332 * Abury Notes.” 
however, of these concentric circles or “ sanctuary,” and of the 
termination of the Kennet avenue, would at first sight appear to 
have been carefully made on the spot, though apparently from eye, 
aided only by measurements made by pacing. Even of this, how- 
ever, we shall see reason to doubt. His enumeration of the stones 
which formed the circles are given with great precision on the plan, 
as fifteen in the inner, and twenty-two in the outer circle. In face 
of so exact a statement it would have been natural to prefer Aubrey’s 
account of these circles to that of Stukeley, written seventy years 
later, when they were much dilapidated. Stukeley’s sketches were 
made in 1723, and we learn from him, that though only about a 
third of the stones were then in place, yet that “the vacancy of 
every stone was most obvious, and the hollows still left fresh” (p. 
31). Stukeley himself saw only about half the circles, but says he 
had abundant testimony as to their condition when complete, sixteen 
years previously. All this, however, shows that there was room for 
doubt as to the actual number of stones, and that it would be 
a question whether the express statement of the less careful Aubrey, 
who had the entire monument before him, should or should not be 
preferred to the computation of the laborious though speculative 
Stukeley, who could only study its imperfect remains. That 
Stukeley’s statement in this instance must be accepted rather than 
Aubrey’s, is however apparent from an early notice of these circles 
which is to be found in the curious work: “A Fool’s Bolt soon 
shott' at Stonage,”’ which is evidently by an eyewitness, and must 
have been written within a few years of Aubrey’s own description, 
and is as follows: “On seven burrowes hill, 4 miles west of Marle- 
burrow near London way, are 40 great stones sometimes standing, 
but now lying in a large circle, inclosing an inner circle of 16 stones, 
great stones, now lying also, testified to be an old British trophie 
by the Anglo-British name thereof (viz.) Seaven Burrowes and by 
those 7 huge burrowes very near it with fragments of men’s bones.”! 
1This piece was printed by Hearne, with Langtoft’s Chronicle, in 1725, 
These seven barrows appear to be the seofun beorgas of an Anglo-Saxon charter 
of the tenth century, referring to Kennet. (Cod. Dip., No. 571.) Wilts Arch, 
Mag., vi., 8327. In the “Fool’s Bolt” is a notice of a circle of stones near. 
Marlborough, evidently that marked fig. 2, plate 3, of Mr, Long’s ‘‘ Abury,”. 
