Homer, would tempt one to pronounce it at once the happy ifland alluded to. Plutarch, in his life of Sertorius, throws new lights on this matter. This great commander, he tells us, determined to make it his retreat from the perfecution of his enemies ; and he describes fo exactly its foil and climate, and its diftance from Africa to be about 1 200 miles, that no other country could be found to answer the description, though M. Dacier, in his translation of this writer, affirms it to be Andalufia, and ON THE CONTINENT too! But left what is faid may not be thought fufficient to identify the place, Plutarch in an other work tells us, that this Ogygia, this famous Atalantic Ifle, is oppofite to the Celta, and but four days fale from Britain!

The country being thus I apprehend afcertained, we will by the help of our annals eafily diftinguish the history from the allegory, and from the fable. The hiftory comprehends a great fpace of time. It alludes to their first settlement in Egypt, and to their subsequent exploits in Greece and Africa, as we shall prefently fee. Neptune, who was fuppofed to prefide over the fea, was the father of Atlas; this laft, by his knowledge in aftronomy and invention of the fphere, greatly improved and extended navigation; hence the strength and power which commerce afford, are alluded to; hence, by way of pre-eminence in maritime affairs (which Tacitus many centuries after acknowledged), this country was called THE ATALANTIC ISLE!

After fuch proofs and fuch illuftrations of times fo extremely remote, will any candid man of letters deny the truth of our early records? will he any longer refufe us the use of letters, when it appears to demonftration, that the very father of letters, of arts, and of sciences was our great ancestor? will he deny us the early ufe of ships, when it becomes evident, that the first inventor of ships.

De Facie in Orbe Lunæ.

and

and of navigation were our great ancestors? But all these relations will acquire new dignity by pursuing these emigrants from their dereliction of Egypt, till their final fettlement in Ireland, which I fhall defcribe with the most exact fidelity from our annals; and then, as I have hitherto done, bring illustrations and proofs from the mutilated records of the different countries they paffed through. It is agreed upon in courts of juftice, that circumftantial evidences, and by parties no way connected with each other, ought to be preferred to pofitive facts; for in the first inftance no impofition can be intended. This furely ought to carry the greatest weight in hiftory, especially ancient history when fubject to the fmallest doubt.

CHA P. III.

Migration of the Gadelian colony to Crete—to Phœnicia—of the Syrens-land in Getulia-proceed to Galicia, and found the city Brigantium of Gollamh or Milefius, and his exploits in Phænicia and Egypt-of Heber and Heremon, and their refolution to quit Spain.

T

H E dereliction of Egypt by the Phænians, or pofterity of Gadel-glas, happening in the administration of Sru, we may fix it in the year of the world 2046, and tenth year of his reign. Sru and his fon Heber-Scot were the conductors of this colony, who the high-prieft was we are not told; but we fuppose it to have been the famous Cadmus, fo celebrated in Grecian history, and brother to Sru.

Crete at once yielded to them its fovereignty. It appeared to the old inhabitants a bleffing; for inftead of diftreffing and hunt

ing them down like wild beafts, they introduced amongst them the focial arts. They formed them into communities; they inftructed them in agriculture, in arts, and manufactures. Cadmus taught them letters, the knowledge of the Deity, the reverence due to him, and the duties they owed to each other, and to fociety. The Deity they worshipped in his attributes; and the fun, the moon, and the stars ranked foremost in their theology. The Curetes or warriors, inftructed them in feats of arms, and in the warlike dance. Virgil calls Crete ora Curetum-" Et tandem (fays he) antiquis Curetum allabimur oris." Should we suppose the name of Crete to have originated from these Curetes, as Virgil feems to hint, our language would wonderfully explain it. Curat is Irish for a knight; and the Curaithe na Croabh ruadh, or knights of the Red-branch, were an hereditary order of chivalry, which flourished through all periods of our history. The time which this colony fpent in Greece, it is agreed, was just fifty years; fo that according to our mode of calculation Sru died in Crete, A. M. 2071, and his fon Heber-Scot failed for Phoenicia, the feat of his ancestors, A. M. 2096. He was received with great affection by his kindred, and the Pfalter Cafhill affirms, that he died poffeffed of the fupreme command in Phoenicia, but was killed in battle by Naoine, of the pofterity of Neanuil, elde fon to Phænius.

Boamhain fucceeded his father Heber-Scot, A. M. 2106. Great conteft arofe between him and Naoine. War and peace fucceeded each other for a number of years; at length Boamhain fell by the sword, A. 2141. Oghamhain took command of the shattered forces and shattered fortune of his father, and by courage and perfeverance arrived at the fame degree of power. He alfo fell in battle, A. M. 2176, and fo gave way for his fon Tait. To him fucceeded Aghnoin, A. M. 2211. This prince in battle engaged hand to hand with Riffleoir, of the progeny of Neanuil,

and

and flew him. This fo inflamed the followers of his house, that they vowed a total extirpation to the progeny of Niul. Forfeeing the impoffibility of protecting themselves from the approaching storm, in a folemn council they agree to quit for ever this country of their ancestors, and having armed and fitted up their ships they proceeded to fea, A. 2240, under the command of Aghnoin, and his brother Heber prefided as high-priest. Aghnoin had three fons, Ealloid, Laimh-fionn, and Laimh-glas; and Heber had Caicer, and Cing.

For a confiderable time was this fleet toffed up and down; fometimes landing on fome ifland, and, after refreshing themselves and refitting their fhips, again proceeding to fea. During this period Aghnoin died, A. M. 2242, and was fucceeded by his eldest fon Lamh-fionn. Some time after they made for the island Carenia, being obliged fo to do by a violent ftorm. Here they repofed themselves for fifteen months, and in this interval died Heber the high-prieft, and Lamh-glas one of his nephews; and we are told were buried with great funeral pomp. His fon Caicer was appointed to fill his place, and having prepared every neceffary for a long voyage, and facrificed to the gods, particularly to Neptune, Caicer was confulted as to what the fates had decreed with respect to them, and whither they should direct their courfe? He answered they were to fteer to the weftward. That the land referved for their pofterity, was the most welern island in the world; but which neither they nor their iffue for fome generations were to poffefs. They, overawed by this prophecy directed their course to a country called in all our ancient MSS. Gaothlaigh-Mead honacha. But the voyage to this land we are told was very dangerous; firft on account of latent rocks; and after this, by reason of the enchanting notes of Syrens and Sea Nymphs, whose powers. of mufic were fo bewitching as to abforb all the faculties, and prevent the mariners from doing their duty, or keeping clear of

the

the currents which infenfibly brought them on thefe rocks. This is related in the Book of Conquefts, the Pfalter of Cafhill, and in the Irish original of Keating, though omitted in the English tranflation. To avoid these dangers, by the advice of Caicer, as foon as they approached these perilous feas, the ears of the crews of all the fleet were ftuffed with wax; by which means. they could the better attend to the means of avoiding these rocks and quick-fands. From this fimple relation it is evident they were near the Sicilian fhores. The fable of the Syrens is as old as hiftory, and is undoubtedly Phoenician; whether firft invented to deter other nations from failing through the Mediterranean, as they wished to monopolize the trade of all the world; or by way of caution to future mariners, in paffing through the ftreights of Meffina, or the Syrtes, I fhall not affirm. Certain it is that the early ancients looked upon this as a dangerous paffage, and it is fo deemed by fome at this day. Homer forgets not in his Odyffey to celebrate the addrefs of Ulyffes in avoiding these Syrens; who, if we may believe the poet, had power to stop fhips :

Monftra maris Sirenes erant quæ voce Canoræ

Quas libet admiffas detinuere rates.

And near this place it was that Juno prevailed on Æolus to raise that terrible tempeft against the Trojan fleet, which Virgil fo poetically describes in the first Æneid!

After clearing these dangerous feas, our colony landed fafely in Getulia, on the African coafts. They returned folemn thanks to the gods, and then proceeded to form a regular and permanent fettlement, to explore the country and its ancient refidents, and avail themselves of this knowledge. Lamh-fionn died advanced in years, and was fucceeded by his eldeft fon Heber, called Glun-fionn, or of the White-knee, A. M. 2281. Our annals

record