_Of the original name of_ Stonehenge, _and a conjecture of the
general time of building such kind of works. Of_ Wansdike, _by
whom made and when. Of_ Vespasian’s _camp_. Stonehenge _was
call’d the_ Ambers, _or_ Main Ambres: _which mean the anointed
stones,_ i. e. _the consecrated, the sacred stones. The meaning
of the word_ Ambrosia. _The_ Tyrian Hercules _brought the_
Druids _hither, with_ Abraham’s_ religion._ Apher _a grandson
of_ Abraham’s, _his companion._
I have inform’d the reader, to the best of my skill, what was, and
what is the state of _Stonehenge_, both above, and below ground.
I apprehend, it will be expected, that I should say somewhat,
concerning the antiquity and time of erecting these works, especially
of _Stonehenge_. But what can we say, of a matter so very remote?
where the oldest memoirs and reports of the oldest nation inhabiting
the island, can give us no satisfaction about it: but are as far to
seek, as to the founders of this wonderful work, as we are, at this
time, and are forced to apply to magic: in order to account for it.
Notwithstanding, I shall endeavour to satisfy the readers curiosity,
in this point, as well as I can; by giving him my own opinion about
it. Not doubting of his candour, in so arduous an attempt: which
may perhaps be an amusement to him, whether it gains his belief, or
not. Therefore, I shall recite, in short, what occurs to me, on this
subject. 1. As to the antiquity of these temples in general. 2. Of the
time of founding _Stonehenge_.
The former will anticipate, in some sort, what I promis’d, in treating
of the temples of the Druids in general. But I am naturally led to it,
here, by observing, that the name of the adjacent town of _Ambersbury_,
points out a relation to the work of _Stonehenge_, and to the ancient
name of it. For as we took notice at first, the present name of
_Stonehenge_, is purely _Saxon_, given by our latest ancestors, by
a people wholly strangers to the purport of the thing, that had no
notion, no report of its having once been a sacred place; and signifies
no more than hanging-stones, or a stone-gallows. The ancient _Britons_
call’d it _choir-gaur_, which the _Monks_ latiniz’d into _chorea
gigantum_, the giants dance; a name suited to the marvelous notion
they had of the structure, or of the reports of magic, concern’d in
raising it. But I had rather chuse to think _choir gaur_ in _Welsh_,
truly means, the great church; the cathedral, in our way of speaking.
A general title, which the _Welsh_ inhabitants, the remnants of the
_Belgæ_, conquer’d by the _Romans_, gave it; as well knowing the true
use of it, and even frequenting it in a religious way. Tho’ they had
driven off the first possessors of it, and the builders: I mean in
_Divitiacus_ his time, or sooner, before the _Roman_ invasion.
There is a very plain reason: that _Stonehenge_ was built, before the
_Wansdike_ was made, and _that_ was the last boundary of the _Belgic_
kingdom in _Britain_. The stones of which _Stonehenge_ is compos’d,
were fetcht from beyond that boundary, consequently _then_ an enemies
country. It seems not improbable, that the _Wansdike_ was made, when
this _Belgic_ kingdom was at its height, and that time we may well
guess at, from _Cæsar_. He tells us in _Bell. Gall. Lib._ II. 4. “the
_Belgæ_ are of _German_ original. By force of arms, they possess’d
themselves of the countries, south of the _Rhine_ and towards the
ocean, driving out the _Gauls_. They were a very warlike nation, and
could produce 100000 men in arms. That one of their kings _Divitiacus_,
in the memory of some then living, obtain’d the government, both of
great part of _Gaul_ and in _Britain_ too.” I believe the _Belgæ_ and
_Sicambri_, all one people of _German_ original. Our _Welsh_ call
themselves _Cymri_, and from them _Cumberland_ has its name. It is very
just to think this _Wansdike_ was made in the time of _Divitiacus_,
both because of the greatness of the work, suiting so potent a prince,
and because it is the last boundary: after that time, the _Roman_ power
swallowing up all divisions.
I judge, we may reasonably place the time of making the _Wansdike_,
about 50 years before _Cæsar_ wrote, we may say AUC. 650. _Divitiacus_
probably ordered it to be made in person. And it seems to have been
drawn from the upper end of the _Tees_ river, about _Whit-church_,
and _Andover_, in _Hampshire_: to the _Avon_ river, about _Bristol_.
These two rivers and the _Wansdike_ separated the _Belgic_ kingdom from
the old _Celtic Britons_. They by this means, were driven from this
beautiful country, and from their stately temple of _Stonehenge_, by
these powerful invaders. It is remarkable enough, that the inhabitants
of _Somersetshire_, the ancient seat of the _Belgæ_, retain still the
_Belgic_, liquidating pronunciation, _v_ consonant for _f_, _z_ for _s_.
The _Devizes_ is a town in the middle of the length of _Wansdike_, very
probably erected, among others, to secure this ditch or fortification.
It seems to have been the capital fort or frontier town, and to have
its name from the king, as a trophy or monument of his power: built by
him in person. _Anonymus Ravennas_ may possibly call it _Punctuobice_,
but we have no certainty, that his copy retains the word uncorrupt, or
that he transcribed it right: nor what alteration the _Romans_ made in
the original word, nor what was made in the later and barbarous times.
However there seems enough therein, as well as in the present name of
the town, to countenance our conjecture. The former part of the word
_punctuo_, which Mr. _Baxter_ thinks monstrous, may come, perhaps, from
the _German_ word _pooghen_, which signifies an arduous work, and might
regard the castle here, which is said to have been once, the strongest
in _Europe_. _Neubringensis_ calls it _Divisæ_. They tell us legendary
stories of its being built by an old _British_ king.
_Divisus_ was probably the name of this _Belgic_ Monarch, or _Duiguis_:
as _Gluiguis_ king of _Demetia_ in _Wales_ is wrote _Glivisus_ in
_Toland_, p. 186. and the termination may have been form’d into
_Latin_, from the _Celtic_ word _taeog_ _dux_. Whence, perhaps, the
_Etruscan Tages_, so much boasted of in their antiquities; likewise the
modern _Doge_ of _Venice_. So that _Divitiacus_ may well be _Divisus
dux_. The name of the _Wansdike_, I shewed to be purely _Celtic_, p. 4.
It is an ancient oriental custom to make these boundary ditches. Thus
the land belonging to the several tribes of _Israel_ was marked out
by a ditch, as we read in the accounts of the holy land. Particularly
the author of _le voyage de la terre sainte_, printed 1675. _Paris_,
p. 57. says, “he travell’d five or six miles along such a ditch going
from _Joppa_ to _Jerusalem_, which parted the tribes of _Benjamin_ and
_Judah_.” ’Tis recited _Joshua_ xv.
The monkish writers make much ado about _Aurelius Ambrosius_, a
christian king of the _Britons_ (in the time of our great ancestor
_Hengist_) building _Stonehenge_, by the help of _Merlin Ambrosius_ the
magician, in memory of the _British_ nobility slain treacherously by
_Hengist_, at _Ambresbury_. Some say the fact was committed _ad pagum
Ambri_, others call it _cœnobium Ambrij_, others _ad montem Ambrij_.
One while they refer the name to _Ambrosius_, another time to an Abbot
_Ambrius_, and this was among our _Roman British_ ancestors, who were
christians. They add too, that _Merlin_ fetch’d these stones out of
_Ireland_, that they had been brought before, out of _Africa_ into
_Ireland_: that he set them up here in the same form, by art magic; and
that the stones were of a medicinal Virtue. These matters we read in
_Girald. Cambrens._ de admirand. Hib. c. 18. _Higden_’s Polychron. v.
_Geoff. Monmouth_ VIII. _Matt. Westminster_, &c.
[Illustration: _P. 48._ TAB. XXV.
_Stukeley delin._ _Toms sculp._
_The Approach to Radfin fronting the Avenue of Stonehenge 8. June 1724_
A. _the avenue._ B. _the old Kings barrows._ C. _the new Kings
barrows._ D. _Vespasians camp._ E. _the beginning of the avenue._]
This calls to my memory, what the above-mention’d Dr. _Harwood_
inform’d me, he had heard the great Sir _Christopher Wren_ say,
that there were such structures as _Stonehenge_, in _Africa_, being
temples dedicate to _Saturn_. But I need not be tedious in observing,
how absurd the _Monkish_ reports are; of a christian king erecting
_Stonehenge_, as a sepulchral monument for the _British_ nobility,
massacred in the monastery of _Ambresbury_. At the same time they say,
their bodies were buried in the church-yard of the monastery. Nor how
they confound the names of _Ambrosius_ the king, _Ambrius_ the abbot,
the town, abby and mountain of _Ambry_, and perhaps of _Merlin_ too,
for one of them was call’d _Ambrosius_. But their affirming, the
edifice came out of _Africa_ into _Spain_, thence into _Ireland_,
thence into _Britain_, and of its being erected here in the same form,
by art magic; and that the stones are of a medicinal virtue: these
notions lead us to the original truth, of the Druid founders, and that
_Stonehenge_ had originally, the name of _Ambres_, and from it the
adjacent town of _Ambresbury_ had its name.
To pursue this matter a little further. Between _Stonehenge_ and the
town, hanging over the river, upon elevated ground is a fine and
ancient camp, commonly call’d _Vespasian_’s, and not without much
probability, attributed to him. We have often had occasion to mention
it before. That great man, destin’d by providence for executing his
final vengeance, on the people of the _Jews_, and thereby accomplishing
our Saviour’s predictions; by his successes in this place, pav’d a
road to the imperial dignity. Having conquer’d the isle of _Wight_, he
pursued his good fortune, higher up into this country, where he made
this camp, and another across the heath, call’d _Yanesbury_; which
seems to retain the latter part of his name. The camp we are speaking
of near _Ambresbury_, is an oblong square, nicely placed upon a flexure
of the river, which closes one side and one end of it. There is an old
barrow inclos’d in it, which, doubtless was one of those belonging
to this plain, and to the temple of _Stonehenge_, before this camp
was made. It is pretty to observe, that the road from _Stonehenge_
to _Ambresbury_, runs upon the true _via prætoria_ of the camp. The
Generals tent or _prætorium_ was in that part south of the road,
between it and the river, toward little _Ambresbury_. There is another
gate of the camp, at the lower end, northward, the _porta prætoria
ordinaria_, in the _Roman_ language. Now I apprehend, that _Stonehenge_
was originally call’d the _Ambres_, from thence this camp was call’d
_Ambresburgh_, and thence the name of the town underneath.
Mr. _Camden_ writes, “that near _Pensans_ in _Cornwall_, is a very
remarkable stone, call’d _main Ambre_, which tho’ it be of a vast
bigness, yet you may move it with one finger: notwithstanding a
great number of men cannot remove it from its place. The name is
interpreted the stone of _Ambrosius_.” A picture of it in _Norden_’s
history of _Cornwall_, p. 48. I have seen one of these rocking stones,
as call’d commonly, in _Derbyshire_. Mr. _Toland_ in his history of
the Druids, mentions it too, and says there are such in _Wales_ and
in _Ireland_. Sir _Robert Sibbald_ mentions them in _Scotland_, all
rightly judg’d to have been done by the Druids. Sir _Robert_ speaking
of the rocking stone near _Balvaird_ (or the _Bards_ town) in _Fife_:
“I am inform’d (says he) that this stone was broken by the usurper
_Cromwell_’s soldiers. And it was discover’d then, that its motion was
perform’d, by a yolk extuberant in the middle of the under surface of
the uppermost stone, which was inserted in a cavity, in the surface of
the lower stone.” This is the artifice of the stones at _Stonehenge_,
but applied here by the Druids for a moveable principle, as there, for
stability. I call them mortaise and tenon: and before observ’d them
to be of an egg-like form; which Sir _Robert_ calls a yolk. The _Main
Amber_ in _Cornwall_ was likewise destroy’d in the civil wars, by one
of _Oliver_’s governors. These reformers had a notion of these works
being superstitious matters. _Main Ambre_ is _lapis Ambrosius_, or
_petra Ambrosia_. And that name leads us to consider the famous _petræ
Ambrosiæ_, on the coins of the city of _Tyre_. A specimen of them, I
have drawn on the _Plate_ following.
[Illustration: _P. 50._]
These, and many more of the like sort, struck by the city of _Tyre_, in
honour of their founder _Hercules_, may be seen in _Vaillant_’s second
Volume of colony coins, _pag._ 69, 148, 218, 251, 337.
They represent two great, rough stones, call’d _petræ ambrosiæ_,
with an altar before them, and an olive tree; _Hercules_ the hero of
_Tyre_, the famous Navigator of antiquity, their founder, sacrificing.
On some of the coins _petræ ambrosiæ_ wrote in _Greek_. He is
represented indeed like the _Greek Hercules_, but in the latter times
of the _Roman_ empire, when these coins were struck, they at _Tyre_
were as far to seek about the true meaning and origin of their first
antiquities, as we of ours. And what knowledge they had of them,
was from legendary reports of the _Greeks_, who chiefly, among the
heathens, had the knack of writing. These reports, as we may find in
_Nonnus_ his _Dionysiacs_, 40. and 41. acquaint us, that _Hercules_
invented shipping, as a latin poet too intimates, _Tibullus_.
_Prima ratem ventis credere docta Tyrus._
They acquaint us that he ordered _Tyre_ to be built, where the _petræ
ambrosiæ_ stood, which were two moveable rocks, standing by an olive
tree. He was to sacrifice on them, and they should become fixt and
stable: rather, the City should be built with happy auspice, and become
permanent.
Here are our _Main Ambres_, made artfully moveable, a kind of altars,
or pillars, the same as the pillars of _Hercules_ so fam’d, and as
little understood. They were the original patriarchal altars, for
libations and sacrifices, and mean, in general, their Altars, whether
moveable or immoveable: or as we may speak, their temples, which
imply an altar properly, inclosed with stones and a ditch, or ground
dedicated and set apart for public celebration of religious rites.
For the word _Ambrosius_ means in general, consecrated, dedicated to
religious use.
Beside the _petræ ambrosiæ_ of _Tyre_, and our _main ambres_ of
_Britain_ and _Ireland_, we meet with another in _Hephæstion_’s History
III. 3. “Speaking of _Hercules_, he mentions the _Gygonian_ stone, as
he calls it, near the ocean, which may be mov’d with the stalk of an
_asphodel_, but can’t be remov’d by any force.” It seems this word
_Gygonius_ is purely _Celtic_. For _gwingog_ signifies _motitans_, the
rocking stone; and _gwgon_ is what the boys with us call a gig, or
little top. For these _Gygonian_ stones are of that shape, pyramidal.
[Illustration: TAB. XXVI. _P. 50._
_Prospect of Vespasians Camp near Ambersbury. Aug^{st}: 7. 1723_
_Prospect from the 7 barrows east of Ambersbury, to the opening of the
Avenue of Stonehenge, &c._