1751. A further Account of STONEHENGE. this part confifts of 4 great pillars fuftaining 3 large blocks of stone. After paffing the middle aperture of this tetraftyle frontispiece, a few paces bring us to the greatest wonder of the whole work, and that is a block of stone of about 15 feet and an inch in length, lying edgewife upon a flat stone, almost funk into the ground, and fo exactly counterpoised as to be put in motion by the force of a man's hand. This racking-Alone appears to be Something beyond the center of the work, and the clear area in which we see it, and the ftone whereon it refts, is most apparently furrounded with the remains of two double rows, or curved lines of pillars; fome of which are standing, fome are leaning against others, and fome lie flat on the ground. A B The contiguous tones of Stonehenge appear in the midst of a fine flat area, which is almost furrounded with a double bank of earth feparated by a ditch; for thefe outworks are only difcontinued before the entrance into the fabrick. Two stone C pillars appear at the foot of the inner bank next the area in which the building stands; and these are answered by two fpherical pits at the foot of the fame bank; one with a fingle bank of earth about it, and the other with a double bank feparated by a ditch. The clear area round the body of the work is 89 feet in breadth; the fuperficial D content of it amounts to about an English acre and a quarter of land; and this is capable of containing 6000 people upon almost any publick occafion, as it will yield a fquare yard for each person to stand on. The upright ftones of Stonehenge are 76. Thofe that compofe the first line of pillars are of a light colour, and about 14 E feet high above the furface of the ground in fome parts of the work, in others about 13. The ftones that compofe the fecond line of pillars are of a dark colour, and of different altitudes, the highest being still 6 feet. The ftones that compofe the third line of pillars are of the fame light colour with those of the first line, and of different heights, fome being 16 feet and a half, others a foot more, and one about 12 feet high. The stones that compose the fourth line of pillars are of the fame dark colour with those of the fecond line, and, like them, are of different altitudes, one of the highest ftill rifing 8 feet. F The voids between the ftones that compofe part of the first row of pillars are co- G vered with great tranfom ftones bearing on the tops of the pillars on each tide these voids; and the voids between the ftones that compofe part of the third row, are overed in the fame manner. The stones October, 175, 465 thus borne up aloft by others are now 9 in number, 6 in the first row, and 3 in the third ; and thefe added to the abovementioned 76 make the ftones at this time in the body of the fabrick amount to 85. To which if we add the 4 detached itones, (fays Mr. Wood, from whom we extract this account) we shall have the compleat tale of all the ftones of Stonehenge, in defiance of the magical fpell that hath hitherto been imagined, by the vulgar, to render them untaleable. And yet Dr. Stukeley gives a different account of the number of thefe Rones. His words are as follow: "The great oval confifts of 10 uprights, the inner with the altar of 20, the great circle of 30, the inner of 40. (Tho' we must observe, that Mr. Wood denies any of the rows to be ovals, and fays they are all portions of the peripheries of concentrick circles.) 10, 20, 30, 40 together make 100 upright ftones. 5 Impofts of the great oval, 30 of the great circle, the 2 ftones standing upon the bank of the area, the ftone lying within the entrance of the area, and that ftanding without. There feems to have been another stone lying upon the ground by the vallum of the court, directly oppofite to the entrance of the avenue. added together make just 140 ftones, the number of which Stonehenge, a whole temple, is compofed. Behold the folution of the mighty problem, the magical fpell is broke, which has fo long perplexed the vulgar! They think it is an ominous thing to count the true number of the stones, and whoever does fo fhall certainly die after it. Thus the druids contented themselves to live in huts and caves, whilft they employed many thousands of men, a whole county, to labour at these publick structures dedicated to the Deity." All The ftones that compose this structure were fetched from Marlborough Downs, 15 or 16 miles cff; and their being conveyed fo far will not seem strange, when we confider, that, befides the engines which the Britons might then have, tho' now unknown to us, the author of the British hiftory declares, that 15,000 men were employed in this work. How ftupendous the publick buildings of the ancient Britons were, and how much above the ideas of mankind in general the performance of them was, feems every where to be handed down to the prefent age: Common tradition, and even history itself, making the devil, conjurers, or giants to be the artificers who performed them. The giants of old, the devil and Ambrofe Merlin, the conjurer, are feverally allowed a share in the works of Stonehenge; and the chief writers upon it make NAA the 466 TYPE, &c. of the LUNAR ECLIPSE. O&. the building either a temple facred to fome god or goddess, or a monument raised in honour of the dead. Mr. Wood afterwards fays, "That the ftones of Stonehenge were fet up for a temple is beyond all doubt; and that the ancient British druids were the founders of it, feems undeniable from this, that there A is no part of the work but what bears fome relation to the fyftem of religion and learning of thofe renowned priests (which they never committed to writing) infomuch that the whole edifice may be looked upon as an emblematical epitome of the greatest part of what our ancient priests of the oak held to be facred, and instructed their pupils in: It was, in effect, the Ambertbkend of the British druids, which, like the Ambertbkend of the Indian Hylobii, contained all their fecret doctrines." This he endeavours to fhew at large, after premifing, that the temple feems to have been dedicated principally to the moon, but fubordinately to the fun and fome of the elements. ATYPE of the moon's eclipfe on Thursday the 21ft of November, 1751, at night. The following numbers fhew the time that, at any place, will elapfe from the begin. ning of the eclipfe, till any number of digits, not exceeding the greateft, are obscured. Immersion. Emerfion. Hours Min. Mom. Digits 1751. REMARKS ON GOVERNMENT. grows up along with it, and at last deftroys it. The rectitude of that hiftorian's remark has been evinced in the ruin of many kingdoms and ftates of different conftitutions. The wife, in every age and nation, did always perceive the principle of deAtruction before it arrived at its full growth A and strength; but their forefight and admonitions were either made a jett of by the unthinking multitude, or themselves were filenced by authority; the indolence and ignorance of fome, the corruption of others, and the craft and power of great wicked men jointly confpiring to ruin the ftate. Among the modern forms of govern B C ment there is one which feems to be tot- Waving any farther application of my author's remark to foreign flates, let us look at home, and fee whether we are any way concerned in it. 467 things It only remains, that we watch vigilantly and ftrive manfully against the corruptions incident to human nature, and make fuch provifions and alterations, from time to time, as the nature of the cafe may require, without departing from the fpirit of the original plan. But in this we must not rely on human wit alone, or have refpect only to fuch temporal advantages, as by natural confequences feem attainable by worldly wisdom; if we do, we shall frequently be difappointed. The best way to keep things in right order bere, both in private and publick concerns, is to have a due regard to the state we expect hereafter. It is the confideration of this that gives light to the mind, and rectitude to the heart: It is this informs princes and teaches fenators wifdom: It is this will make them zealous to fupprefs vice, and restrain the licentiousness of the people, and alfo give the people integrity to fcorn the bribe, or courage and refolution enough to baffle any other attempts to deprive them of their rights and privileges. As every man, tho' never fo well educated, will gradually decline from the paths of virtue; unless he conftantly ftrives to improve, and diligently oppofes every inclination to vice; fo with focieties, the fame diligence is requifite to improve whatever is good in their conftitution, and the fame refolution to prevent the growth of Ꭰ any abufe or corruption that threatens their diffolution. As we are not in a flate of perfection here, no form of government of our invention can be perfect; therefore it is incumbent on us to have always an eye to its defects, and not fuffer any flaw to grow wide enough to let in a deluge upon us. F Our government is certainly a happy compofition; but, like all other human inftitutions, is not without a weak fide: It has a principle of ruin, a feed of deftruction, fown at the very instant of its formation, which has grown up with it, increased thro' various viciffitudes and al- G terations, and feems to be now arrived at maturity; and this ruinous principle is nothing else but the natural corruption of man. So far then our conftitution may be allowed to be as good as any inftitution can poffibly be in the prefent state of It is obferved by one of the greatc ftatesmen this island has produced, that England can never be undone but by a parliament; which I take leave to explain thus: That England can never be undone but by the people, fince the chufing of parliaments lies in them. We may, indeed, trace all the dirty artifices employed to feduce and corrupt them; but if they yield to the temptation, is not the fault their own? Is not their reafon given them to diftinguish between good and evil? And if they chufe the latter, may we not truly fay, that they have wilfully undone themfelves? Power is originally vested in them, and if they part with it for a mefs of pottage, their fate and their repentance will be like Efau's; they will feek the bleffing again with tears, but in vain; it is hedged in, and guarded by red-coats, never to be recovered more. I am, |