they were placed as memorials recording different events, such as remarkable instances of God's mercies, contracts, singular victories, boundaries, and sometimes sepulchres: various instances of these monuments, erected by the patriarchs, occur in the Old Testament. Such was that raised by Jacob at Luz, afterward by him named Bethel; such also was the pillar placed by him over the grave of Rachel. They were likewise marks of execrations and magical talismans. CARNES. Carnes, or Carneds, were commonly situated on eminences, so that they might be visible one from the other; they are formed of stones of all dimensions, thrown together in a conical form, a flat stone crowning the apex; the ramp or ascent is generally pretty easy, though Toland supposes the druids ascended them by means of ladders. Carnes are of different sizes, some of them containing at least an hundred cart loads of stones. According to the writer above cited, fires were kindled on the tops or flat stones, at certain times of the year, particularly on the eves of the first of May and the first of November, for the purpose of sacrificing, at which time all the people having extinguished their domestic hearths, rekindled them from the sacred fires of the carnes. Mr. Rowland, in his Mona Antiqua, supposes the smaller carnedes to be sepulchral monuments, formed with stones thrown on the grave by the friends of the deceased, not only with an intent to mark the place of their interment, but also to protect their corpses from wild beasts and other injuries, but allows the larger monuments of this kind, particularly where accompanied by standing pillars of stone, to have been erected as marks of sacrifices or some religious ceremony, such as the solemn convention recorded by Moses to have been made between Jacob and Laban. KIST VAENS. Kist vaens, that is, stone chests, commonly consist of four flags or thin stones, two of which are set up edgewise, nearly parallel; a third, shorter than the other two, is placed at right angles to them, thus forming the sides, and closing the end of the chest: the fourth, laid flat on the top, makes the lid or cover, which, on account of the inequality of its supporters, inclines to the horizon at the closed end. Mr. Toland supposes Kist vaens to have been altars for sacrifice, most of them having originally belonged to a circle or temple; the inclination of the covering he imagines to have been intended to facilitate the draining of the blood from the victim into the holy vessel placed to receive it: he denies their having been places of burial, saying the bones frequently found near them were the remains of the victims. These monuments are in the islands of Guernsey and Jersey still called autels, or altars; and poquelays, i.e. a heap of stones. Mr. Borlace, in his History of Cornwall, combats the notion of their being altars for sacrifice, and, on the contrary, judges them to be sepulchral monuments, and, in support of his opinion, urges several reasons. Rowland takes the middle between both, saying, "there being sepulchral monuments, I deny not, but there may be some appearance of truth, yet consistent enough of what I have said of them, for they may be both sepulchres and altars in a different sense, I mean those of latter erection, because when the great men of the first ages fell, who were eminent among the people for some extraordinary qualities and virtues, their enamoured posterity continued their veneration of them to their very graves, over which they probably erected some of these altars or cromlechs, on which, when the true religion became depraved and corrupted, they might make oblations and other sacrifices to their departed ghosts. THE CROMLEH. The cromlech, or cromleh, chiefly differs from the Kist vaen, in not being closed up at the end and sides; that is, in not so much partaking of the chest like figure; it is also generally of larger dimensions, and sometimes consists of a greater number of stones: the terms cromleh and Kist vaen are however indiscriminately used for the same monument. The term cromlech is derived from the armoric word crum, crooked or bowing, and leh, stone, alluding to the reverence which persons paid to them by bowing. Rowland derives it from the Hebrew words, signifying a devoted or consecrated stone. CIRCLES, OVALS, &C. These, it is now generally agreed, were temples, and many writers think also places of solemn assemblies for councils or elections, and seats of judgment. Mr. Borlace is of this opinion; "instead, therefore," says he, "of detaining the reader with a dispute, whether they were places of worship or council, it may with great probability be asserted, that they were used for both purposes, and having for the most part been first dedicated to religion, naturally became afterward the curia and fora of the same community." These temples, though generally circular, occasionally differ as well in figure as magnitude; with relation to the first, the most simple were composed of one circle: Stonehenge consisted of two circles and two ovals, respectively concentric, whilst that at Bottalch, near St.Just, in Cornwall, is formed by four intersecting circles. And the great temple at Abiry, in Wiltshire, it is said, described the figure of a seraph, or fiery flying serpent, represented by circles and right lines. Some, besides circles, have avenues of stone pillars. Most, if not all of them, have pillars or altars within their penetralia or centre. In the article of magnitude and number of stones, there is the greatest variety. Some circles being only twelve feet diameter, and formed only of twelve stones, whilst others, such as Stonehenge and Abury, contained, the first one hundred and forty, and the second six hundred and fifty-two, and occupied many acres of ground. EXPLANATIONS OF THE SUBJECTS ON THE PLATE. Fig. A. is a simple stone, of sufficient magnitude not to be overlooked, erected in some conspicuous situation, as a mark, or token, or memorial of some transaction, &c. I apprehend, such a stone is called in Hebrew naYD MITJРен. So we read, Gen. xxviii. 18. "Jacob took the stone which had served him for a pillow, or shelter for his head during the night, and set up, лN AT, that very stone, for a mitjpeh or pillar, and poured oil on the head of it," so that it was a single stone certainly. It should appear from chap. xxxv. 7. that Jacob afterward proceeded to augment, as it were, the consecration of this place, in a manner yet more solemn, for he built an altar there, or at least a sacrificatory; and, verse 14. Jacob set up a pillar, even a pillar of a stone, i.e. a large stone, or several stones, perhaps, in union, for a memorial. It should seem that, in after ages, the veneration of the people, his descendants, for these pillars, and for others of the same nature, led to a prohibition of them; for so we read, Levit. xxvi. 1. "You shall make no alilim, nor pesil, nor mitjbeh; nor shall you erect to yourselves a stone of observation, i.e, an observable stone, in your land, to bow down to it." Now this bowing down, I suppose, was of the nature of the worship paid in the high places, of which we read so often in S.S. and of which the principle appears so late as the discourse of the woman of Samaria, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain:" and, indeed, this veneration, as we learn from Mr. Grose, is not wholly extinct at this day, even in Britain. We read, Josh. xxiv. 26. that "Joshua took a great stone, and set it up in Shechem, under, л, THE oak which was, , IN the sanctuary of the Lord;" and said, "this stone shall be a witness," &c. it will follow, therefore, that Joshua did not understand the precept in Leviticus as prohibiting national memorials, but as prohibiting idolatry; against which he concluded he had guarded sufficiently by erecting this stone in a place already dedicated to the worship of Jehovah. We read also, 1 Sam. vi. 18. of a great stone, Abel, which seems to have been a proper place for sacrificing. Samuel also, as we read in the next chapter, erected" Eben-Ezer," the stone of help, as a memorial of national mercy and deliverance. This prophet, therefore, understood the prohibition formerly given only in reference to the abuse of such memorials. Mr. Grose, as we have seen, describes Kist vaens and cromlechs as nearly similar; and Rowland derives the latter from Hebrew words, signifying a consecrated stone. I am not certain whether any difference be meant by a distinction between the Hebrew П мiтJPен, and na, na, мiтJвен, MITJBIT; but if there be, then perhaps mitjpeh implies a single stone, a pillar only; and mitjbit may mean a cavity of stones, or stones so placed as to be a kind of house within; or, at least, several stones, as it seems to have a plural termination. If so, may this be the Kist vaen, or cromlech, which has some similitude to a house? at least it is a construction of stones; might such be the tumulus which Jacob erected over the grave of his beloved and honoured Rachel? Gen. xxxv. 20. Rachel died;" and Jacob set up a metjbeh, by, OVER her sepulchre, or grave. This is the metjbit [Kist vaen, or cromlech?] of Rachel's grave to this day:" i.e. Jacob formed a mound of earth, over the place where Rachel was buried; [this mound was the taphos of the Greeks ;] in this mound he cased a grave with stones, and laid a stone of the greatest magnitude he could procure, over the top of them. Or, did any tall pillar rise above this ground? which consequently was visible from a much greater distance. We have instances of such erections in Homer. In our Plate, fig. B. and C. are cromlechs; the first stands near Dundalk, in Ireland: the second near Plaisnewdd, in Anglesea. Fig. D. are Kist vaen ; that these are sepulchral seems to be effectively shewn in Mr. Grose's extracts: but Mr. King, in his "Munimenta Antiqua," considers these also as altars; and thinks that human sacrifices were publicly offered upon them an idea which ought not to be adopted till after adequate examination, as the number of these cromlechs, yet extant, would imply a very great waste of human blood; moreover, how many similar edifices are destroyed, of which nothing has been known in later ages! E. is a Carne or Carnedd; in fact, a mound or hill of stones. I would observe, 1st, that this word is undoubtedly from the Hebrew p keren, or kern, which is usually rendered horn: 'but which very properly, as this example justifies, is rendered by our translators, Isai. v. 1. "my beloved hath a vineyard on a very fruitful hill;" Hebrew, a horn, the son of oil; i.e. such a carn or kern, as rises into the shape of a hill, like our figure. 2dly, That as such collections of stones have very much the air of haste and hurry, it is probable, that not altogether unlike this was "the heap of witness" of Jacob and Laban, Gen. xxxi. "And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a mitjbeh; and Jacob said to his brethren, “gather stones," and they gathered stones, and they made CHAP. 111. 9.] INQUIRIES AND DISCUSSIONS. GaL, a circle, or round heap, as our translators suppose, and called it iegar sahadutha, or gal-od: the heap, or round, of witness, also mitjpeh; saying, "the Lord, itjpeh, witness between me and thee." However, this is not meant to deny that they might take more time, and form a fairer circle of stones, of any convenient dimensions, like fig. F. and this circle might surround such a pillar; for they seem to be distinguished, "this circle be witness, and this pillar be witness:" or, the pillar might be in front, &c. of such a heap or carn. In further reference to fig. E. we may remark, that assuredly it was customary to commemorate sinister events, occasioned by transgression, by raising a heap of stones over the burial place of the party who had transgressed. So when Israel buried Achan, Josh. vii. 26. "They raised over him a great heap of The same over stones," which endured for ages. the king of Ai, Josh. viii. 29. and the same in the instance of Absalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 17. "a very great Now these must have been more heap of stones." or less of the nature of our figure; and that such collections were well calculated for preserving the memory of events, appears by the existence of such memorials, from the remotest ages to this day, in our own country. Nothing of any further pillar, mitjpeh, or memorial, is added to these tumuli, as I perceive. When the reader has considered fig. F, G. on our Plate, I would ask, whether they may not give us an idea of the place, &c. named Gilgal, in the old Testament; for we read, Josh. iv. 5. that twelve great stones were taken from the midst of Jordan, to be a sign, when their children should ask in time to come; and, verse 20. those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in circle circle: gilgal. We have seen in Mr. Grose, that sometimes the druidical circles were single, sometimes they were more than one, concentric, sometimes otherwise; at any rate, those stones pitched by Joshua formed a circle, and by attending to the history of this circle, we find it afterward became a place of veneration and consequence. We find also, chap. v. 9. another reason added for the name Gilgal, which is not inconsistent with the former account; for the Rabbins tell us, that the foreskins of the people formed two little bills, smaller no doubt, but in form like fig. E. these were round round; i.e. gal-gal; and thus the name might imply, 1st, A circle of stones; and, 2dly, A, round heap of foreskins; i.e. circle upon circle. The druidical circles were certainly temples, or answered the purposes of temples; let us transfer this idea, with that of their proper attendants, to Gilgal. We shall consider a few passages. Judg. ii. 1. "And a messenger, margin, of the Lord came up from Gilgal," where was a station of priests, prophets, &c. to reprove the people. And this suggests very different ideas on the behaviour of Ehud, Judg. iii. 19. who offered his present to the king of Moab, and then sent away his people who had brought it; but himself returned, to the royal presence, suppose, [or shall we take the word in the Chaldee sense of it? but he himself resumed his speech relating to] i.e. pretending to have been lately at the pesilim, cuttings, carvings, which are л AT, the very gil-gal, circles. Here, I presume, the word pesilim denotes the stones themselves, and gilgal denotes the figure in which they were placed; ie. circularly. Now, as Ehud pretended to have a message from God, which he had received at this place, the king could not have credited this pretence, had not some establishment, capable of furnishing an oracle, been very well known to exist there: consequently, the very pretence implies a sacred station. A correspondent dignity is indicated in the circuits of Samuel, 1 Sam. vii. 16. He went yearly to Bethel, where we know was a place of sacred stones; to Gilgal, where was another place of sacred stones; and to Mispeh, where, as the very name implies, was a pillar of commemoration. Vide also 1 Sam. x. 17. 2 Macc. iii; Judg. xx. These Samuel chose for his stations of justice; surely for reasons arising from the nature of the places, and from ideas connected with them by the people at large, which should induce their resort to their principal magistrate, at such courts of adjudication. Gilgal was also a place fit for the offering of burnt offerings, peace offerings, &c. for such is implied in the promise of Samuel to Saul, 1 Sam. x. 8. The people also transacted civil business at Gilgal; for so we read, 1 Sam. xi. 15. "the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king, before the Lord in Gilgal;" the very Stonehenge of the Hebrew nation! See also, 1 Sam. xiii. 7, &c. xv. 33. Observe the same veneration for Gilgal, in the return of David, 2 Sam. xix. 15, 40. "Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king;" "the That a college of priests king went on to Gilgal.' and prophets existed at Gilgal, is clear, from 2 Kings, ii. 1. Elisha went with Elijah from Gilgal, which should seem to have been his customary residence. On the whole, when we recollect that the druid ical circles of stones were temples; that the greatest druidical circle of stones, in our island, was the place of assembly for the whole people, as it were; that here were solemn compacts made, solemn treaties ratified, and national faith pledged, to say nothing of the administration of public justice, and the arrangement of general contributions, &c. we can scarcely deny a very striking resemblance to some of those ideas which prevailed among the Hebrews in their early commonwealth; and which their greatest prophets and magistrates were far from reproving, but rather countenanced and supported. When we consider also the lesser erections of stones, their masses, their forms, their application, which appear most clearly in the earliest Scripture ages, we can hardly forbear from acknowledging a striking similitude between the remote islands of the West, and the patri archs of Palestine in the East. The sons of Japheth undeniably drew many of their institutions from the same sources as the more favoured sons of Shem; and these similitudes contribute to demonstrate, that "God has made of one blood all nations of men," and that "as face answereth to face in water, so does the heart, the customs, the manners, the civil usages, and the religious rites, of man to man." Our upper figure is thus described by Mr. Grose, Antiq. vol. viii. DRUIDICAL TEMPLE IN THE ISLAND OF JERSEY. This temple is situated on the top of a pretty high rocky hill, near the town of St. Helier. It was covered with earth, perhaps done by the druids to secure it from profanation by the Romans; in that state it had much the appearance of a large barrow or tumulus. It continued thus hidden till the colonel of the St. Helier militia, procuring the ground to be levelled for the more convenient exercise of his corps, the workmen discovered and cleared it. An exact model of this curious piece of antiquity was made on the spot, and sent to general Conway, governor of the island, from which, by the favour of the Hon. Horace Walpole, these drawings were made. There was no scale to this model, neither were the cardinal points of the compass marked; but from an account and plan communicated to the antiquarian society, the whole seems to have been of very small dimensions; this temple itself, compared to many structures of the same kind, being very little more than a model. Many other druidical monuments have been discovered here, and in the neighbouring islands of Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark; but most of them have been pulled down, and used for building or repairing fences; this however proves that none of them were very large. This temple consisted of a circle of about twenty feet diameter, formed by rude unhewn stones set upright; and, when entire, had within it six cells covered at the top, and open inward toward its centre, called cromlehs; the area of the largest of these was about four feet three inches square, its height three feet seven inches; another of less area measures four feet in height: one of these cells on the northeast side, has been demolished; whether by the workmen in the discovery, or otherwise, is not certain. To this circle, on the southeast side, is attached a covered entrance, the uprights composed of many rough stones set parallel to the diameter, and covered at the top by four equally irregular; this passage measures on the inside about fifteen feet in depth, five feet three inches in breadth, and four feet four inches in height. About five or six feet southeast of the entrance, is a single stone that seemingly belonged to the temple. This view shews the western side of the circle looking toward the inward opening of the covered passage or entry. It was drawn in 1786. ON THE IMAGE AND CHARACTER OF DAGON. 1 SAMUEL, V. DAGON employed our researches formerly, not less as leading to the signification of the words which compose his name, than as being a deity particularized in Scripture, 1 Sam. v. and we find Dagon mentioned again in the translation of the LXX, Isai. xlvi. 1. where the Hebrew reads Nebo. As the substitution of this name can hardly be accidental, there must have been some co-relation between the deities Nebo and Dagon, which induced those translators to signify one by the other. We have remarked, on Baal and Moloch, plate, that Nebo was another description of Baal; and was, occasionally, either a male or a female deity. We also observed formerly of Dagon, that he was a god or goddess, Derketos, under' the same emblematical representation, but differing The LXX therefore have not deviated from the deity meant by the prophet, when, instead of describing him under one of his characters, they alluded to another, which equally belongs to him. in sex. We formerly considered Dagon as an allegorical representation of the great patriarch Noah: under which character we shall proceed to give a history of him, quoting at length those passages which we only abridged before. The following is from Syncellus. "The first year there came up, according to Berosus, from the waters of the Red Sea [the Indian Ocean] and appeared on the shore contiguous to Babylonia, a creature void of reason [this is a palpable error, as the whole history shews; therefore for (wor apevov, read wov Evopov, a creature truly wise] named Oannes ; and as Apollodorus reports, having the whole body of a fish; above the head of this fish rose another head, of a man; he had human feet, or legs, which came out from each of the two sides of the tail: he had also human voice and language. They still preserve at Babylon, says Berosus, his resemblance painted. This creature remained sometime, during the day, among the natives, without taking any nourishment, and conversed with them from time to time: he taught them letters and learning; shewed them the arts of life; taught them to build cities; to raise temples to the Deity; to institute laws; to study geometry; the various manners [and seasons] of committing to the earth the seeds of fruits, and of gathering their productions: and generally, whatever conduces to soften and to polish the manners of mankind. Since this period nothing more has been heard of |