By the Rev. W. C. Lukis. 161 



Reviewer of a " Hand-book for Travellers in Wilts, Dorset, and 

 Somersetshire," in the Quarterly Review of July, 1860, adopts 

 Mr. Herbert's view. "Pending some more systematic investigation, 

 we may rest content with the approximate certainty that all the 

 great stone monuments of this country belong to the period that 

 elapsed between the departure of the Romans and the conquest of 

 the country by the Danes and Saxons," p. 211. 



How, I say, are these differing scholars to be reconciled ? One 

 is for making cromlechs to belong to a people older than the Celts, 

 and for an antiquity of 3000 years at least. The other is for 

 bringing them down to the end of the 4th century of the Christian 

 era. I am not going to undertake the task. When a subject like 

 the present belongs to a pre-historic age, a good deal must be left 

 to conjecture. All I would say with regard to my own belief is 

 that I most decidedly reject Mr. Herbert's view both as regards 

 cromlechs in general and Stonehenge in particular. It is not at 

 all complimentary to the highly civilized Romans as instructors, 

 and to the intelligence and aptitude of the Britons as learners, 

 after a schooling of 500 years, to suppose that after the departure 

 of the former, the latter should have degenerated into such a rude 

 uncivilized race as to be the authors of these buildings. For, 

 however we may dwell with wonder and astonishment upon the 

 gigantic physical efforts and great mechanical skill which produced 

 very many of them, they are after all the productions of rude 

 uncultivated minds. 



With regard to the other view, I admit that I do not see my 

 way. Upon the point of their antiquity I should be quite willing 

 to fraternize; for 3000 years would still bring cromlechs within 

 the Celtic period ; but I do not at present perceive any good reason 

 for supposing that they were the work of an anterior race to the 

 Celts. It should be first clearly proved that the Celtic races in 

 their earliest days of European residence were not only a tolerably 

 civilized people, but that they were possessed of metals and 

 acquainted with their use ; but there is no proof of this. The 

 trading of the Phoenicians with the Celts, from which period we 

 may perhaps date the commencement of their civilization, is only 



