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cles are not always single, but sometimes consist of trilithonssometimes of kist-vaens. Such erections are found in variouslocalities, although more frequently in this country than else-where. Mention is made of them in the Sacred writings inmore than one instance: Moses is said to have erected analtar, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes ofIsrael, ere he ascended the mount to receive the law; he alsogives directions to the Israelites at a later period, that uponcrossing Jordan they should set up in mount Ebal greatstones, and plaster them with plaster, and especially ordersthat they should be whole stones, and unwrought; weaccordingly find Joshua setting up twelve stones in themidst of Jordan, and taking twelve further forward, andpitching them in Gilgal, as a memorial of the passage of theJordan ;—it is worthy of remark, that the word Gilgal signi-fies a wheel or circle, and doubtless the place was so namedfrom the circle of stones there set up. Such circles are foundlikewise in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland , inwhich last place they are termed Doom circles; they arespoken of by Clarke as existing in the Troad , and SirWilliam 0 nseley gives views and description of one to beseen in Persia ; but what is most remarkable, there existthree in America , one upon a high rock on the bank of theriver Winnipigon.

Such structures were unquestionably temples in which theDruidical services were performed, and not only so, but theyseem to have been the prototype of all heathen temples, forwe gather from authentic sources, that the most ancientheathen fanes were all open to the sky without roof of anykind. It is argued by some, that they were used merely forcivil purposes, or that some of them at least were exclusivelyso employed; that they were all so employed we donot for a moment doubt, but we contend that they were alllikewise employed for sacred purposes, indeed, the govern-ment of the people was so implicit with their religion, thatthe Druids were at one and the same time both priests andrulers.

The circles are supposed by some to have been closely con-nected with astrology, and indeed the agreement of thenumber and arrangement of the stones with the divisionsof the ancient cycles is remarkable, as will be seen byreferring to the tables of Dr. Stukeley, which are givenin the following page.

The most remarkable of the circular erections in GreatBritain are those of Stonehenge and Abury, both of whichare situate in the neighbourhood of Salisbury Plain. Theformer, about seven miles north of Salisbury, is approachedby a broad avenue protected on either side by a vallum, orlong mound of earth; this avenue leads into a large circularplatform three hundred feet in diameter, enclosed from thesurrounding plain by means of a vallum fifteen feet inheight, with a ditch on either side of it, and, as some sup-pose, by an inner circle of stones, some few having beenfound in immediate proximity to the outer circle. In theavenue, at a distance of about a hundred feet from the cir-cular ditch, is a large stone inclining towards you as youapproach, and a similar one in the ditch at the entrance.Passing onwards in a straight direction you approach a largenumber of stones composing the temple, more especially sotermed, which consists of an outer circle of stones four-teen feet in height, seventeen of which still remain, sixscattered in various parts of the circle, but eleven on thenorth-east side, at equal distances from each other, forminga continuous segment of a circle, thus demonstrating theform and position of the whole. This circle consistedoriginally of thirty stones, surmounted by a continuous impostof large flat stones, which were fitted on to the uprights by

mortise and tenon, and formed a complete and regular cird e ‘Within this enclosure is another of a similar figure, a!1eighty-three feet in diameter, composed of the same numberof stones, which however are of smaller dimensions anwithout imposts. Within this again were five separ» testructures, termed trilithons, each consisting of two larS estones surmounted with an impost, and having three smah estones a short distance in advance. These structures we resituate, one immediately opposite the avenue, and two °°each side of it, leaving an unoccupied space for an entrance-The larger upright stones were more lofty than any of 4 ^others, one of them measuring upwards of twenty-one a na half feet in height; thus overtopping all the outer circ )e ■In front of the central trilithon, is placed, by Stukeley, a (flat stone, supposed to be the altar. The avenue notice 14 ^the commencement of this description is continued in a nor

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easterly direction for a distance of about a third ofwhere it separates into two branches, the one leadingward between two rows of barrows, the other in the opp oi ^direction for more than a mile and a half to a spot calledcursus, which is a flat tract of land, bounded on each 91 ^by banks and ditches, and at its extremities by barro"’ 3tumuli.

The erection at Abury, although of more rude constrtion than Stonehenge , is of more stupendous dimensm”’ 3 ’few of the stones remain at the present day, great nu®b.®having been employed in the erection of the neighbour* ®town, yet we have accounts of many which existed at a Pvious period, with the aid of which, and of his own «xp? jenced judgment, Dr. Stukeley made out a plan of the orig 1 *^structure entire. It consisted of a large circular enc oS e8 tof more than twenty-eight acres, surrounded with avallum and ditch, the inner slope of the former m easl1 n deighty feet, its circumference at the apex being four thoufour hundred and forty-two feet. On the inner side ° t ( j r edditch, and close upon its bank, was a circle thirteen h u ® e jfeet in diameter, composed of one hundred immense 9of an average height of seventeen feet, and placed a L^,]iintance of about twenty-seven feet from each other. ’’ g jjethis outer circle were two smaller ones, situate side b^

on a diameter running from north-west to south-east,

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more northerly of which some stones of great size ar ® 0 istanding. These circles consist of two concentric r° tf8 lstone, within which, in the southern circle, was a ce i toobelisk, towards which, it is said, the worshippers uturn during the celebration of the rites, and in the ^position, on the northern circle, a structure termed a ^ jtconsisting of three large stones placed towards each °an obtuse angle. The distance of the centres of the £ gC t,and south circles is given at five hundred and eightee ^ gtland the distances of their circumferences at eighty- 91 j r edthus determining the length of the diameters, four hand thirty-two feet. These admeasurements, howevefi^ifbe received with some reserve, as the remains were s0 .^ 0 {i o*at the time they were taken, as to leave the exact P oS1 jjitJ"'the circles or their centres a matter of great uncOf this structure, which it is calculated could o °^[o^boast in all of more than six hundred stones, but fewremain, the rest having been employed either in jfS

of the town of the same name, which stands wiboundaries, or in constructing and repairing its roa

From two entrances on the southern side of tbe ^ e o>circle, extend two avenues, each formed by a d° u b ® 0^

upright stones, and of more than a mile in ^ en ? t g'adtl 1of them running in a south-easterly direction, the d ,jiw

which averages fifty feet, led to an elliptical piece ° pion the top of a hill called the Hackpen, enclosed w*