Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/89

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VIEW OF THE STATE OF IRELAND.
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and greatly altered the dialect thereof; but yet the originall words appeare to be the same, as who hath list to read in Camden and Buchanan, may see at large. Besides, there be many places, as havens, hills, townes, and castles, which yet beare the names from the Gaules, of the which Buchanan rehearseth above 500 in Scotland, and I can (I thinke) recount neere as many in Ireland which retaine the old denomination of the Gaules, as the Menapii, Cauci, Venti, and others; by all which and many other reasonable probabilities (which this short course will not suffer to be laid forth) it appeareth that the chiefe inhabitants in Ireland were Gaules, comming thither first out of Spaine, and after from besides Tanais, where the Gothes, the Hunnes, and the Getes sate down; they also being (as it is said of some) ancient Gaules; and lastly passing out of Gallia it selfe, from all the sea-coast of Belgia and Celtica, into al the southerne coasts of Ireland, which they possessed and inhabited, whereupon it is at this day, amongst the Irish a common use, to call any stranger inhabitant there amongst them, Gald, that is, descended from the Gaules.

Eudox. This is very likely, for even so did those Gaules anciently possesse all the southerne coasts of our Brittaine, which yet retaine their old names, as the Belgge in Somerset-shire, Wilshire, and part of Hamshire, Attrebatii in Berkeahire, Regni in