22 Stonehenge 'and its Barrows. 



there interred. In memory whereof this king Aurel caused this 

 Trophye to be set up. Admirable to posterityes both in forme and 

 quantitye. The matter thereof are stones of great bignes, conteyn- 

 yng twenty eighte foot and more in length and tenn in breadth, 

 these are set in ye ground by towe and a thrid laide gatewise over 

 thwart fastned with tenons and mortaises wrought in the same wch. 

 seeme very dangerous to all that passe thereunder. The forme is 

 rounde, and as it semeth hath been circulated with three rankes of 

 these stones^ many whereof are now fallen downe and the uttermost 

 standing contayneth in compass three hundred foot by measure of 

 assize. They all are roughe and of a graye colour, standing within 

 a trench that hath bene much deeper. In this place this forsayd 

 King Aurelius with 2 more of ye Britishe Kings his successours 

 have beene buryed with many more of their nobilitye and in this 

 place under little bankes to this daye are founde by digging bones 

 of mighty men and armoure of large and ancient fashion. Not farr 

 hence is sene the ruines of an ould fortresse thought by some to be 

 built there by the Romaines when this kingdom was possessed by 

 the Emperours.''' 



Speed^s " History of Britain/' second edition, 1672, p. 267, says, 

 " Unto this Aurelius Ambrosius is ascribed the erection of that rare 

 and admirable monument, now called Stonehenge, in the same place 

 where the Brltaines had been treacherously slaughtered and interred, 

 whose manner and forme in our draught of Wiltshire wee have in- 

 serted. The matter being stones of a great and huge bignesse, so 

 that some of them containe twelve tonne in waight and twenty 

 eight foote or more in length, their breadth seven and compasse 

 sixteene. These are set in the ground of a good depth, and standing 

 a round circle by two and two, having a third stone somewhat of 

 lesse quantity laid gate-wise over thwarte on their toppes fastened 

 with tenons and mortaises, the one into the other, which to some 

 seeme so dangerous as they may not safely be passed under, the 

 rather for that many of them are fallen downe and the rest suspected 

 of no sure foundation. Notwithstanding at my being there, I 

 neither saw cause of such feare, nor uncertaintie in accounting of 

 their numbers, as it is said to be. The stones are gray, but not 



I 



