many, Scandinavia, Britain, and Spain, who were all included by the ancients under the general name of Hyperboreans, Scythians, and Celts, being all originally of one race and nation, and having all the same common language, religion, laws, customs, and manners.
This is the position which these Writers have adopted and maintained, with an uncommon display of deep erudition, and a great variety of specious arguments. But that their position, so far as relates to the Celts, is erroneous, and the arguments that support it inconclusive, will appear, if it can be shown, That ancient Germany, Scandinavia, Gaul, and Britain were not inhabited by the descendants of one single race; but on the contrary, divided between two very different people; the one of whom we shall call, with most of the Roman authors, Celtic, who were the ancestors of the Gauls, Britons, and Irish; the other Gothic or Teutonic, from whom the Germans, Belgians, Saxons, and Scandinavians derived their origin; and that these were ab origine two distinct people, very unlike in their manners, customs, religion, and laws.
As to the Arguments by which Cluverius and
Pelloutier support their hypothesis that the Gothic and
Celtic nations were the same, they may all be reduced
to Two Heads; viz. either to Quotations from the
ancient Greek and Roman writers; or to
Etymologies of the names of persons or places, &c.
With regard to the latter, (viz. Etymologies)
these two writers lay it down that the present German
or High Dutch is a genuine daughter of the ancient
Celtic or Gaulish language[1]; because, from it they
can explain the Etymology of innumerable names that
were well known to be Gaulish or Celtic[2]; and
this being admitted, it must follow that the Germans
