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SERPENT-TEMPLES.

Among the interesting discoveries which re-sult from the theory of dracontia., is the viewwhich it developes of the origin of columnararchitecture. We admire the beauties and thegrandeur of the Parthenon : we gaze with rap-ture on the isolated pillars of exquisite work-manship, which standing upon the barren anddesolated plains of Greece or Asia Minor , fill usalternately with admiration of the art whichexecuted, and indignation at the barbarismwhich defaced them. But we little think thatin the rude and rugged columns of Abury, orCarnac, we see a prototype of the most admiredpillars of the most splendid temples of ancientGreece or Asia ! And yet there can be littledoubt but that such is the fact.

The temples of the sun at Palmyra andGeraza, both in the country formerly devotedto the worship of Oub, the serpent god of Ca-naan , are illustrations in point. An examina-tion of their columns, which supported no roofwill justify the inference that they were substi-tuted for those of some ancient dracontia occu-pying the same sites. The avenues of Palmyraparticularly illustrate this theory by their sinuouscourse, although sinuosity as we have beforeobserved, is not indispensably necessary to a dra-