of Caledonia, the Attacotti, [116] the enemies, and
afterwards the soldiers, of Valentinian, are accused, by an eye-witness,
of delighting in the taste of human flesh. When they hunted the woods
for prey, it is said, that they attacked the shepherd rather than his
flock; and that they curiously selected the most delicate and brawny
parts, both of males and females, which they prepared for their horrid
repasts. [117] If, in the neighborhood of the commercial and literary
town of Glasgow, a race of cannibals has really existed, we may
contemplate, in the period of the Scottish history, the opposite
extremes of savage and civilized life. Such reflections tend to enlarge
the circle of our ideas; and to encourage the pleasing hope, that
New Zealand may produce, in some future age, the Hume of the Southern
Hemisphere.

[Footnote 112: Hyeme tumentes ac saevientes undas calcastis Oceani
sub remis vestris;... insperatam imperatoris faciem Britannus expavit.
Julius Fermicus Maternus de Errore Profan. Relig. p. 464. edit. Gronov.
ad calcem Minuc. Fael. See Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p.
336.)]

[Footnote 113: Libanius, Orat. Parent. c. xxxix. p. 264. This curious
passage has escaped the diligence of our British antiquaries.]

[Footnote 114: The Caledonians praised and coveted the gold, the steeds,
the lights, &c., of the stranger. See Dr. Blair's Dissertation on
Ossian, vol ii. p. 343; and Mr. Macpherson's Introduction, p. 242-286.]

[Footnote 115: Lord Lyttelton has circumstantially related, (History
of Henry II. vol. i. p. 182,) and Sir David Dalrymple has slightly
mentioned, (Annals of Scotland, vol. i. p. 69,) a barbarous inroad of
the Scots, at a time (A.D. 1137) when law, religion, and society must
have softened their primitive manners.]

[Footnote 116: Attacotti bellicosa hominum natio. Ammian. xxvii. 8.
Camden (Introduct. p. clii.) has restored their true name in the text
of Jerom. The bands of Attacotti, which Jerom had seen in Gaul, were
afterwards stationed in Italy and Illyricum, (Notitia, S. viii. xxxix.
xl.)]

[Footnote 117: Cum ipse adolescentulus in Gallia viderim Attacottos (or
Scotos) gentem Britannicam humanis vesci carnibus; et cum per silvas
porcorum greges, et armentorum percudumque reperiant, pastorum nates
et feminarum papillas solere abscindere; et has solas ciborum delicias
arbitrari. Such is the evidence of Jerom, (tom. ii. p. 75,) whose
veracity I find no reason to question. * Note: