34 Stonehenge and its Barrows. 



This description of Stonehenge is supplemented by an Appendix.^ 



A Review of Stonehenge by J. A. 

 "This ancient monument of Stoneheng Caxton^ reckons the 

 second Wonder of England. It stands within the Farme of West 

 Amesbury^ being part of the Inheritance of the wife of . . . Lord 

 Ferrars, of Chartley, who was daughter and heir of Lawrence 

 Washington, Esq. Upon what ground the writers call it Stoneheng, 

 I cannot tell. I have not seen the old Deeds ^ of this Estate : but 

 by the neighbourhood it is called Stonedge (i) stones set edgewise. 

 " In the first part of this Discourse I have sett downe only the 

 schemes of this Antiquity, because I would not perplex and confound 

 it with story. But having gone through that part which is com- 

 parative, I now come to the Historical, and Traditional part. It 

 hath been toucht at by severell Pennes, Historians and Poets. 



Sir Philip Syd- ' Neer Wilton sweet, huge heapes of stonee are found, 

 ney in his Sonnets. But SO confus'd, that neither any eie 



Can count them just, nor reason reason try 

 What force them brought to so unlikely ground.' 



" But this is a Poeticall excursion. 



See Dray ton^s Poly olbion with Mr. J.Selden:'s notes which insert here. 



[Here follows a long extract from Caxton^s Chron., cap. lix., with 

 the history of Ambrosius, Hengist^s massacre of the Britons, and 

 the transportation of the stones from Ireland.] 



" The Tradition amongst the common people is that these stones 

 were brought from Ireland as aforesayd by the conjuration of 

 Merlin (brother of Uter Pendragon) whereas indeed they are of 

 the very same kind of stones with the Grey Weathers about fourteen 



' Aubrey has here inserted an extract — ex libris antiquis abbatise Bathoniensis 

 " which Mr. Leland perused and quoted." It is very similar in substance to 

 the extract given above from the " Encomum Historiarum." 



' Note by Aubrey. — W. Caxton, part ii., cap. iiii. " Of Mervaillea and 

 Wonders." The second is at Stonehenge besides Salisbury. Ther ben grete 

 stones and wonder huge and ben rered on heygh as it were gates so that 

 ther semen gates sette upon othir gates. Netheles it is not knowen clerely nor 

 apperceyued how and wherfore they ben so arered and so wonderfully honged." 

 W. Caxton was a printer, temp. Hen. VI., in Westminster Abbey Church. 



^Note by Aubrey — November 7th, 1689. Mr. Baynham, of Cold Ashton, 

 (Gloc.) was steward to Lawrence Washington, Esq.; he tells me that he has 

 seen the original grant of Little Amesbury and Bulford, from William the 

 Conqueror, a little deed. 



