The originall Inscription I could not procure; such relation thereof neverthelesse as came to my hands, I have, upon credit of those persons of quality from whom received, inserted it here.R. G. A. C.600.The bones within which Sepulchre were all firm, fair yellow coloured hair about the scull, a supposed peece of the liver, near upon the bignesse of a walnut, very dry and hard, and together therewith, were found severall royall habiliments, as jewels, veils, scarfs, and the like, retaining even till then, their proper colours. All which were afterwards, very choicely kept, in the collection of the Right honourableEdward, then Earl ofHertford: and of the aforesaid gold divers rings were made and worn by his Lordships principall Officers. Concerning which Tomb (though I list not dispute) why might it not be the Sepulchre of QueenGuinever, wife of KingArthur; especially the LettersR G.as much to say,Regina Guinevera, declaring her title and name; and the dateAn. Chr.600. (if truly copied) agreeing (possibly well enough) with the time of her death? Besides,Leylandaffirms,Leyl. de assert. Arth.severall Writers make mention, she tookupon her a Nuns veil atAmbresbury,died, and was buried there. To which he gives so much credit, that (whateverGiraldus Cambrensisdelivers to the contrary) he will by no means allow, either her body to be afterwards translated fromAmbresbury, or, at any time, buried by her husband KingArthuratGlastonbury. UntoLeylandsreasons for her interment atAmbresbury,Camden(it seems) inclines also, because wholly silent of her Sepulchre, discovered any where else: though he at large sets down all the circumstances of her Husbands body, its being found atGlastenbury. For, hadCamdenapprehended any thing inducing him to beleeve,her body had been together with his there found, he would never, certainly, have concealed it from posterity.Whether the aforesaid Tomb so found, were her monument, yea or no, enough concerning the slaughter and sepultures of the afore mentionedBritans; as also, thatStonehengwas not erected in memory of them. Let us come now toAurelius Ambrosius, and see whetherPolydore Virgill’sstory in relation toStonehengagrees with what other Authors have delivered ofAurelius. For fromPolydore’sauthority, our modern Writers raise their second, and quite contrary opinion:Speed lib. 7.Stow fo. 53.namely, that theBritanserected thisAntiquityforA. Ambrosiushis Sepulchre.Polydore VirgillPolyd. Virg. lib. 3.treating of the actions of those times betwixt theBritansandSaxons; Britanni,Duci suoAmbrosiode republica bene merito magnificum(saith he)posuerunt sepulchrum&c.TheBritansin memory of his great atchievements for the Commonwealth, erected a magnificent Sepulchre to their ChieftainAmbrosius,made of great square stones in form of a Crown, even in that place, where fighting, he was slain, that the prowesse of so great a Commander, should neither be forgotten amongst themselves, who then lived, or left unremembred to posterity. Which Monument remains even to this day, in the Diocese ofSalisbury,near unto the village calledAmisbery.This opinion ofPolydoreis grounded (as I conceive) upon no great likelihood. For, should theBritish Nobles, far inferiour toA. Ambrosius, in honour, and dignity, be buried in the Churchyard of a Monastery, and a Sepulchre assigned forAmbrosiushimself in the open fields? Should thatChristianKing, who had accomplished so many great atchievements victoriously against thePagans, enemies toChrist? Caused Churches to be repaired, which the Barbarism of theSaxonshad destroyed? pulled down and demolished idolatrous places of theHeathen, and (as is more probable) rather, then erected by him, whilst living, to others, or by others, to his memory after dead, the very first that began to deface this Heathenish sacred structure (for,though aRoman, yet aChristian, and zeal to true Religion might, no doubt, cause him dispense with ruining idolatrousTemplesthough formerly built, and consecrated to false Gods by his seduced Auncestors) should he, I say, be buried Pagan-like, in unsanctified, unhallowed ground, and others far lesse eminent, lesse conspicuous, in more noble, and sacred places? It could never be. Neither reason of State, nor fervor of piety, in those more scrupulous times, could ever admit thereof.Leyl. de assert. Art.HadPolydore, or any other, told us some Pagan-Saxon-Commander lay there intombed, ’twould have carried a shew of much more credit, and the ancient custome of thatPeoplesburying their dead might have been produced, at least as a probable argument, to confirm the same. For the Saxons a Pagan Nation, if any oftheir Princes or Nobility died, in their houses at home of sicknesse, were buried in pleasant, and delightfull gardens; if from home, and in the wars, not far from their camps, in heaps of earth cast up in the fields, which heaps they called Burrows: and the promiscuous common people in medows and open fields. SaxonesNobiles gens Christi ignara, in hortis amœnis, si domi forte ægroti moriebantur: si foris & bello occisi, in egestis per campos terræ tumulis quos Burgos appellabant, juxta castra sepulti sunt: vulgus autem promiscuum etiam in pratis & apertis campis.AsLeyland, who laid a good ground-work towards the discovery ofBritish Antiquities, delivers.Polydoreneverthelesse, had great reason to imagineA. Ambrosiusfamed the restorer of his Countrey (and Bulwark of War, asCamdencals him) worthy an everlasting Monument,Extat etiam nunc id monimentum in diœcesiSarisberiensiprope pagum quamAmisberiamvocant, Which monument is yet extant in the diœcese ofSalisbury (saith he)not far fromAmbresburyTown: and so was the Churchyard of the Monastery too. He also tels us,Factum fuisse ad formam coronæ, it was made in form of a Crown. An elegant expression (I confesse) of a no lesse elegant work, if he meantStoneheng; yet no argument thereby to proveA. Ambrosiusor buried, or slain there. For, as touchingA. Ambrosiushis death, severall Authors, of as good credit asPolydore(his integrity neverthelesse I question not, others have been busie enough therein) affirm,G. Monm.M. Westm.Polychron.Caxton.Leyland.thatPascentius Vortigernsson, with many rewards corrupted a certainSaxoncalledEopas(Clappa, saithCaxton) who, taking upon him the habit of a Monk, under pretence of Physick (A. Ambrosiusbeing then sick) gave him poyson, whereof he died atWinchester. And no wonder he was so poysoned, many examples of the like kinde being recorded in History. As in later times,Knolls in vit. Ba.theTurkishEmperourBajazetthe second, under pretence of Physick poysoned by a Jew: alsoConradthird of that namePed. Mexia in vit. Con.Emperour ofGermany, by anItalian: and, in times of old, under the same pretence,Pyrrhusthat famous EpirotPlutarch in vit. Pyrr.had been poysoned by his own Physitian, ifC. Fabriciusthe Roman Consul would have enclined to such ignoble resolutions, asPascentiusafter put in act againstA. Ambrosiusin our story.Amongst other, who relate this disaster ofA. Ambrosius,Matthew WestminsterMa. West. fo. 94.tels us, The said pretended Monk,tandem ad Regis præsentiam perductum, venenum ei porrexisse, &c. being at last admitted to the Kings presence, administered poyson unto him, which having drunk, the wicked Traytor advised him to sleep, and in so doing suddenly should recover health! Nec mora, illabente per poros corporis & venas veneno, mortem pariter subsecutam esse. But, ere long, the poyson being dispersed through the pores and veins of his body, death seizes upon him.Concerning the buriall ofA. Ambrosius, if give credit toGeffrey MonmouthsaffirmingA. Ambrosiuson his death-bed gave command, and was accordingly buried, in the Sepulchre by him (whilst living) prepared in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery atAmbresbury, then wasA. AmbrosiusnorburiedatStoneheng, nor consequently thisAntiquityerected to his memory.Geffrey Monmouthtels us;His death being known, the Bishops, Abbats, and all the Clergy of that province, assembled together in the City ofWinchester.G. Monm. lib. 8.Et quia vivens adhuc præceperat, ut in cœmeterio prope cœnobiumAmbrii,quod ipse paraverat sepeliretur, tulerunt corpus ejus, eodem atque cum regalibus exequiis, humaverunt. And with respect to his command,whilest living, that in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery atAmbresbury,prepared by him, he would be buried, they took his body and with royall solemnities enterred him there.Furthermore, atAmbresbury, that is,Ambrosehis Town, (Camdentels us)Cam. fo. 254.certain ancient Kings, by report of theBritishstory, lay interred. WhetherA. Ambrosiuswas one of them, or no, I argue not; yet the same Author saith,Ambrose Aurelianusgave name unto the place. And why not, he being buried there, as well, as upon the translation of the body ofEdmundthat most Christian King, the Town ofEdmundsburyinSuffolkwas so called?It manifestly hence appears,Stonehengno Sepulchre, either erected byA. Ambrosius, or by theBritishNobility, or to any of their memories. Some Monument there was, perhaps, anciently set up in honour of them, at the Monastery ofAmbresbury. Which, the fury of theSaxonswhen victorious, or violence of time, which destroyeth all things, utterly consuming, might happily be the reason, Historians in succeeding Ages, finding so notable anAntiquityasStoneheng, not far from thence, and not apprehending for what use it was first built, suppos’d no other thing worthyA. Ambrosius, or thoseBritans, then such an extraordinary structure. Whereas, the Monuments in those ancient times, made for great Princes here inBritain, were onely two Pyramids between which interred, of no extraordinary bignesse erected to their memory in whate’re Religious places those Princes lay buried. Moreover, if seriously take notice of the severall sorts of Sepulchres used by divers Nations, none are found bearing likeAspectwith this workStoneheng, but of other kinde ofArchitecture, far different inForm,Manner, andComposure. Some, made of one Columne onely; or, if otherwise, only a vase erected on the place of buriall, as amongst theAthenians: Some, had a Columne whereon the shields used in War by the deceased, whilst living, were fixt, as in those medals of silver, which theRomanSenate dedicated toVespasian: Some, a Columne with a Statue thereon; so the famous Columne ofTrajanhad aColossuson thetop thereof, as by his medals also appears. Again, theGaulson the tops of Mountains, erectedPyramid’sorColumnes, as Monuments to their Princes. TheSaxonswere buried (as said before) in huge heaps of earth, to this day visible among us. TheKeepof the nowCastellS.AngeloatRomewas the Sepulchre of the EmperourAdrian. (such mighty moles were the Monuments of theRomans) TheGreekserectedAltars, and instituted Sacrifices to the memory of theirChieftains, as theSpartanstoLysander: The renownedCarianQueen made theMausoleumfor her husband, a massie bulk of building, 140 foot high: The hugePyramid’sinÆgyptcausing such wonder in the world, were Sepulchres ofÆgyptianKings. In a word, amongst all Nations, Sepulchres whether little or great, were always reall and solid piles; not airous, with frequent openings, and void spaces of ground within, exposed to Sun and wind, neither uncovered like thisAntiquity; or in any manner so built, as may enforce the least presumption, that this ourStonehengwas ever a Sepulchre.I have given you a full relation what concerningStonehenghath been delivered by Writers, in respect of us though ancient, yet in regard of the great antiquity of thisWork, indeed but modern,Geffrey Monmouthliving not full five hundred years ago, andPolydore Virgilllong after him, in KingHenrythe eighths reign: Who, as they are the principall Authors that write any thing ofStoneheng; so, upon what authority deliver the same, they make not appear. Insomuch,Camdengives no more credit to their relations in this very particular, then unto common sayings, (so he cals them) as if grounded uponFameonly, or invented by themselves. And it may the rather be so presumed, because, as they lived not in ancient times, and consequently could not themselves bear testimony of any such things; so, neither theBritansnorSaxonsfor a long time after their first arrivall here, had any Records or Writings to convey whatever actions, either of their own, or others to posterity.NinniusaBritishHistorian, living about one thousand years ago, telling us,Britannosdoctores nullam peritiam habuisse, &c. The great Masters and Doctors ofBritainhad no skill, nor left memoriall of any thing in writing: confessing, that himselfgathered whatsoever he wrote, out of the Annals and Chronicles of the holy Fathers. NecSaxonesamusi quicquam penè de rebus inter ipsos, &Britannoseo tempore gestis scriptum posteritati reliquerint, &c.Neither did theSaxonsbeing unlearned(saithLeyland)Leyland. de assert. Art. fol. 25.leave almost any thing in writing to posterity, of the actions performed in those times betwixt themselves andBritans:whatsoever, remembred after Christ taught in this Island, of the first victories of theSaxons,being both taken up upon trust from the mouth of the common people, and committed to writing from vulgar reports only. Neither theBritans,utterly worn out with so many wars, had(as the same Author hath it)or desire, or opportunity, had they desired it, to bestow their pains in compiling any whatever history, that might commend their actions to succeeding Ages.But, it maybe objected: IfPolydore Virgill, andGeffrey Monmouthcould neither be eye-witnesses themselves, nor have authority from other more ancient Authors for what related by them concerningStoneheng: and that from whatever writings ancient or modern, not any thing of certainty can be found out concerning the same; from whence then appear, for what use, or by whomStonehengerected? I answer, though not appear from Histories written either by theBritansorSaxons; yet, asGildasprofessing he wrote his History (for the former reasons)by relations from beyond Sea: and, asNinniushisout of the Annals and Chronicles of the holy Fathersas aforesaid: so, severall other ways a possibility of truth may be gathered, namely, from the authority of other Nations; from the concurrence of time for such undertakings; from the customs of forepassed Ages in like works; from the manner and form of building proper to severall Countries; from the use to which such buildings applied, and the like. Upon which, as occasion serves, intending hereafter more largely to insist, I shall in the mean while set down the judgement our late Writers give of thisAntiquity.Camden, a diligent searcher after Antiquities of our Nation, having, in hisChorographyofWiltshire, collected all the aforesaid opinions, together with his own, gives a summary description ofStoneheng, in words as follow.Cam. fo. 251.Towards the North, about six miles fromSalisbury,in the plain, is to be seen a huge and monstrous peece of work, such asCicerotermethinsanam substructionem.For, within the circuit of a ditch, there are erected in manner of a Crown, in three ranks or courses one within another, certain mighty and unwrought stones, whereof some are twenty eight foot high, & seven foot broad, upon the heads of which others, like overthwart peeces, do bear and rest cross-wise, with a small tenon and mortaise, so as the whole frame seemeth to hang; whereof we call itStoneheng,like as our old Historians termed it for the greatness the Giants dance. Our Countrimen reckon this for one of our wonders, and miracles. And much they marvell, from whence such huge stones were brought, considering that in all those quarters bordering thereupon, there is hardly to be found any common stone at all for building: as also, by what means they were set up. For mine own part about these points I am not curiously to argue and dispute, but rather to lament with much grief, that the Authors of so notable a Monument are thus buried in oblivion. Yet some there are, that think them to be no naturall stones hewn out of the rock, but artificially made of pure sand, and by some glewy and unctuous matter knit and incorporate together, like as those ancient trophies or monuments of victory which I have seen inYorkshire.And what marvell? Read we not I pray you inPliny,that the sand or dust ofPuteoli,being covered over with water, becometh forthwith a very stone, that the cisterns inRomeof sand, digged out of the ground, and the strongest kind of lime wrought together grow so hard, that they seem stones indeed? and that statues and images of marble scalings, and small grit grow together so compact and firm, that they were deemed entire and solid marble? The common saying is, thatAmbrosius Aurelianus,or his brotherUtherdid rear them up, by the art ofMerlin,&c.Thus farCamden, it being needlesse to repeat more from him, having already delivered the story from the Authors themselves. Yet here neverthelesse, as necessarily induced thereunto, I shall take leave to observe something more remarkable to our purpose in hand, upon his words.In the first place then,Stonehengis by him calleda huge and monstrous peece of work, terming it fromCicero, insanam substructionem. To which I say, hadCamdenas well attained other abilities of anArchitect, as he was skilfull inAntiquities: or been as conversant inAntiquitiesabroad, as learned in those of his own Nation, he would have given a far different judgement hereof. For, whosoever is acquainted with the ancient ruines yet remaining in and aboutItaly, may easily perceive this no such huge building, either for the circuit of the work, or bignesse of the stones, they being as manageable to theRoman Architects, as amongst us to raise a May-pole, or mast of a Ship. And, if this styledhugeandmonstrous, what may be said ofDiocletiansbaths? the greatCirque?Marcellushis Theater?Vespasians Temple of Peace? and other prodigious works of theRomans? the very remainders whereof now lying in the dust, breed amazement and wonder (not without just reason too) in whosoever beholds them with attentivenesse and judgement. Nay, whereas he styles itinsanam substructionem, it’s demonstrable, that betwixt this Island of greatBritain, andRomeit self, there’s no one structure to be seen, wherein more clearly shines those harmoniacall proportions, of which only the best times could vaunt, then in this ofStoneheng.Moreover,Our Countreymen marvell(saith he)from whence such huge stones were brought, considering that in all those quarters bordering thereupon, there is hardly to be found any common stone for building. Upon what trustCamden(his extraordinary judgement otherwise considered) took this relation, I know not. For there is not onely common stone thereabouts, for ordinary uses, but stone of extraordinary proportions likewise, even for greater works (if occasion were) thenStoneheng: the Quarries ofHasselboroughandChilmark, both of them not far from the borders of the plain, having of a long time furnished all the adjacent parts with common stone for building. And (to come nearer the matter) it is manifest, that in divers places about the Plain, the same kinde of Stonewhereof thisAntiquityconsists may be found, especially aboutAiburyin North-Wiltshire, not many miles distant from it, where not onely are Quarries of the like stone, but also stones of far greater dimensions then any atStoneheng, may be had.They wonder also(saith he)by what means they(that, is such huge stones)were set up. What may be effected by thatMechanicall Art, whichDeein hisMathematicall PrefacetoEuclyde, calsMenadry, orArt of ordering Engines for raising weights; those (it seems) of whomCamdenspeaks took little notice of, whenArchimedesduring the siege ofSyracuse,Plut. in Marcel.raised out of the Sea, and turned in the air at pleasure, the Ships and Gallies of theRomans, full fraught as they were with Souldiers, Mariners, and their ordinary lading: and if KingHieroncould have assigned him, a fit place to firm his engines on, he would have undertaken to remove, even the terrestriallGlobeout of the worldscenter, so high, perfection in thisArttransported him. What should I say of theObeliskin Ages so far past, brought from the Mountains ofArmenia, and erected inBabylonbySemiramis, one hundred & fifty foot high, and at the base twenty four foot square of one entire stone?Est in fanoLatonæ (saithHerodotusHerod. lib. 2.of his own knowledge)delubrum ex uno factum lapide, cujus parietes æquali celsitudine ad longitudinem quadragenum cubitorum, cujus lacunari, pro tecto impositus est alius lapis quatuor cubitorum per oras crassitudine. In the Temple ofLatona (inÆgypt)is a Chappell formed of one stone, whose walls being of equall height, are in length forty cubits, covered in like manner with one sole stone four cubits thick. Those, which made this wonder would have much more admired, if they could have seen theObeliskraised in times of old by KingRamesisatHeliopolis,Ptol. lib. 4.Plin. lib. 36.in that part ofÆgyptanciently calledThebais, in height one hundred twenty one Geometrical feet (which of our measure makes one hundred thirty six feet) of one entire stone: and so little wonder made they of raising it, that the Architect undertook and did effect it, the Kings own son being at the same time bound to the top thereof. Amongst theRomans,Augustus Cæsarerected in the great Cirque atRome, anObeliskof one stone, one hundred and twenty foot, nine inches long: another also, was set up inMarsfield, nine foot higher then it, by the said Emperour. And it seems also, neither they, norCamdensself had ever seen thatObelisk, which even in these our days, in the year one thousand five hundred eighty six,Sixtus Quintuscaused to be erected in thePiazzaof S.PeteratRome,Dom. Font. lib. 1.one hundred and eightRomanpalms high, and at the base twelve palms square, (according to our Assise, fourscore and one foot high, and nine foot square) of one entire stone also:Dominico FontanabeingArchitect. But, there are more strange things (as SirWalter Raleighhath it) in the world, then betwixtLondonandStanes. It is want of knowledge inArtsmakes such admirers, andArtit self have so many Enemies. Had I not been thought worthy (by him who then commanded) to have been soleArchitectthereof, I would have made some mention of the great stones used in the work, andPorticoat the West end of S.PaulsChurchLondon, but I forbear; though in greatnesse they were equall to most in thisAntiquity, and raised to a far greater height then any there. What manner of Engines theAncientsused for raising; and what secure ways they had, for cariage and transportation of their huge weights, is more proper for another subject.Some there are(saithCamden)that think them to be no naturall stones, hewn out of the rock, but artificially made of pure sand, and by some glewy and unctuous matter, knit and incorporate together, like those ancient trophies, or monuments of victory, which I have seen inYorkshire. As for these Monuments (for my part) I have not seen, otherwise I would give my sense upon them, and happily they may be found as far from being artificiall, as those atStoneheng.And what marvell?(saith he)read we not, I pray you, inPliny,that the sand or dust ofPuteoli,being covered over with water, becometh forthwith a very stone &c.He might as well have told us the Rocks inPortlandare artificiall. But it’s true, this sand ofPuteoli, was much used by theAncients, and it is such a kind of earth, as is very famous for its admirable effects in building, being tempered with the cement ofCuma: For, it not onely yeelds strength to all other buildings, but thereby also, all works made in the Sea under water, are most firmly consolidated. Yet, doe I not find, that ever theAncientsmade any artificiall stones thereof, or thatVitruviushath any thing to that purpose, to him the credit given toPliny, and others, concerning the Earth ofPuteoli, being only due; posterity being in the first place beholding unto him for finding out the nature of that earth, he giving us not only the effects thereof, but the cause also from whence those effects proceed.Hoc autem fieri hac ratione videtur, quòd sub his montibus(i.e.in regionibusBaianis,Vitr. lib. 2. cap. 6.& in agris, quæ sunt circaVesuviummontem) & terræ ferventes sunt, & fontes crebri, qui non essent, si non in imo haberent, aut de sulphure, aut alumine, aut bitumine ardentes maximos ignes. Which is(saith he)by reason in those mountains(to wit,in the regions ofBaiæ,and fields about mountVesuvius)the grounds are hot, and full of springs, which heat could not be, but that from the bottome, are nourished mighty great fires, arising from sulphur, alume, or brimstone there.Indeed, according toPliny, the sand upon the side of the hill ofPuteoli, being opposed to the Sea, and continually drenched, and drowned with the water thereof, doth (by the restringent quality, no doubt, of the salt water) become a stone so compact, and united together, that scorning all the violence of the surging billows, it hardeneth every day more and more.Neverthelesse, whosoever could find out any kind of earth in this Island, naturally apt, to make artificiall stones of such greatnesse as these; and, like them so obdurate also, that hardly any tool enter them: or, that our Auncestors in times of old, did make use of such a cement, and in what manner composed by them. The benefit thereof doubtlesse, would amount so ample to this Nation, that Records could not but render him deservedly famous to all posterity. In the mean while, as it is most certain those stones atStonehengare naturall; so, am I as clearly of opinion, the very Quarries from whence hewn, were aboutAiburybeforementioned: where, no small quantities of the same kind, are even at this day to be had; vast scantlings, not only appearing about the Town it self, but throughout the plain and fields adjoyning, the Quarries lying bare, numbers also numberlesse of stones, are generally seen. (being no small prejudice to the bordering inhabitants) As also, not far from the edge ofWiltshire, in the ascent fromLamborntoWhitehorse hill, the like stones are daily discovered. To mention, more places in particular is needlesse, the Quarries at and aboutAibury(without relating toLamborn, or what ever other) distant but fifteen miles or thereabouts fromStoneheng, being of themselves sufficient to clear the doubt. These, having through long time, got the very same crustation upon them, are in like manner coloured, grained, bedded, weighty, and of like difficulty in working, as those atStoneheng. Some of which, being of a whitish colour, are intermixt and veined here and there with red: some, of a lightish blew, glister, as if minerall amongst them: some, for the most part white, perplexed (as it were) with a ruddy colour: some, dark gray and russet, differing in kinds as those stones atAiburydo. Some of them again, of a grayish colour, are speckled or intermixt with dark green, and white, together with yellow amongst it, resembling after a sort, that kind of marble which theItalians(from the valley where the Quarries are found) callPozzevera; nothing, notwithstanding, so beautifull, though naturally much harder, and being weathered by time, as in this work; disdain the touch even of the best tempered tool. Insomuch, that if nothing else, the more then ordinary hardnesse of them is such, as will in part convince any indifferent judgement in the nature and quality of stones; those, in thisAntiquity, are not (asCamdenwould have them) artificiall, but naturall.Whatsoever, worthy admiration concerningStoneheng, either in relation to the greatnesse of the work in generall, the extraordinary proportion of the stones in particular, the wonder the people make, from whence brought, by whatArts or Engines raised, and in such order placed,Camdendelivers; certainly, in his judgement he was wholly opposite to the opinions of the aforesaidBritishHistorians. He would never else, with so much regret have complained,The Authors of so notable a Monument lay buried in oblivion, had he given any the least credit, thisAntiquityhad been built, either byA. Ambrosius, or theBritishNobility, or to eternize either of their names, or actions to succeeding generations. LetGeffrey Monmouthand his followers, say what they please,Henry Huntingdon(his Contemporary, if not more Ancient) is mine Author,H. Hunting, lib. 1.Nec potest aliquis excogitare, qua arte tanti lapides adeo in altum elevati sunt, vel quare ibi constructi sunt. No man knows(saithHuntingdon)for what causeStonehengerected, or(which is fully answered already)by what Art such huge stones were raised to so great a height. Take with you alsoDraytonsjudgement in hisPoly-olbioncouched under the fiction of oldWansdikesdepravingStoneheng. (Wansdikebeing a huge Ditch inWiltshireso called, anciently, asCamdenopines,Cam. fo. 241.dividing the two Kingdomes of theMertiansandWest Saxonsasunder)Poly-olbion Cant. 3.Whom for a paltry ditch, whenStonendgepleas’d t’upbraid,The old man taking heart, thus to that Trophy said;Dull heap, that thus thy head above the rest doth reare,Precisely yet not know’st who first did place thee there;But Traytor basely turn’d toMerlinsskill dost flie,And with his Magicks dost thy Makers truth belie.For, as for that ridiculous Fable, ofMerlinstransporting the stones out ofIrelandby Magick, it’s an idle conceit. As also, that old wives tale, that for the greatnesse it was in elder times called theGiants dance. The name of thedance of Giantsby which it is styled inMonmouth, hath nothing allusive, no not so much as to thetale he tels us, saith a modern Writer in the life ofNero Cæsar.Furthermore, our modern HistoriansStowandSpeed,Speed lib. 7.Stow fo. 58. in 4o.tell us, in severall parts of the Plain adjoyning, have been bydigging found, peeces of ancient fashioned armour, and the bones of men, insinuating this as an argument, for upholding the opinions of theBritishWriters. To which, if they would have those to be the bones of the slaughteredBritans, how came those Armours to be found with them, they coming to the Treaty unarmed, and without weapons? Howsoever, what is done in the Plains abroad, concerns notStoneheng, Neither can any man think it strange, that in a place, whereFamehath rendred, so many memorable and fierce battels, fought in times of old, rusty armour, and mens bones should be digged up. It is usuall throughout the world in all such places, and (if I mistake not)Sandsin his Travels, relates, that even in the Plains ofPharsalia, such like bones and Armour, have lately been discovered: and SirHenry Bluntin that notable relation of his voyage into theLevant, speaks with much judgement of thosePharsalianfields. Likewise, the aforesaid Writers,Cam. fo. 194.Speed lib. 7.might well have remembred, some of themselves deliver, that atKambulan, orCambulainCornwall, such habiliments of War have been digged up, in tillage of the ground, witnessing either the fatall field, sometimes there fought, whereMordredwas slain byArthur, andArthurhimself received his deaths wound: or else, the reliques of that battel betwixt theBritansandSaxons, in the year eight hundred and twenty. ’Tis true, the relation conduces much towards confirming, that ancient custome of theSaxons, formerly recited out ofLeyland, considering especially, not far from thisAntiquity, lie certain hillocks, at this day commonly called theseven Burrows, where it may be presumed, somePrinces, orNoblesof theSaxonNation lie interred. But, thatStonehengshould therefore be a place of buriall, the aforesaid relation to maintain the same is nothing worth.They adde moreover, the stones yet remaining are not to be numbred, according as our NobleSydneyin his Sonnet of the wonders ofEngland.NearWiltonsweet, huge heaps of stone are found,But so confus’d, that neither any eyeCan count them just, nor reason reason try,What force brought them to so unlikely ground.This, though it scarcely merits an answer, yet, to satisfie those which in this point may be curious, let them but observe the orders of the Circles, as they now appear, and not passe from one to another confusedly (noting neverthelesse where they begin) and they’ll find the just number easie to be taken.Now, though whether in order to the Place it self where thisAntiquitystands, orPersons, by whomStonehengpretended to be built, enough laid, to wave the reports upon fancy, or common Fame, formerly delivered: to the state ofTimeneverthelesse, wherein theBritishHistories would have it erected, because nothing by me hath yet been spoken, I will therefore adde, ’tis not probable such a work asStonehengcould be then built. For, although ourBritans, in ancient time possessed, together with theRomancivility, all goodArts, it is evident during the reign ofA. Ambrosius(about the first coming in of theSaxonshere, and towards the later end of the fifth Century, as Historians and Chronologists compute it) in the last declining of theRomanEmpire, theArtsofDesign, of whichArchitecturechief, were utterly lost even inRomeit self, much more inBritain, being then but a Tempest-beatenProvince, and utterly abandoned by theRomans.Britain, therefore, being over-run with enemies, and the knowledge ofArtsthen lost amongst them: none, questionlesse, can reasonably apprehend so notable a work asStonehengcould in such times be built.That, amongst theRomansandBritansboth,A. Ambrosiusgoverning here, all Sciences were utterly perished, is evidently manifest. For, theGothshad then invadedItaly; and that vast Empire drooping with extreme Age, by the fatall irruption of strange Nations, was not only torn in peeces,butBarbarismehaving trod learning under foot, and the sword bearing more sway then letters, or learned men, all Sciences were neglected; and particularly that ofBuildingfell into such decay, that till of late about the year one thousand five hundred and ten, it lay swallowed up, and (as I may so say) buried in oblivion. When oneBramanteof the Dutchy ofUrbin,Serl. lib. 3.attaining admirable perfection inArchitecture, restored to the world again, the true rules of building, according to those Orders, by the ancientRomansin their most flourishing times observed. Furthermore, not onely liberall Sciences andArchitecture, butArtmilitary also, about the time ofA. Ambrosius, was so far lost amongst theRomans, that they were ignorant, yea, in the very rudiments of War. Insomuch, (asProcopiusin his second Book of theGothickWars relate)Barbarismhad bereft them of the skill, even in what manner to sound a retreat.With us here also, theSaxonsdomineer’d over all, andA. Ambrosiuswith theBritanshad enough to do, in endeavouring the recovery of their lost Countrey from a mighty prevailing Enemy, that in few years afterwards (maugre all the ways which force or policy could invent) conquered the whole Nation. Among other calamities attending that miserable Age,Camden(fromWilliamofMalmsbury) directly to the purpose in hand tels us.W. Malmes. fol. 8.Camden fo. 87.Cum Tyranni nullum in agris præter semibarbaros, nullum in urbibus præter ventri deditos reliquissent: Britanniaomni patrocinio juvenilis vigoris viduata, omni Artium exercitio exinanita, conterminarum gentium inhiationi diu obnoxia fuit. When the Tyrants(to wit, theRomans)had left none in the Countrey but half Barbarians, none in the Cities and Towns, but such as wholly gave themselves to belly-cheer; Britain,destitute of all protection, by her vigorous young men, bereaved ofall exercise, and practice of good Arts,became exposed for a long time to the greedy, and gaping jaws of Nations confining upon her.Here you have it from an Author, more ancient thenG. Monmoutha little, though both lived in one age, the times aboutA. Ambrosiusgovernment, whether before, during his reign, or after, were so full of miseries, that he complains,none then employed, or exercised in any whatever works belonging toArt. They had somthing else (as appears by divers Writers) to think upon, all their abilities being insufficient to defend their Countrey from forein servitude, their Cities and Towns from ruine, and destruction, and their habitations from rage of cruell and insolent enemies, robbing, spoiling, burning, wasting, all before them: to which,Gildas.plague, pestilence, and famine being joyned, the inland part of theIsland, even to the WesternOceanwas welnear totally consumed.Besides, the Countrey was so oppress’d, what with outward hostile miseries, what with intestine tumults and troubles: that, had they not lost thepractice of all Arts(as the former Historian saith they had) so far were they from erecting any work of this kind, that they were compelled to abandon their Towns, and houses, built in times foregoing by their Auncestors, and betake themselves to mountains, caves, and woods for shelter. Now, if the calamities of those times hung over theBritansheads, in so generall manner, that not one amongst them had leisure to put pen to paper, (as fromLeylandbefore remembred) much lesse able were they, without all peradventure, to undertake so great a work asStoneheng, wherein, as all rationall men must grant, numbers of men employed, and many years taken up, before brought to its absolute perfection.But, nothing can better expresse the ignorance of that Age, then the barbarous manner of inscription upon the Tomb of theBritish HectorKingArthur, nephew toA. Ambrosius, found long since in the Churchyard of the Abbey atGlastenbury, the letters whereof, being exactly represented to our view byCamden,Cam. fo. 228.do, as by demonstration, fully discover to us the Barbarism of those times. As, barbarous in those characters, so were they ignorant in, and had lost the use of all otherArts.Nor exercise nor practice of good Arts, was then amongst them, saith the Historiographer ofMalmsbury. And well he might so deliver himself, not withstandingMatthew Westminstertels us,A. AmbrosiusrepairedChurches, which the rage ofSaxons, enemies toChristian Religion, spoiled. For, besides, the vast difference betwixt such works asStoneheng, whereArtovermasters the common skill of man, and making up the decaies of ruinated buildings, is apprehensive even to the meanest capacities:GildasandBede(whose Antiquity and learning the greater it is, the more is their authority acceptable) affirm, theBritansin those times knew not in what manner to bring up bare wals of stone. When, theRomanLegion sent to aid theBritansbyValentinianthe third, under the conduct ofGallioofRavenna, was remanded hence, for defence ofFrance; before departing, they exhorted theBritansto make a wall overthwart theIsland, to secure themselves from theBarbarians,Picts, andScots: which wall,Bedetels us,was made not so much with stone, as turffes, considering they had no workmen to bring up such works of stone; and so, (saith the venerable Historian)they did set up one, good for nothing. ’Twas made by the rude, and unskilfull common multitude, not so much of stone, as turffes(saithGildasalso)none being found able to give direction for building works of stone. This was about thirty six years precedingA. Ambrosiusgovernment. In which time, theRomansabandoningBritain,Vortigernusurped; call’d in theSaxonsto his aid; was deposed by his Nobility; andVortimerhis son set up. WhomRowenahaving made away;Vortigernwas re-enthronis’d. HimA. Ambrosiusinvades, and having burnt him, together withRowenainWales, assumes the Crown as his; holding continuall war with theSaxons, untill poysoned byPascentiusas aforesaid.It being thus, that nothing but universall confusion, and destructive broyls of war, appeared then in all parts; more ancient, and far more propitious times, must be sought out for designing a structure, so exquisite in the composure as this: even such a flourishing Age, as whenArchitecturein rare perfection, and suchPeoplelookt upon, as by continuall successe, attaining unto the sole power overArts, as well asEmpires, commanded all. I say, suchTimes, andPersons, because those things, which accord not with the course of time, which by a generall consent of Authors agree not; which by the approved customes of ancient Ages, and votes of learned men, are not received and allowed, and consequently no ways probable; I easily admit not of.Another fiction there is concerningStoneheng, not to be past over; and though the cause upon which it’s grounded, be far more ancient then the government ofAmbrosius, or aforesaid slaughter of theBritains: neverthelesse, in respect it is a new conceit, not thirty years being past since hatch’t, I suppose this the most proper place to discourse thereof, having ended withGeffrey Monmouth,Polydore Virgill, and their followers.The Author thereof isAnonymus, unlesse known in being Translator ofLucius Florus. His opinion, (in hisNero Cæsar)Stonehengthe Tomb ofBoadicia(formerly remembred) Queen of theIceni.Ner. Cæs. fo. 181.His reasons, first, because that memorable battell betwixt her, andSuetonius Paulinusfought upon a Plain. Secondly, in respect theBritansburied her magnificently. For confirming this, he tels us,Had the pretieus volumes of theCornelianAnnals, andDio Cassius,andJohn Xiphilinebeen within the spheare ofGeffrey Monmouthsstudies, notAurelus Ambrosius,nor those four hundred and sixty Noblemen ofBritain,murthered inVortigernsreign, should have carried away with him the fame of this materiall wonder, but magnanimousBoadicia. It seems, he would not be behinde-hand withMonmouth; for, as the one finding no story more famous then ofA. Ambrosiusand the slaughteredBritans, fatheredStonehengupon them: so, to make the inventive faculty, as apparently predominant in himself; this other, respectingBoadicia’sheroicall actions, would as willingly make the world beleeve thisAntiquityher Monument.His principall argument I delivered before; to wit, the battell betwixt Her and theRomans, whereinBoadiciautterly overthrown too, being fought upon a Plain. Was there in old time (did he think) no Plain inBritainto fight a battell on butSalisburyPlain? How cameBoadiciaand her Armythither? I find indeed,Boadicialeading one hundred and twenty thousand fighting men out of theIcenianCountries, and like a terrible tempest, falling uponCamalodunum, that famousRomanColony of old, (where the first fury of the War was felt) she surprised it and razed it to the ground;Suetonius Paulinusthen inAnglesey: InterceptingPetilius Cerealis, who advanced with the ninth legion to relieve that Colony, she cut all his Infantry in peeces: Putting to the sword all those, which imbecillity of sex, tediousnesse of age, or pleasure of the place detained from followingSuetoniusin his march fromLondon: And takingVerulamium, sackt and burnt it down to ashes. But, how she marcht from thence toSalisburyPlain is neither apparent nor probable; not the least inkling being left in the world, what hostile acts she committed, which way she moved, or what done by her, after the ruine ofVerulam, till utterly overthrown.Can it be imagined, she that destroyed so great a Colony, together with a free-borough of theRomans, slain seventy or eighty thousand persons in such horrid manner as scarce credible; reserving not one Prisoner alive, but killing, hanging, crucifying, and burning whatsoeverRomane, or to that party enclined: that was yet victorious, and her Army encreasing daily; can it be imagined, I say, she marcht toSalisburyPlain with so huge an Army invisibly? or stole fromVerulamthither by night, lest notice should be taken of her proceedings?Anonymusself cannot think so unworthily of hisBoadicia, yet certainly after such manner she went, if ever went thither at all: Otherwise,Boadiciamarching in the height of glory, and bearing down all before her till rancountred bySuetonius. Those faithfull HistoriansTacitus, andDion, (both so sedulous in delivering her Fame to posterity) would never have omitted so notable a march, through such a large tract of enemies Countrey, as of necessity she was to make fromVerulam, toSalisburyPlain; but would have prosecuted her War, by recording the spoyls, rapines, burnings, and devastations made therein; as particularly, as from the first fomenting the rebellion, tillher advance toVerulam, they have done. Upon which Town, and the aforementioned places only, the aforesaid Historians directly tell us the whole burden of the War fell.Tacit. Ann. lib. 14.Ad Septuaginta millia civium & sociorum iis quæ memoravi locis occidisse constitit, saithTacitus.It was manifest, there were slain in the places, I have remembred, the number of seventy thousand Citizens and Allies.Bunduicaduas urbes(saithXiphilines DionDion. Cas. lib. 62.also)populiRomaniexpugnavit atque diripuit, in iísque cædem infinitam, ut supradixi, fecit.Bunduicatook and razed to the ground two Towns of theRomans,and in them made that infinite slaughter, I have mentioned before, of fourscore thousand persons. AtVerulamthen, it fully appears, the course of her Victories stopt, the inhumane butchery of theRomans, and their confederates, ended with the massacre in that Town; which could not possibly have hapned, if with such a firm resolution to extirpate theRomanname inBritain, and such a numerous Army to effect it, she had gone on victoriously unfought with, so far as where thisAntiquitystands. And therefore the Plain ofSalisburycould not be the place of battell, asAnonymuswould fain enforce it. Who having so largely, and with so good advice, discoursed the motions, and actions of this rebellion, with all the circumstances thereof, from the first rise, till she destroyedVerulam, should either have found some warrantable authority forBoadicia’sso great an undertaking afterwards, else never engaged her so far within theRomanProvince; otherwise, some may imagine, he framed it, only out of ambition for a meer pretence, rather, then stated it, from a reall endeavour, to make discovery for what causeStonehengat first erected.Furthermore,Suetonius Paulinuswas too well skilled in the discipline of war, to make the seat thereof in a Countrey so absolutelyRoman, as betwixt theBritishOcean and the RiverThames. He had it’s true (being return’d fromAnglesey) abandonedLondon, no colony. But upon what result? finding his accesse of strength disproportionable to the War in hand, and thereforeTacit. Ann. lib. 14.determined with the losse of one Town to preserve the rest whole, (whetherLondonorCamalodunumis not tothe purpose) and, by attending the motions of the enemy, wait all fair occasions to giveBoadiciabattell,Dion. Cass. lib. 62.being unwilling to try his fortune too suddenly, multitude and successe making theBritansoutrageously daring. In the interim neverthelesse, raising what forces, the exigency of so important affairs would permit.Which waySuetoniusmarched fromLondonis altogether omitted, yet if lawfull to conjecture, why not? to draw off the Forces ofCatus DecianusProcurator, (not long before fled intoGaul, for fear of this War) together with the remains ofPetilius Cerealistroops; quartered, asAnonymusconfesseth,Ner. Cæs. fo. 105.in those very camps yet appearing aboutGildsbroughandDaintryinNorthamptonshire, then, confining theIcenianDominion to the Westward. Which Troops therefore, lay doubtlesse, in very great danger if not timely relieved; especially in caseBoadiciashould conduct her Army that way; as, ere long afterwards she did so far asVerulam; this course being taken by her, not improbably, in pursuit ofSuetonius. Neither was it very dangerous for theRomanGenerall to lead his Forces that way, the Enemies main strength lying aboutCamalodunum. Howsoever, whether he marched up to them or no, concluded it is, he made his retreat towardsPœnius Posthumusencamped with thesecond Legionin the borders of theSilures, (nowHerefordshire,Radnorshire&c.) for whichLegion,Suetoniussending to have it brought up to his Rendezvouz, his commands being slighted, that strength failed him.The way whichSuetoniustook,Ner. Cæs. fo. 154.after his departure, was in mine opinion(saithAnonymus)towardsSevern,wherePœnius Posthumusencamped with the second Legion among theSilures. So alsoSpencerour famousEnglishPoet finds it. Whereby it appears,Suetoniusretreat was not Westward toSalisburyPlains, but Northerly towards thatsecond Legion. In this retreat, I may not omit,Anonymusconducts him over theThamesatLondon;Ner. Cæs. fo. 155.which if granted, and,that he kept the river upon his right hand still, untill engagingBoadicia, asAnonymussaith he did: then wasSuetoniusmarchfar awayindeed fromSalisburyPlain. Thecourse of that River winding, as we all know, throughBarkshireout ofOxfordshire, whereTamefrom the CountyBuckingham, andIsisfrom the edge ofGlocesterProvince, make their conjunction a little beneathDorchester. And, if keeping this coursestillby the Rivers side,Suetoniusmarcht alongst the banks ofCherwellalso, then mustAnonymus, whether he will or no, bring him up close toGildsbroughandDaintry, as aforesaid;Ner. Cæs. fo. 166.and thereby (for it is admittedCerealishorse-troops were at the fight) reconciling all opinions, upon his direct way towards thesecond Legion.How far on, neverthelesse, towardPœnius PosthumusCampSuetoniusadvanced is uncertain; but, that the battell might be fought in some Plain aboutVerulam, or upon that rode, is not altogether improbable. (Especially considering part ofSuetoniusstrength consisted ofLondoners, who, asAuxiliariesfollowed him in this War, and would not stay behind). For, theRomanGenerall when marshalling his Army for fight, had with him (saithTacitus)the aids of the places adjoyning. What places were these? the lastplacenamed by him wasVerulam, the next place before itLondon; and, if the Historian intends either of these two, by theplaces adjoyningto the field, where the battell fought; then, mayAnonymusprove the desarts inAfrica, as soon as the Plains ofSalisbury, to be the place of Battell.Spencersaith,Cant. 10.the battell was fought nearSevern:
The originall Inscription I could not procure; such relation thereof neverthelesse as came to my hands, I have, upon credit of those persons of quality from whom received, inserted it here.
R. G. A. C.600.
The bones within which Sepulchre were all firm, fair yellow coloured hair about the scull, a supposed peece of the liver, near upon the bignesse of a walnut, very dry and hard, and together therewith, were found severall royall habiliments, as jewels, veils, scarfs, and the like, retaining even till then, their proper colours. All which were afterwards, very choicely kept, in the collection of the Right honourableEdward, then Earl ofHertford: and of the aforesaid gold divers rings were made and worn by his Lordships principall Officers. Concerning which Tomb (though I list not dispute) why might it not be the Sepulchre of QueenGuinever, wife of KingArthur; especially the LettersR G.as much to say,Regina Guinevera, declaring her title and name; and the dateAn. Chr.600. (if truly copied) agreeing (possibly well enough) with the time of her death? Besides,Leylandaffirms,Leyl. de assert. Arth.severall Writers make mention, she tookupon her a Nuns veil atAmbresbury,died, and was buried there. To which he gives so much credit, that (whateverGiraldus Cambrensisdelivers to the contrary) he will by no means allow, either her body to be afterwards translated fromAmbresbury, or, at any time, buried by her husband KingArthuratGlastonbury. UntoLeylandsreasons for her interment atAmbresbury,Camden(it seems) inclines also, because wholly silent of her Sepulchre, discovered any where else: though he at large sets down all the circumstances of her Husbands body, its being found atGlastenbury. For, hadCamdenapprehended any thing inducing him to beleeve,her body had been together with his there found, he would never, certainly, have concealed it from posterity.
Whether the aforesaid Tomb so found, were her monument, yea or no, enough concerning the slaughter and sepultures of the afore mentionedBritans; as also, thatStonehengwas not erected in memory of them. Let us come now toAurelius Ambrosius, and see whetherPolydore Virgill’sstory in relation toStonehengagrees with what other Authors have delivered ofAurelius. For fromPolydore’sauthority, our modern Writers raise their second, and quite contrary opinion:Speed lib. 7.Stow fo. 53.namely, that theBritanserected thisAntiquityforA. Ambrosiushis Sepulchre.
Polydore VirgillPolyd. Virg. lib. 3.treating of the actions of those times betwixt theBritansandSaxons; Britanni,Duci suoAmbrosiode republica bene merito magnificum(saith he)posuerunt sepulchrum&c.TheBritansin memory of his great atchievements for the Commonwealth, erected a magnificent Sepulchre to their ChieftainAmbrosius,made of great square stones in form of a Crown, even in that place, where fighting, he was slain, that the prowesse of so great a Commander, should neither be forgotten amongst themselves, who then lived, or left unremembred to posterity. Which Monument remains even to this day, in the Diocese ofSalisbury,near unto the village calledAmisbery.
This opinion ofPolydoreis grounded (as I conceive) upon no great likelihood. For, should theBritish Nobles, far inferiour toA. Ambrosius, in honour, and dignity, be buried in the Churchyard of a Monastery, and a Sepulchre assigned forAmbrosiushimself in the open fields? Should thatChristianKing, who had accomplished so many great atchievements victoriously against thePagans, enemies toChrist? Caused Churches to be repaired, which the Barbarism of theSaxonshad destroyed? pulled down and demolished idolatrous places of theHeathen, and (as is more probable) rather, then erected by him, whilst living, to others, or by others, to his memory after dead, the very first that began to deface this Heathenish sacred structure (for,though aRoman, yet aChristian, and zeal to true Religion might, no doubt, cause him dispense with ruining idolatrousTemplesthough formerly built, and consecrated to false Gods by his seduced Auncestors) should he, I say, be buried Pagan-like, in unsanctified, unhallowed ground, and others far lesse eminent, lesse conspicuous, in more noble, and sacred places? It could never be. Neither reason of State, nor fervor of piety, in those more scrupulous times, could ever admit thereof.
Leyl. de assert. Art.
HadPolydore, or any other, told us some Pagan-Saxon-Commander lay there intombed, ’twould have carried a shew of much more credit, and the ancient custome of thatPeoplesburying their dead might have been produced, at least as a probable argument, to confirm the same. For the Saxons a Pagan Nation, if any oftheir Princes or Nobility died, in their houses at home of sicknesse, were buried in pleasant, and delightfull gardens; if from home, and in the wars, not far from their camps, in heaps of earth cast up in the fields, which heaps they called Burrows: and the promiscuous common people in medows and open fields. SaxonesNobiles gens Christi ignara, in hortis amœnis, si domi forte ægroti moriebantur: si foris & bello occisi, in egestis per campos terræ tumulis quos Burgos appellabant, juxta castra sepulti sunt: vulgus autem promiscuum etiam in pratis & apertis campis.AsLeyland, who laid a good ground-work towards the discovery ofBritish Antiquities, delivers.
Polydoreneverthelesse, had great reason to imagineA. Ambrosiusfamed the restorer of his Countrey (and Bulwark of War, asCamdencals him) worthy an everlasting Monument,Extat etiam nunc id monimentum in diœcesiSarisberiensiprope pagum quamAmisberiamvocant, Which monument is yet extant in the diœcese ofSalisbury (saith he)not far fromAmbresburyTown: and so was the Churchyard of the Monastery too. He also tels us,Factum fuisse ad formam coronæ, it was made in form of a Crown. An elegant expression (I confesse) of a no lesse elegant work, if he meantStoneheng; yet no argument thereby to proveA. Ambrosiusor buried, or slain there. For, as touchingA. Ambrosiushis death, severall Authors, of as good credit asPolydore(his integrity neverthelesse I question not, others have been busie enough therein) affirm,G. Monm.M. Westm.Polychron.Caxton.Leyland.thatPascentius Vortigernsson, with many rewards corrupted a certainSaxoncalledEopas(Clappa, saithCaxton) who, taking upon him the habit of a Monk, under pretence of Physick (A. Ambrosiusbeing then sick) gave him poyson, whereof he died atWinchester. And no wonder he was so poysoned, many examples of the like kinde being recorded in History. As in later times,Knolls in vit. Ba.theTurkishEmperourBajazetthe second, under pretence of Physick poysoned by a Jew: alsoConradthird of that namePed. Mexia in vit. Con.Emperour ofGermany, by anItalian: and, in times of old, under the same pretence,Pyrrhusthat famous EpirotPlutarch in vit. Pyrr.had been poysoned by his own Physitian, ifC. Fabriciusthe Roman Consul would have enclined to such ignoble resolutions, asPascentiusafter put in act againstA. Ambrosiusin our story.
Amongst other, who relate this disaster ofA. Ambrosius,Matthew WestminsterMa. West. fo. 94.tels us, The said pretended Monk,tandem ad Regis præsentiam perductum, venenum ei porrexisse, &c. being at last admitted to the Kings presence, administered poyson unto him, which having drunk, the wicked Traytor advised him to sleep, and in so doing suddenly should recover health! Nec mora, illabente per poros corporis & venas veneno, mortem pariter subsecutam esse. But, ere long, the poyson being dispersed through the pores and veins of his body, death seizes upon him.
Concerning the buriall ofA. Ambrosius, if give credit toGeffrey MonmouthsaffirmingA. Ambrosiuson his death-bed gave command, and was accordingly buried, in the Sepulchre by him (whilst living) prepared in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery atAmbresbury, then wasA. AmbrosiusnorburiedatStoneheng, nor consequently thisAntiquityerected to his memory.Geffrey Monmouthtels us;His death being known, the Bishops, Abbats, and all the Clergy of that province, assembled together in the City ofWinchester.G. Monm. lib. 8.Et quia vivens adhuc præceperat, ut in cœmeterio prope cœnobiumAmbrii,quod ipse paraverat sepeliretur, tulerunt corpus ejus, eodem atque cum regalibus exequiis, humaverunt. And with respect to his command,whilest living, that in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery atAmbresbury,prepared by him, he would be buried, they took his body and with royall solemnities enterred him there.
Furthermore, atAmbresbury, that is,Ambrosehis Town, (Camdentels us)Cam. fo. 254.certain ancient Kings, by report of theBritishstory, lay interred. WhetherA. Ambrosiuswas one of them, or no, I argue not; yet the same Author saith,Ambrose Aurelianusgave name unto the place. And why not, he being buried there, as well, as upon the translation of the body ofEdmundthat most Christian King, the Town ofEdmundsburyinSuffolkwas so called?
It manifestly hence appears,Stonehengno Sepulchre, either erected byA. Ambrosius, or by theBritishNobility, or to any of their memories. Some Monument there was, perhaps, anciently set up in honour of them, at the Monastery ofAmbresbury. Which, the fury of theSaxonswhen victorious, or violence of time, which destroyeth all things, utterly consuming, might happily be the reason, Historians in succeeding Ages, finding so notable anAntiquityasStoneheng, not far from thence, and not apprehending for what use it was first built, suppos’d no other thing worthyA. Ambrosius, or thoseBritans, then such an extraordinary structure. Whereas, the Monuments in those ancient times, made for great Princes here inBritain, were onely two Pyramids between which interred, of no extraordinary bignesse erected to their memory in whate’re Religious places those Princes lay buried. Moreover, if seriously take notice of the severall sorts of Sepulchres used by divers Nations, none are found bearing likeAspectwith this workStoneheng, but of other kinde ofArchitecture, far different inForm,Manner, andComposure. Some, made of one Columne onely; or, if otherwise, only a vase erected on the place of buriall, as amongst theAthenians: Some, had a Columne whereon the shields used in War by the deceased, whilst living, were fixt, as in those medals of silver, which theRomanSenate dedicated toVespasian: Some, a Columne with a Statue thereon; so the famous Columne ofTrajanhad aColossuson thetop thereof, as by his medals also appears. Again, theGaulson the tops of Mountains, erectedPyramid’sorColumnes, as Monuments to their Princes. TheSaxonswere buried (as said before) in huge heaps of earth, to this day visible among us. TheKeepof the nowCastellS.AngeloatRomewas the Sepulchre of the EmperourAdrian. (such mighty moles were the Monuments of theRomans) TheGreekserectedAltars, and instituted Sacrifices to the memory of theirChieftains, as theSpartanstoLysander: The renownedCarianQueen made theMausoleumfor her husband, a massie bulk of building, 140 foot high: The hugePyramid’sinÆgyptcausing such wonder in the world, were Sepulchres ofÆgyptianKings. In a word, amongst all Nations, Sepulchres whether little or great, were always reall and solid piles; not airous, with frequent openings, and void spaces of ground within, exposed to Sun and wind, neither uncovered like thisAntiquity; or in any manner so built, as may enforce the least presumption, that this ourStonehengwas ever a Sepulchre.
I have given you a full relation what concerningStonehenghath been delivered by Writers, in respect of us though ancient, yet in regard of the great antiquity of thisWork, indeed but modern,Geffrey Monmouthliving not full five hundred years ago, andPolydore Virgilllong after him, in KingHenrythe eighths reign: Who, as they are the principall Authors that write any thing ofStoneheng; so, upon what authority deliver the same, they make not appear. Insomuch,Camdengives no more credit to their relations in this very particular, then unto common sayings, (so he cals them) as if grounded uponFameonly, or invented by themselves. And it may the rather be so presumed, because, as they lived not in ancient times, and consequently could not themselves bear testimony of any such things; so, neither theBritansnorSaxonsfor a long time after their first arrivall here, had any Records or Writings to convey whatever actions, either of their own, or others to posterity.NinniusaBritishHistorian, living about one thousand years ago, telling us,Britannosdoctores nullam peritiam habuisse, &c. The great Masters and Doctors ofBritainhad no skill, nor left memoriall of any thing in writing: confessing, that himselfgathered whatsoever he wrote, out of the Annals and Chronicles of the holy Fathers. NecSaxonesamusi quicquam penè de rebus inter ipsos, &Britannoseo tempore gestis scriptum posteritati reliquerint, &c.Neither did theSaxonsbeing unlearned(saithLeyland)Leyland. de assert. Art. fol. 25.leave almost any thing in writing to posterity, of the actions performed in those times betwixt themselves andBritans:whatsoever, remembred after Christ taught in this Island, of the first victories of theSaxons,being both taken up upon trust from the mouth of the common people, and committed to writing from vulgar reports only. Neither theBritans,utterly worn out with so many wars, had(as the same Author hath it)or desire, or opportunity, had they desired it, to bestow their pains in compiling any whatever history, that might commend their actions to succeeding Ages.
But, it maybe objected: IfPolydore Virgill, andGeffrey Monmouthcould neither be eye-witnesses themselves, nor have authority from other more ancient Authors for what related by them concerningStoneheng: and that from whatever writings ancient or modern, not any thing of certainty can be found out concerning the same; from whence then appear, for what use, or by whomStonehengerected? I answer, though not appear from Histories written either by theBritansorSaxons; yet, asGildasprofessing he wrote his History (for the former reasons)by relations from beyond Sea: and, asNinniushisout of the Annals and Chronicles of the holy Fathersas aforesaid: so, severall other ways a possibility of truth may be gathered, namely, from the authority of other Nations; from the concurrence of time for such undertakings; from the customs of forepassed Ages in like works; from the manner and form of building proper to severall Countries; from the use to which such buildings applied, and the like. Upon which, as occasion serves, intending hereafter more largely to insist, I shall in the mean while set down the judgement our late Writers give of thisAntiquity.
Camden, a diligent searcher after Antiquities of our Nation, having, in hisChorographyofWiltshire, collected all the aforesaid opinions, together with his own, gives a summary description ofStoneheng, in words as follow.Cam. fo. 251.Towards the North, about six miles fromSalisbury,in the plain, is to be seen a huge and monstrous peece of work, such asCicerotermethinsanam substructionem.For, within the circuit of a ditch, there are erected in manner of a Crown, in three ranks or courses one within another, certain mighty and unwrought stones, whereof some are twenty eight foot high, & seven foot broad, upon the heads of which others, like overthwart peeces, do bear and rest cross-wise, with a small tenon and mortaise, so as the whole frame seemeth to hang; whereof we call itStoneheng,like as our old Historians termed it for the greatness the Giants dance. Our Countrimen reckon this for one of our wonders, and miracles. And much they marvell, from whence such huge stones were brought, considering that in all those quarters bordering thereupon, there is hardly to be found any common stone at all for building: as also, by what means they were set up. For mine own part about these points I am not curiously to argue and dispute, but rather to lament with much grief, that the Authors of so notable a Monument are thus buried in oblivion. Yet some there are, that think them to be no naturall stones hewn out of the rock, but artificially made of pure sand, and by some glewy and unctuous matter knit and incorporate together, like as those ancient trophies or monuments of victory which I have seen inYorkshire.And what marvell? Read we not I pray you inPliny,that the sand or dust ofPuteoli,being covered over with water, becometh forthwith a very stone, that the cisterns inRomeof sand, digged out of the ground, and the strongest kind of lime wrought together grow so hard, that they seem stones indeed? and that statues and images of marble scalings, and small grit grow together so compact and firm, that they were deemed entire and solid marble? The common saying is, thatAmbrosius Aurelianus,or his brotherUtherdid rear them up, by the art ofMerlin,&c.Thus farCamden, it being needlesse to repeat more from him, having already delivered the story from the Authors themselves. Yet here neverthelesse, as necessarily induced thereunto, I shall take leave to observe something more remarkable to our purpose in hand, upon his words.
In the first place then,Stonehengis by him calleda huge and monstrous peece of work, terming it fromCicero, insanam substructionem. To which I say, hadCamdenas well attained other abilities of anArchitect, as he was skilfull inAntiquities: or been as conversant inAntiquitiesabroad, as learned in those of his own Nation, he would have given a far different judgement hereof. For, whosoever is acquainted with the ancient ruines yet remaining in and aboutItaly, may easily perceive this no such huge building, either for the circuit of the work, or bignesse of the stones, they being as manageable to theRoman Architects, as amongst us to raise a May-pole, or mast of a Ship. And, if this styledhugeandmonstrous, what may be said ofDiocletiansbaths? the greatCirque?Marcellushis Theater?Vespasians Temple of Peace? and other prodigious works of theRomans? the very remainders whereof now lying in the dust, breed amazement and wonder (not without just reason too) in whosoever beholds them with attentivenesse and judgement. Nay, whereas he styles itinsanam substructionem, it’s demonstrable, that betwixt this Island of greatBritain, andRomeit self, there’s no one structure to be seen, wherein more clearly shines those harmoniacall proportions, of which only the best times could vaunt, then in this ofStoneheng.
Moreover,Our Countreymen marvell(saith he)from whence such huge stones were brought, considering that in all those quarters bordering thereupon, there is hardly to be found any common stone for building. Upon what trustCamden(his extraordinary judgement otherwise considered) took this relation, I know not. For there is not onely common stone thereabouts, for ordinary uses, but stone of extraordinary proportions likewise, even for greater works (if occasion were) thenStoneheng: the Quarries ofHasselboroughandChilmark, both of them not far from the borders of the plain, having of a long time furnished all the adjacent parts with common stone for building. And (to come nearer the matter) it is manifest, that in divers places about the Plain, the same kinde of Stonewhereof thisAntiquityconsists may be found, especially aboutAiburyin North-Wiltshire, not many miles distant from it, where not onely are Quarries of the like stone, but also stones of far greater dimensions then any atStoneheng, may be had.
They wonder also(saith he)by what means they(that, is such huge stones)were set up. What may be effected by thatMechanicall Art, whichDeein hisMathematicall PrefacetoEuclyde, calsMenadry, orArt of ordering Engines for raising weights; those (it seems) of whomCamdenspeaks took little notice of, whenArchimedesduring the siege ofSyracuse,Plut. in Marcel.raised out of the Sea, and turned in the air at pleasure, the Ships and Gallies of theRomans, full fraught as they were with Souldiers, Mariners, and their ordinary lading: and if KingHieroncould have assigned him, a fit place to firm his engines on, he would have undertaken to remove, even the terrestriallGlobeout of the worldscenter, so high, perfection in thisArttransported him. What should I say of theObeliskin Ages so far past, brought from the Mountains ofArmenia, and erected inBabylonbySemiramis, one hundred & fifty foot high, and at the base twenty four foot square of one entire stone?Est in fanoLatonæ (saithHerodotusHerod. lib. 2.of his own knowledge)delubrum ex uno factum lapide, cujus parietes æquali celsitudine ad longitudinem quadragenum cubitorum, cujus lacunari, pro tecto impositus est alius lapis quatuor cubitorum per oras crassitudine. In the Temple ofLatona (inÆgypt)is a Chappell formed of one stone, whose walls being of equall height, are in length forty cubits, covered in like manner with one sole stone four cubits thick. Those, which made this wonder would have much more admired, if they could have seen theObeliskraised in times of old by KingRamesisatHeliopolis,Ptol. lib. 4.Plin. lib. 36.in that part ofÆgyptanciently calledThebais, in height one hundred twenty one Geometrical feet (which of our measure makes one hundred thirty six feet) of one entire stone: and so little wonder made they of raising it, that the Architect undertook and did effect it, the Kings own son being at the same time bound to the top thereof. Amongst theRomans,Augustus Cæsarerected in the great Cirque atRome, anObeliskof one stone, one hundred and twenty foot, nine inches long: another also, was set up inMarsfield, nine foot higher then it, by the said Emperour. And it seems also, neither they, norCamdensself had ever seen thatObelisk, which even in these our days, in the year one thousand five hundred eighty six,Sixtus Quintuscaused to be erected in thePiazzaof S.PeteratRome,Dom. Font. lib. 1.one hundred and eightRomanpalms high, and at the base twelve palms square, (according to our Assise, fourscore and one foot high, and nine foot square) of one entire stone also:Dominico FontanabeingArchitect. But, there are more strange things (as SirWalter Raleighhath it) in the world, then betwixtLondonandStanes. It is want of knowledge inArtsmakes such admirers, andArtit self have so many Enemies. Had I not been thought worthy (by him who then commanded) to have been soleArchitectthereof, I would have made some mention of the great stones used in the work, andPorticoat the West end of S.PaulsChurchLondon, but I forbear; though in greatnesse they were equall to most in thisAntiquity, and raised to a far greater height then any there. What manner of Engines theAncientsused for raising; and what secure ways they had, for cariage and transportation of their huge weights, is more proper for another subject.
Some there are(saithCamden)that think them to be no naturall stones, hewn out of the rock, but artificially made of pure sand, and by some glewy and unctuous matter, knit and incorporate together, like those ancient trophies, or monuments of victory, which I have seen inYorkshire. As for these Monuments (for my part) I have not seen, otherwise I would give my sense upon them, and happily they may be found as far from being artificiall, as those atStoneheng.And what marvell?(saith he)read we not, I pray you, inPliny,that the sand or dust ofPuteoli,being covered over with water, becometh forthwith a very stone &c.He might as well have told us the Rocks inPortlandare artificiall. But it’s true, this sand ofPuteoli, was much used by theAncients, and it is such a kind of earth, as is very famous for its admirable effects in building, being tempered with the cement ofCuma: For, it not onely yeelds strength to all other buildings, but thereby also, all works made in the Sea under water, are most firmly consolidated. Yet, doe I not find, that ever theAncientsmade any artificiall stones thereof, or thatVitruviushath any thing to that purpose, to him the credit given toPliny, and others, concerning the Earth ofPuteoli, being only due; posterity being in the first place beholding unto him for finding out the nature of that earth, he giving us not only the effects thereof, but the cause also from whence those effects proceed.Hoc autem fieri hac ratione videtur, quòd sub his montibus(i.e.in regionibusBaianis,Vitr. lib. 2. cap. 6.& in agris, quæ sunt circaVesuviummontem) & terræ ferventes sunt, & fontes crebri, qui non essent, si non in imo haberent, aut de sulphure, aut alumine, aut bitumine ardentes maximos ignes. Which is(saith he)by reason in those mountains(to wit,in the regions ofBaiæ,and fields about mountVesuvius)the grounds are hot, and full of springs, which heat could not be, but that from the bottome, are nourished mighty great fires, arising from sulphur, alume, or brimstone there.Indeed, according toPliny, the sand upon the side of the hill ofPuteoli, being opposed to the Sea, and continually drenched, and drowned with the water thereof, doth (by the restringent quality, no doubt, of the salt water) become a stone so compact, and united together, that scorning all the violence of the surging billows, it hardeneth every day more and more.
Neverthelesse, whosoever could find out any kind of earth in this Island, naturally apt, to make artificiall stones of such greatnesse as these; and, like them so obdurate also, that hardly any tool enter them: or, that our Auncestors in times of old, did make use of such a cement, and in what manner composed by them. The benefit thereof doubtlesse, would amount so ample to this Nation, that Records could not but render him deservedly famous to all posterity. In the mean while, as it is most certain those stones atStonehengare naturall; so, am I as clearly of opinion, the very Quarries from whence hewn, were aboutAiburybeforementioned: where, no small quantities of the same kind, are even at this day to be had; vast scantlings, not only appearing about the Town it self, but throughout the plain and fields adjoyning, the Quarries lying bare, numbers also numberlesse of stones, are generally seen. (being no small prejudice to the bordering inhabitants) As also, not far from the edge ofWiltshire, in the ascent fromLamborntoWhitehorse hill, the like stones are daily discovered. To mention, more places in particular is needlesse, the Quarries at and aboutAibury(without relating toLamborn, or what ever other) distant but fifteen miles or thereabouts fromStoneheng, being of themselves sufficient to clear the doubt. These, having through long time, got the very same crustation upon them, are in like manner coloured, grained, bedded, weighty, and of like difficulty in working, as those atStoneheng. Some of which, being of a whitish colour, are intermixt and veined here and there with red: some, of a lightish blew, glister, as if minerall amongst them: some, for the most part white, perplexed (as it were) with a ruddy colour: some, dark gray and russet, differing in kinds as those stones atAiburydo. Some of them again, of a grayish colour, are speckled or intermixt with dark green, and white, together with yellow amongst it, resembling after a sort, that kind of marble which theItalians(from the valley where the Quarries are found) callPozzevera; nothing, notwithstanding, so beautifull, though naturally much harder, and being weathered by time, as in this work; disdain the touch even of the best tempered tool. Insomuch, that if nothing else, the more then ordinary hardnesse of them is such, as will in part convince any indifferent judgement in the nature and quality of stones; those, in thisAntiquity, are not (asCamdenwould have them) artificiall, but naturall.
Whatsoever, worthy admiration concerningStoneheng, either in relation to the greatnesse of the work in generall, the extraordinary proportion of the stones in particular, the wonder the people make, from whence brought, by whatArts or Engines raised, and in such order placed,Camdendelivers; certainly, in his judgement he was wholly opposite to the opinions of the aforesaidBritishHistorians. He would never else, with so much regret have complained,The Authors of so notable a Monument lay buried in oblivion, had he given any the least credit, thisAntiquityhad been built, either byA. Ambrosius, or theBritishNobility, or to eternize either of their names, or actions to succeeding generations. LetGeffrey Monmouthand his followers, say what they please,Henry Huntingdon(his Contemporary, if not more Ancient) is mine Author,H. Hunting, lib. 1.Nec potest aliquis excogitare, qua arte tanti lapides adeo in altum elevati sunt, vel quare ibi constructi sunt. No man knows(saithHuntingdon)for what causeStonehengerected, or(which is fully answered already)by what Art such huge stones were raised to so great a height. Take with you alsoDraytonsjudgement in hisPoly-olbioncouched under the fiction of oldWansdikesdepravingStoneheng. (Wansdikebeing a huge Ditch inWiltshireso called, anciently, asCamdenopines,Cam. fo. 241.dividing the two Kingdomes of theMertiansandWest Saxonsasunder)
Poly-olbion Cant. 3.Whom for a paltry ditch, whenStonendgepleas’d t’upbraid,The old man taking heart, thus to that Trophy said;Dull heap, that thus thy head above the rest doth reare,Precisely yet not know’st who first did place thee there;But Traytor basely turn’d toMerlinsskill dost flie,And with his Magicks dost thy Makers truth belie.
Whom for a paltry ditch, whenStonendgepleas’d t’upbraid,The old man taking heart, thus to that Trophy said;Dull heap, that thus thy head above the rest doth reare,Precisely yet not know’st who first did place thee there;But Traytor basely turn’d toMerlinsskill dost flie,And with his Magicks dost thy Makers truth belie.
Whom for a paltry ditch, whenStonendgepleas’d t’upbraid,The old man taking heart, thus to that Trophy said;Dull heap, that thus thy head above the rest doth reare,Precisely yet not know’st who first did place thee there;But Traytor basely turn’d toMerlinsskill dost flie,And with his Magicks dost thy Makers truth belie.
Whom for a paltry ditch, whenStonendgepleas’d t’upbraid,
The old man taking heart, thus to that Trophy said;
Dull heap, that thus thy head above the rest doth reare,
Precisely yet not know’st who first did place thee there;
But Traytor basely turn’d toMerlinsskill dost flie,
And with his Magicks dost thy Makers truth belie.
For, as for that ridiculous Fable, ofMerlinstransporting the stones out ofIrelandby Magick, it’s an idle conceit. As also, that old wives tale, that for the greatnesse it was in elder times called theGiants dance. The name of thedance of Giantsby which it is styled inMonmouth, hath nothing allusive, no not so much as to thetale he tels us, saith a modern Writer in the life ofNero Cæsar.
Furthermore, our modern HistoriansStowandSpeed,Speed lib. 7.Stow fo. 58. in 4o.tell us, in severall parts of the Plain adjoyning, have been bydigging found, peeces of ancient fashioned armour, and the bones of men, insinuating this as an argument, for upholding the opinions of theBritishWriters. To which, if they would have those to be the bones of the slaughteredBritans, how came those Armours to be found with them, they coming to the Treaty unarmed, and without weapons? Howsoever, what is done in the Plains abroad, concerns notStoneheng, Neither can any man think it strange, that in a place, whereFamehath rendred, so many memorable and fierce battels, fought in times of old, rusty armour, and mens bones should be digged up. It is usuall throughout the world in all such places, and (if I mistake not)Sandsin his Travels, relates, that even in the Plains ofPharsalia, such like bones and Armour, have lately been discovered: and SirHenry Bluntin that notable relation of his voyage into theLevant, speaks with much judgement of thosePharsalianfields. Likewise, the aforesaid Writers,Cam. fo. 194.Speed lib. 7.might well have remembred, some of themselves deliver, that atKambulan, orCambulainCornwall, such habiliments of War have been digged up, in tillage of the ground, witnessing either the fatall field, sometimes there fought, whereMordredwas slain byArthur, andArthurhimself received his deaths wound: or else, the reliques of that battel betwixt theBritansandSaxons, in the year eight hundred and twenty. ’Tis true, the relation conduces much towards confirming, that ancient custome of theSaxons, formerly recited out ofLeyland, considering especially, not far from thisAntiquity, lie certain hillocks, at this day commonly called theseven Burrows, where it may be presumed, somePrinces, orNoblesof theSaxonNation lie interred. But, thatStonehengshould therefore be a place of buriall, the aforesaid relation to maintain the same is nothing worth.
They adde moreover, the stones yet remaining are not to be numbred, according as our NobleSydneyin his Sonnet of the wonders ofEngland.
NearWiltonsweet, huge heaps of stone are found,But so confus’d, that neither any eyeCan count them just, nor reason reason try,What force brought them to so unlikely ground.
NearWiltonsweet, huge heaps of stone are found,But so confus’d, that neither any eyeCan count them just, nor reason reason try,What force brought them to so unlikely ground.
NearWiltonsweet, huge heaps of stone are found,But so confus’d, that neither any eyeCan count them just, nor reason reason try,What force brought them to so unlikely ground.
NearWiltonsweet, huge heaps of stone are found,
But so confus’d, that neither any eye
Can count them just, nor reason reason try,
What force brought them to so unlikely ground.
This, though it scarcely merits an answer, yet, to satisfie those which in this point may be curious, let them but observe the orders of the Circles, as they now appear, and not passe from one to another confusedly (noting neverthelesse where they begin) and they’ll find the just number easie to be taken.
Now, though whether in order to the Place it self where thisAntiquitystands, orPersons, by whomStonehengpretended to be built, enough laid, to wave the reports upon fancy, or common Fame, formerly delivered: to the state ofTimeneverthelesse, wherein theBritishHistories would have it erected, because nothing by me hath yet been spoken, I will therefore adde, ’tis not probable such a work asStonehengcould be then built. For, although ourBritans, in ancient time possessed, together with theRomancivility, all goodArts, it is evident during the reign ofA. Ambrosius(about the first coming in of theSaxonshere, and towards the later end of the fifth Century, as Historians and Chronologists compute it) in the last declining of theRomanEmpire, theArtsofDesign, of whichArchitecturechief, were utterly lost even inRomeit self, much more inBritain, being then but a Tempest-beatenProvince, and utterly abandoned by theRomans.Britain, therefore, being over-run with enemies, and the knowledge ofArtsthen lost amongst them: none, questionlesse, can reasonably apprehend so notable a work asStonehengcould in such times be built.
That, amongst theRomansandBritansboth,A. Ambrosiusgoverning here, all Sciences were utterly perished, is evidently manifest. For, theGothshad then invadedItaly; and that vast Empire drooping with extreme Age, by the fatall irruption of strange Nations, was not only torn in peeces,butBarbarismehaving trod learning under foot, and the sword bearing more sway then letters, or learned men, all Sciences were neglected; and particularly that ofBuildingfell into such decay, that till of late about the year one thousand five hundred and ten, it lay swallowed up, and (as I may so say) buried in oblivion. When oneBramanteof the Dutchy ofUrbin,Serl. lib. 3.attaining admirable perfection inArchitecture, restored to the world again, the true rules of building, according to those Orders, by the ancientRomansin their most flourishing times observed. Furthermore, not onely liberall Sciences andArchitecture, butArtmilitary also, about the time ofA. Ambrosius, was so far lost amongst theRomans, that they were ignorant, yea, in the very rudiments of War. Insomuch, (asProcopiusin his second Book of theGothickWars relate)Barbarismhad bereft them of the skill, even in what manner to sound a retreat.
With us here also, theSaxonsdomineer’d over all, andA. Ambrosiuswith theBritanshad enough to do, in endeavouring the recovery of their lost Countrey from a mighty prevailing Enemy, that in few years afterwards (maugre all the ways which force or policy could invent) conquered the whole Nation. Among other calamities attending that miserable Age,Camden(fromWilliamofMalmsbury) directly to the purpose in hand tels us.W. Malmes. fol. 8.Camden fo. 87.Cum Tyranni nullum in agris præter semibarbaros, nullum in urbibus præter ventri deditos reliquissent: Britanniaomni patrocinio juvenilis vigoris viduata, omni Artium exercitio exinanita, conterminarum gentium inhiationi diu obnoxia fuit. When the Tyrants(to wit, theRomans)had left none in the Countrey but half Barbarians, none in the Cities and Towns, but such as wholly gave themselves to belly-cheer; Britain,destitute of all protection, by her vigorous young men, bereaved ofall exercise, and practice of good Arts,became exposed for a long time to the greedy, and gaping jaws of Nations confining upon her.
Here you have it from an Author, more ancient thenG. Monmoutha little, though both lived in one age, the times aboutA. Ambrosiusgovernment, whether before, during his reign, or after, were so full of miseries, that he complains,none then employed, or exercised in any whatever works belonging toArt. They had somthing else (as appears by divers Writers) to think upon, all their abilities being insufficient to defend their Countrey from forein servitude, their Cities and Towns from ruine, and destruction, and their habitations from rage of cruell and insolent enemies, robbing, spoiling, burning, wasting, all before them: to which,Gildas.plague, pestilence, and famine being joyned, the inland part of theIsland, even to the WesternOceanwas welnear totally consumed.
Besides, the Countrey was so oppress’d, what with outward hostile miseries, what with intestine tumults and troubles: that, had they not lost thepractice of all Arts(as the former Historian saith they had) so far were they from erecting any work of this kind, that they were compelled to abandon their Towns, and houses, built in times foregoing by their Auncestors, and betake themselves to mountains, caves, and woods for shelter. Now, if the calamities of those times hung over theBritansheads, in so generall manner, that not one amongst them had leisure to put pen to paper, (as fromLeylandbefore remembred) much lesse able were they, without all peradventure, to undertake so great a work asStoneheng, wherein, as all rationall men must grant, numbers of men employed, and many years taken up, before brought to its absolute perfection.
But, nothing can better expresse the ignorance of that Age, then the barbarous manner of inscription upon the Tomb of theBritish HectorKingArthur, nephew toA. Ambrosius, found long since in the Churchyard of the Abbey atGlastenbury, the letters whereof, being exactly represented to our view byCamden,Cam. fo. 228.do, as by demonstration, fully discover to us the Barbarism of those times. As, barbarous in those characters, so were they ignorant in, and had lost the use of all otherArts.Nor exercise nor practice of good Arts, was then amongst them, saith the Historiographer ofMalmsbury. And well he might so deliver himself, not withstandingMatthew Westminstertels us,A. AmbrosiusrepairedChurches, which the rage ofSaxons, enemies toChristian Religion, spoiled. For, besides, the vast difference betwixt such works asStoneheng, whereArtovermasters the common skill of man, and making up the decaies of ruinated buildings, is apprehensive even to the meanest capacities:GildasandBede(whose Antiquity and learning the greater it is, the more is their authority acceptable) affirm, theBritansin those times knew not in what manner to bring up bare wals of stone. When, theRomanLegion sent to aid theBritansbyValentinianthe third, under the conduct ofGallioofRavenna, was remanded hence, for defence ofFrance; before departing, they exhorted theBritansto make a wall overthwart theIsland, to secure themselves from theBarbarians,Picts, andScots: which wall,Bedetels us,was made not so much with stone, as turffes, considering they had no workmen to bring up such works of stone; and so, (saith the venerable Historian)they did set up one, good for nothing. ’Twas made by the rude, and unskilfull common multitude, not so much of stone, as turffes(saithGildasalso)none being found able to give direction for building works of stone. This was about thirty six years precedingA. Ambrosiusgovernment. In which time, theRomansabandoningBritain,Vortigernusurped; call’d in theSaxonsto his aid; was deposed by his Nobility; andVortimerhis son set up. WhomRowenahaving made away;Vortigernwas re-enthronis’d. HimA. Ambrosiusinvades, and having burnt him, together withRowenainWales, assumes the Crown as his; holding continuall war with theSaxons, untill poysoned byPascentiusas aforesaid.
It being thus, that nothing but universall confusion, and destructive broyls of war, appeared then in all parts; more ancient, and far more propitious times, must be sought out for designing a structure, so exquisite in the composure as this: even such a flourishing Age, as whenArchitecturein rare perfection, and suchPeoplelookt upon, as by continuall successe, attaining unto the sole power overArts, as well asEmpires, commanded all. I say, suchTimes, andPersons, because those things, which accord not with the course of time, which by a generall consent of Authors agree not; which by the approved customes of ancient Ages, and votes of learned men, are not received and allowed, and consequently no ways probable; I easily admit not of.
Another fiction there is concerningStoneheng, not to be past over; and though the cause upon which it’s grounded, be far more ancient then the government ofAmbrosius, or aforesaid slaughter of theBritains: neverthelesse, in respect it is a new conceit, not thirty years being past since hatch’t, I suppose this the most proper place to discourse thereof, having ended withGeffrey Monmouth,Polydore Virgill, and their followers.
The Author thereof isAnonymus, unlesse known in being Translator ofLucius Florus. His opinion, (in hisNero Cæsar)Stonehengthe Tomb ofBoadicia(formerly remembred) Queen of theIceni.Ner. Cæs. fo. 181.His reasons, first, because that memorable battell betwixt her, andSuetonius Paulinusfought upon a Plain. Secondly, in respect theBritansburied her magnificently. For confirming this, he tels us,Had the pretieus volumes of theCornelianAnnals, andDio Cassius,andJohn Xiphilinebeen within the spheare ofGeffrey Monmouthsstudies, notAurelus Ambrosius,nor those four hundred and sixty Noblemen ofBritain,murthered inVortigernsreign, should have carried away with him the fame of this materiall wonder, but magnanimousBoadicia. It seems, he would not be behinde-hand withMonmouth; for, as the one finding no story more famous then ofA. Ambrosiusand the slaughteredBritans, fatheredStonehengupon them: so, to make the inventive faculty, as apparently predominant in himself; this other, respectingBoadicia’sheroicall actions, would as willingly make the world beleeve thisAntiquityher Monument.
His principall argument I delivered before; to wit, the battell betwixt Her and theRomans, whereinBoadiciautterly overthrown too, being fought upon a Plain. Was there in old time (did he think) no Plain inBritainto fight a battell on butSalisburyPlain? How cameBoadiciaand her Armythither? I find indeed,Boadicialeading one hundred and twenty thousand fighting men out of theIcenianCountries, and like a terrible tempest, falling uponCamalodunum, that famousRomanColony of old, (where the first fury of the War was felt) she surprised it and razed it to the ground;Suetonius Paulinusthen inAnglesey: InterceptingPetilius Cerealis, who advanced with the ninth legion to relieve that Colony, she cut all his Infantry in peeces: Putting to the sword all those, which imbecillity of sex, tediousnesse of age, or pleasure of the place detained from followingSuetoniusin his march fromLondon: And takingVerulamium, sackt and burnt it down to ashes. But, how she marcht from thence toSalisburyPlain is neither apparent nor probable; not the least inkling being left in the world, what hostile acts she committed, which way she moved, or what done by her, after the ruine ofVerulam, till utterly overthrown.
Can it be imagined, she that destroyed so great a Colony, together with a free-borough of theRomans, slain seventy or eighty thousand persons in such horrid manner as scarce credible; reserving not one Prisoner alive, but killing, hanging, crucifying, and burning whatsoeverRomane, or to that party enclined: that was yet victorious, and her Army encreasing daily; can it be imagined, I say, she marcht toSalisburyPlain with so huge an Army invisibly? or stole fromVerulamthither by night, lest notice should be taken of her proceedings?Anonymusself cannot think so unworthily of hisBoadicia, yet certainly after such manner she went, if ever went thither at all: Otherwise,Boadiciamarching in the height of glory, and bearing down all before her till rancountred bySuetonius. Those faithfull HistoriansTacitus, andDion, (both so sedulous in delivering her Fame to posterity) would never have omitted so notable a march, through such a large tract of enemies Countrey, as of necessity she was to make fromVerulam, toSalisburyPlain; but would have prosecuted her War, by recording the spoyls, rapines, burnings, and devastations made therein; as particularly, as from the first fomenting the rebellion, tillher advance toVerulam, they have done. Upon which Town, and the aforementioned places only, the aforesaid Historians directly tell us the whole burden of the War fell.Tacit. Ann. lib. 14.Ad Septuaginta millia civium & sociorum iis quæ memoravi locis occidisse constitit, saithTacitus.It was manifest, there were slain in the places, I have remembred, the number of seventy thousand Citizens and Allies.Bunduicaduas urbes(saithXiphilines DionDion. Cas. lib. 62.also)populiRomaniexpugnavit atque diripuit, in iísque cædem infinitam, ut supradixi, fecit.Bunduicatook and razed to the ground two Towns of theRomans,and in them made that infinite slaughter, I have mentioned before, of fourscore thousand persons. AtVerulamthen, it fully appears, the course of her Victories stopt, the inhumane butchery of theRomans, and their confederates, ended with the massacre in that Town; which could not possibly have hapned, if with such a firm resolution to extirpate theRomanname inBritain, and such a numerous Army to effect it, she had gone on victoriously unfought with, so far as where thisAntiquitystands. And therefore the Plain ofSalisburycould not be the place of battell, asAnonymuswould fain enforce it. Who having so largely, and with so good advice, discoursed the motions, and actions of this rebellion, with all the circumstances thereof, from the first rise, till she destroyedVerulam, should either have found some warrantable authority forBoadicia’sso great an undertaking afterwards, else never engaged her so far within theRomanProvince; otherwise, some may imagine, he framed it, only out of ambition for a meer pretence, rather, then stated it, from a reall endeavour, to make discovery for what causeStonehengat first erected.
Furthermore,Suetonius Paulinuswas too well skilled in the discipline of war, to make the seat thereof in a Countrey so absolutelyRoman, as betwixt theBritishOcean and the RiverThames. He had it’s true (being return’d fromAnglesey) abandonedLondon, no colony. But upon what result? finding his accesse of strength disproportionable to the War in hand, and thereforeTacit. Ann. lib. 14.determined with the losse of one Town to preserve the rest whole, (whetherLondonorCamalodunumis not tothe purpose) and, by attending the motions of the enemy, wait all fair occasions to giveBoadiciabattell,Dion. Cass. lib. 62.being unwilling to try his fortune too suddenly, multitude and successe making theBritansoutrageously daring. In the interim neverthelesse, raising what forces, the exigency of so important affairs would permit.
Which waySuetoniusmarched fromLondonis altogether omitted, yet if lawfull to conjecture, why not? to draw off the Forces ofCatus DecianusProcurator, (not long before fled intoGaul, for fear of this War) together with the remains ofPetilius Cerealistroops; quartered, asAnonymusconfesseth,Ner. Cæs. fo. 105.in those very camps yet appearing aboutGildsbroughandDaintryinNorthamptonshire, then, confining theIcenianDominion to the Westward. Which Troops therefore, lay doubtlesse, in very great danger if not timely relieved; especially in caseBoadiciashould conduct her Army that way; as, ere long afterwards she did so far asVerulam; this course being taken by her, not improbably, in pursuit ofSuetonius. Neither was it very dangerous for theRomanGenerall to lead his Forces that way, the Enemies main strength lying aboutCamalodunum. Howsoever, whether he marched up to them or no, concluded it is, he made his retreat towardsPœnius Posthumusencamped with thesecond Legionin the borders of theSilures, (nowHerefordshire,Radnorshire&c.) for whichLegion,Suetoniussending to have it brought up to his Rendezvouz, his commands being slighted, that strength failed him.The way whichSuetoniustook,Ner. Cæs. fo. 154.after his departure, was in mine opinion(saithAnonymus)towardsSevern,wherePœnius Posthumusencamped with the second Legion among theSilures. So alsoSpencerour famousEnglishPoet finds it. Whereby it appears,Suetoniusretreat was not Westward toSalisburyPlains, but Northerly towards thatsecond Legion. In this retreat, I may not omit,Anonymusconducts him over theThamesatLondon;Ner. Cæs. fo. 155.which if granted, and,that he kept the river upon his right hand still, untill engagingBoadicia, asAnonymussaith he did: then wasSuetoniusmarchfar awayindeed fromSalisburyPlain. Thecourse of that River winding, as we all know, throughBarkshireout ofOxfordshire, whereTamefrom the CountyBuckingham, andIsisfrom the edge ofGlocesterProvince, make their conjunction a little beneathDorchester. And, if keeping this coursestillby the Rivers side,Suetoniusmarcht alongst the banks ofCherwellalso, then mustAnonymus, whether he will or no, bring him up close toGildsbroughandDaintry, as aforesaid;Ner. Cæs. fo. 166.and thereby (for it is admittedCerealishorse-troops were at the fight) reconciling all opinions, upon his direct way towards thesecond Legion.
How far on, neverthelesse, towardPœnius PosthumusCampSuetoniusadvanced is uncertain; but, that the battell might be fought in some Plain aboutVerulam, or upon that rode, is not altogether improbable. (Especially considering part ofSuetoniusstrength consisted ofLondoners, who, asAuxiliariesfollowed him in this War, and would not stay behind). For, theRomanGenerall when marshalling his Army for fight, had with him (saithTacitus)the aids of the places adjoyning. What places were these? the lastplacenamed by him wasVerulam, the next place before itLondon; and, if the Historian intends either of these two, by theplaces adjoyningto the field, where the battell fought; then, mayAnonymusprove the desarts inAfrica, as soon as the Plains ofSalisbury, to be the place of Battell.
Spencersaith,Cant. 10.the battell was fought nearSevern: