"Ego facilius crediderim, naturam margaritis deesse quam nobis avaritiam."] [Footnote 7: Claudius, Nero, and Domitian.

A hope is expressed by Pomponius Mela, l.iii.c.6, (he wrote under Claudius,) that, by the success of the Roman arms, the island and its savage inhabitants would soon be better known.

It is amusing enough to peruse such passages in the midst of London.] [Footnote 8: See the admirable abridgment given by Tacitus, in the life of Agricola, and copiously, though perhaps not completely, illustrated by our own antiquarians, Camden and Horsley.] [Footnote 9: The Irish writers, jealous of their national honor, are extremely provoked on this occasion, both with Tacitus and with Agricola.] But the superior merit of Agricola soon occasioned his removal from the government of Britain; and forever disappointed this rational, though extensive scheme of conquest.

Before his departure, the prudent general had provided for security as well as for dominion.

He had observed, that the island is almost divided into two unequal parts by the opposite gulfs, or, as they are now called, the Friths of Scotland.