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of an unknown age when the Jewish historian calls them antediluvian.1

In treating separately of the various kinds of primitive stone monuments in Scotland, and in the Celtic countries of Western Europe, reference will be made to particular instances in the Hebrew records. This renders it unnecessary in this place to examine the general resemblance of memorials erected by Abraham and his descendants with those that are commonly, and may be correctly, called Druidical remains in Britain. This part of the subject has been fully treated of by a late writer, and touched on by many. I shall therefore pass to other evidences and arguments that prove the great antiquity of these monuments in various countries, more particularly in Britain and Caledonia.

The first circumstance that attracts notice is the fact, that notwithstanding these monuments existed in all parts of this country, and in some localities are still to be seen in great numbers, yet there is neither record nor rational tradition regarding the erection of any one of them. The same remark is applicable to similar remains in the Dekhan of India, on the northern coasts of Africa, and on the promontories of Armorica. In pointing to such monuments of forgotten ages an inhabitant of these countries only accounts for their erection by repeating legends all alike puerile, and only so far profitable as they show that the antiquity of the

1 Possibly such were the "stones of picture" referred to in Lev. xxxvi. 1.

2 Kitto, in his History of Pales

tine, had collected most of the facts then known on this point in his first volume, under two heads-viz. "Druidical" and "Stone."

WE NEW YORK
LIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX

TIL DEN FOUNDATIONS

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Stone. Avenues, Carnac, Brittary.

L: Colonel Forbea Leslie, Delt

Keith & Gibb lithog Aberdeen.

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relics lies beyond the reach of local tradition. Possibly also the similarity of these fabulous legends may be admitted as an argument that they, as well as the forms of the monuments, were derived from a common source.

On the plains of Central India you will be told that the groups of monoliths are men, their flocks and herds, which were changed into stone as a punishment for disrespect to a deity and disregard of his priesthood. In Northern Africa an assemblage of circular fanes is formed of stone pillars, which the inhabitants say were once giants. In Brittany the avenues of Carnac are said to be petrified battalions, and the detached menhirs to be the commanders of these heathen soldiers, who were thus transformed at the moment they were about to seize and put to death St. Cornily. By this miracle that devout Christian escaped from pagan violence, and remains the patron saint of the place. In Somersetshire the Druidical circles at Stanton-Drew are said to have been a bridal party turned into stones. In the neighbourhood of St. Clear, in Cornwall, remains of a similar kind are known by the name of the Hurlers, from the legend that the stones represent two parties who were transformed into pillars of stone when engaged in the game of hurling on some unlawful day. The circle called Dance Main, in the parish of Burian in Cornwall, is said to represent nineteen maidens1 who were transformed into stone for dancing on Sunday. Two larger stones on the outside are, by the same legend, declared to be

1 Whatever Dance is derived from, it may reasonably be assumed that

Main is from the Cornish and Breton word signifying stones.

pipers, who promoted the revelry and shared in the punishment.

These examples will probably be deemed more than sufficient to show that everywhere the monoliths of primitive. monuments are, in legendary lore, said to have been creatures endowed with life. There is another circumstance also that may be remarked-viz., that where these monuments exist there are legends more or less directly connecting them with giants, and with a race that were dwarfs in size and giants in strength. The ponderous materials of these monuments, and low stone cells formed of immense slabs, may sufficiently account for the legendary giants and dwarfs who were invented by those who no longer reared such monuments or had any recollection of the race to which they belonged.

In another chapter reasons are given for believing that a fragment from Hecatæus, preserved by Diodorus Siculus, carries us back to the fourth century before Christ; and then, not to record the erection of a great circular temple in Britain, but to testify that the fame of such an establishment had reached to the continent of Asia.

The next argument that may be adduced in proof of the antiquity of the Cyclopean fanes of Britain is, that the original and individual names of these places have in most cases passed into oblivion. Many of those that have Celtic names have evidently received them at a comparatively late period, being general and descriptive epithets, not local and individual names. Thus there are many places the Gaelic or British appellations of which are equivalent to The Circles-Circles-The

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