xxxviii PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. caufes by which this nation has been fo unexampledly traduced, and misrepresented to all Europe; but as our anuals, properly confidered, appear to me so highly interesting to letters, it seemed of the utmost confequence to remove the moft diftant appearance of doubt, as to their authenticity. And now for fome account of the present work. Though few people poffefs a greater affection and veneration for their native country, or have taken more pains to be early inftructed in its history and antiquities, than I have in these of mine, yet I little thought that this knowlege would one day or another engage me to draw my pen in its defence. So far from it, that I will ingenuously confefs, that my natural difpofition was totally averse to fuch pursuits; but, as the poet has it: "Si natura negat, facit indignatio verfus!" The duty I owed to MY MUCH NEGLECTED AND MUCH INJURED COUNTRY, fuperfeded every other confideration, and determined me to publish an Introduction to Irish History. This work met with a more favourable reception than I durft have flattered myself with, not only in Britain and Ireland, but on the Gontinent; and the Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Letres at Paris, have expreffed their approbation of it, in terms highly honourable to the author. author. Here I had refolved that my hiftorical refearches fhould end, but I found myfelf mistaken. Since that period other writings on the fame fubject appeared, in which ancient history, and modern hypothefis, are ftrangely affimilated. It appeared to me, that if fome generous attempt at a General History of Ireland was not speedily undertaken, the annals of our country, fo important to letters, would be loft for ever; as, at this day, few are found hardy enough to explore a fubject fo little countenanced and fo long neglected. But who bold enough to engage in fo arduous a task? That I have attempted; but could I have foreseen the tenth part of the labours and difficulties I had to encounter, in all probability it would never have appeared! In pursuing this work I have by no means considered myself intitled (as moft moderns have) to obtrude my own opinions in the teeth of antiquity, or to take infinitely more pains to contradict or explain away the sense of ancient authors, than to elucidate paffages, liable to doubts or difficulties, in them. It is for this reason that, in treating of the Irish colonies antecedent to the arri val of the Milefians, I have not once hinted that they were British emigrants, because my authorities affirm the contrary. This neceffarily led me into a defence of ancient history, and an enquiry into the state of ancient navigation. It is admitted, that in the fine arts, as well well as in most departments of fcience, the ancients, if they did not excel, at least equalled the most celebrated moderns. Not only facred, but early profane history, proclaims the ancient ftate of navigation and commerce; yet because it is not quite clear that they applied the ufe of the magnet to navigation, our moderns will allow them but coafting voyages! Hence the source of the modern fyftem of population, fo fubverfive of truth, and fo prejudicial to ancient hiftory! We have loft the art of making glafs malleable; and but lately the art of staining glafs has been revived, yet no one doubts the existence of both formerly. Printing, gunpowder, and the use of the magnet in navigation, are faid to have been known to the Chinese from the earliest periods, though to us modern discoveries; and as it is certain that many properties of the magnet were well underflood by the ancients, we fhould fuppofe that its property of pointing to the north could not be overlooked, word, we would look much more modeft and fenfible in endeavouring to illuftrate and defend ancient hiftorians (except in things impoffible or highly improbable) than in boldly contradicting (and that from reafons which probably then could not have exifted) what they have afferted for truths. And this enquiry has enabled me to throw fuller and clearer lights on the ancient British colonies, and their very early hiftory, than all the writers who have preceded me, united. I In a As As to the particular voyages of our early ancestors, fo carefully handed down from age to age, even to this day, there appeared to me nothing either improbable or impoffible in them. I carefully examined the mutilated accounts, left us in the early hiftories of the nations which they then paffed through, and have found new and unexpected lights thrown on them, and these have fupplied me with further proofs in defence of ancient hiftory. As to the domeftic part of our hiftory, I have left nothing uneffayed to gain every intelligence and every information on this head. Befides the numerous MSS. in my poffeffion, and copies of whatever had appeared in print on the fubject, I, both by letters to particulars, and by repeated advertisements in the Dublin papers, requested that fuch as were poffeffed of Irish MSS. would fend the titles of them to Meffrs. Bonfield and Young, merchants; and that fuch as were wanted, would be purchased, or ample fecurities given for their safe With concern I mention, that neither my private folicitations, nor these public applications, were attended with great fuccefs; but I am happy, on this occafion, to return public thanks to my gallant countryman, and learned friend, James Aylmer, Efq. colonel of the regiment of Ultonia, in the fervice of Spain, for feveral curious and interefting remarks. Gratitude. return. VOL. I. f alfo alfo calls upon me to acknowlege particular obligations to him, as he not only first recommended me to publish this work by fubfcription, but even procured for me above an hundred fubfcribers for it in Spain. To my learned friend Doctor Mac Kenna, titular bishop of Cloyne, and a fucceffor worthy the great Doctor O'Brien, I am indebted for a copy of the Leabhar-Lecan, faithfully transcribed from the original in the Irish college at Paris. Doctor O'Cullinan, a clergyman of great erudition, refiding at Mallow, has favoured me with a correct copy of the Reim-Rigra of Giolla-Caomhain, and of its continuation, by Giolla-Moduda. obliged to this gentleman alfo, for feveral interefting letters on Irish antiquities. As to the reft, whatever other MSS. are quoted in this work, are of my own procuring. I am In treating of every particular reign, I have examined whatever had been advanced by different writers, either in print or manufcript, on the subject. Even Routh, Ufher, Ward, Colgan, and other ecclefiaftical writers, were explored for information; and I have rejected whatever seemed improbable or ill-founded, Frequent mention is made, in early days of invafions from Africa, and of transactions between our ancestors and thefe people. As no other people of Africa but the Carthaginians, were a maritime or commercial people, I began |