking them of the
Scots, they would not consent to grant them upon any other terms,
than that when any difficulty should arise, they should rather choose
themselves a king from the female royal race than from the male;
which custom, as is well known, has been observed among the Picts
to this day. In process of time, Britain, besides the Britons and
the Picts, received a third nation, the Scots, who, departing out of
Ireland under their leader Reuda, either by fair means, or by force
of arms, secured to themselves those settlements among the Picts
which they still possess. From the name of their commander, they are
to this day called Dalreudins; for in their language _Dal_ signifies
a part.... It is properly the country of the Scots, who, migrating
from thence, as has been said, added a third nation in Britain to the
Britons and the Picts. There is a very large gulf of the sea, which
formerly divided the nation of the Picts from the Britons; which gulf
runs from the west very far into the land, where, to this day, stands
the strong city of the Britons, called Alcluith. The Scots arriving
on the north side of this bay, settled themselves there.”[48]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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