Stonehenge a temple restor'd to the British Druids / By William Stukeley, M.D.

  • William Stukeley
Date:
1740
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Stonehenge a temple restor'd to the British Druids / By William Stukeley, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    made after Stonehenge was built, is plain, becaufe the Hones that compofe the work, were brought from Marlborough downs in north Wiltjhirej beyond the dike; and as then in an enemy’s country. And moft probably it was built be¬ fore the Belgce let footing in Britain, becaule ot the great number of barrows or fepulchral tumuli about it, which, no doubt, were made for the burial of kings and great men. The Hones of which Stonehei2ge is compos’d, beyond any controverfy, came from thofe called the gray weathers, upon Marlborough downs near Abury; where is that other moH wonderfui work of this lort, which 1 Hiall defcribe in my next volume. This is 15 or 16 miles off. All the greater Hones are of that fort, except the altar, which is of a Hill harder, as defign’d to refiH fire. The pyramidals likewife are of a different fort, and much harder titan the reft, like thofe of that other Druid temple call’d the Weddings, at St ant on-drew in Somerfetjhire. Dr. Halley was at Stonehenge in the year 1720, and brought a piece of it to the R.oyal Society. I examin'd it with a microfcope. ’Tis a compofition of cryfials of red, green and white colours, cemented together by nature’s art, with opake granules of flint or flony matter. The Debtor ob- ferv’d from the general wear of the weather upon the Hones, that the work mull be of an extraordinary antiquity, and loi ou h he knew, 2 or 3000 years old. But had the Dobtor been at Abury, which is made of • \t fame Hones, he might well from the like argumentation conclude, that w ak as old again as Stonehenge, at leaH much older, and I verily believe it. Neve belch trie current of l'o ma¬ ny ages has been more merciful to Stonehenge, than tin; indolence of rapacious hands, (befides the general faccage brought upon ;t >rk of old) by the un¬ accountable folly of mankind, in breaking pieces ff with great hammers. This deteflable practice arofe from the filly notion ot , te Hones being factitious. But, alas! it would be a greater wonder to make them by art, than to carry them 16 miles by art and ffrength; and thofe people muff be inexcufable, that deface the monument for fo trifling a fancy. Another argument of vulgar incogitancy, is, that all the wonder of the work confifls, in the difficulty of counting the Hones ; and with that, the infinite numbers of daily vifitants bufy themfelves. This deems to be tbe remains of fuperfiition, and the notion of magic, not yet got out of peoples heads, fince Druid-times. But indeed a ferious view of this magnificent wonder, is apt to put a thinking and judicious perfon into a kind of ecfiacy, when he views the itruggle between art and na¬ ture, the grandeur of that art that hides itfelf, and deems unartful. For tho’ the contrivance that put this maffy frame together, muH have been exquifite, yet the founders endeavour’d to hide it, by the deeming rudenefs of the work. The bulk of the confiituent parts is fo very great, that the mortaifes and tenons muH have been prepar’d to an extreme nicety, and, like the fabric of Solo¬ mons temple, every Hone tally’d ; and neither axes nor hammers were heard upon the whole HruClure. Neverthelefs there is not a Hone at Stonehenge, that felt not, more or lefs, both ax and hammer of the founders. Yet ’tis highly entertaining to confider the judicious carelefnefs therein, really the grand guHo, like a great mafler in drawing, fecure of the effeft: a true mafler-piece. Every thing proper, bold, aHoniffiing. The lights and ffiades adapted with inconceivable juflnefs. .Notwithfianding the monHrous fize of the work, and every part of it; ’tis far from appearing heavy : ’tis compos’d of feveral fpecies of work, and the proportions of the diffimilar parts recommend the whole, and it pleafes like a magical fpell. No one thinks any part of it too great or too little, too high or too low. And we that can only view it in its ruins, the lefs regret thofe ruins, that, if poffible, add to its folemn majefly. The Hones of the gray weathers are of a baHard fort of white marble, and lie upon the furface of the ground, in infinite numbers, and of all dimenfions. They are loofe, detach’d from any rock, and doubtlefs lay there ever fince the creation. Being folid parts thrown out to the furface of the fluid globe, when C ' its
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