By William Long, Esq. 11 



can do more towards the taking down these stones/ At this word 

 they all set to their engines with one accord, and attempted the remo- 

 val of the Giant's Dance. Some prepared cables, others sr^all ropes, 

 others ladders for the work ; but all to no purpose. Merlin laughed 

 at their vain efforts, and then began his own contrivances. At last, 

 when he had placed in order the engines that were necessary, he 

 took down the stones with an incredible facility, and withal gave 

 directions for carrying them to the ships, and placing them therein. 



" This done, they with joy set sail again to return to Britain, where 

 they arrived with a fair gale, and repaired to the burial-place with 

 the stones. When Aurelius had notice of it, he sent out messengers 

 to all the parts of Britain, to summon the clergy and people together 

 to the mount of Ambrius, in order to celebrate with joy and honour 

 the erecting of the monument. A great solemnity was held for 

 three successive days ; after which Aurelius ordered Merlin to set 

 up the stones brought over from Ireland, about the sepulchre, which 

 he accordingly did, and placed them in the same manner as they 

 had been in the Mount of Killaraus, and thereby gave a manifest 

 proof of the prevalence of art above strength.'' 



On the death^ of Aurelius, his body was, according to Geoffrey 

 (British History, book viii.), buried by the bishops of the country, 

 near the convent of Ambrius, within the Giant's Dance, which in 

 his lifetime he had commanded to be made. Uther Pendragon 

 also, on his death, was carried by the bishops and'clergy of the 

 kingdom, to the convent of Ambrius, where they buried him with 

 regal solemnity, close by Aurelius Ambrosius, within the Giant's 

 Dance. 



This story held its groimd for 500 years. 



Dr. Guest writes about it ^ as follows, in the paper before alluded 

 to, " Amesbury signified the burgh of Ambres or Ambrosius. Ac- 

 cording to the Welsh triads, it was once the seat of a great monastery. 

 The three chief perpetual choirs of the isle of Britain : the choir of 



* Stillingfleet, and Hume after him, considered this story of the massacre of 

 the British as an invention of the Welsh to palliate their own weak resistance 

 and the rapid progress of the Saxons. Sir F. Palgrave and Lappenberg regarded 

 the entire history of Hengest as a fable. 



