90 Stonehenge and lis Barrows. 



hippodrom, which I discover'd, August 6, 17:J3."' He quotes 

 ]\Iacrobius to the effect that " upon holy days dedicated to the gods, 

 there are sacrifices, feasts, games aud festivals. For a sacred so- 

 lemnity is, when sacrifices are offer'd to the gods, or holy feastings 

 celebrated, or games performed to their honour, or when holy days, 

 are observ'd." " This great work " (the cursus) , he continues, " is 

 included between two ditches running east and west in a parallel, 

 which are 350 foot asunder. The cursus, which is two miles long, 

 has two entrances (as it were) : gaps being left in the two little 

 ditches. And these gaps, which are opposite to each other, in the 

 two ditches, are opposite to the straight part of Stonehenge avenue. 

 . . . The east end of the cursus is composM of a huge body of 

 earth, a bank or long barrow J thrown up nearly the whole breadth 

 of the cursus. This seems to be the plain of session, for the judges 

 of the prizes and chief of the spectators. The west end of the cursus 

 is curv'd into an arch, like the end of the Roman circus's, and there 

 probably the chariots ran round, in order to turn again. And there 

 is an obscure barrow or two, round which thty return 'd^ as it were 

 a meta. The cursus is directly north from Stonehenge; so exactly, 

 that the meridian line of Stonehenge passes precisely through the 

 middle of it." To return from the cursus to the avenue, we must 

 not neglect Stukeley's description of the latter : " This avenue ex- 

 tends itself, somewhat more than 1700 feet, in a straight line, down 

 to the bottom of the valley, with a delicate descent. I observe the 

 earth of the ditches is thrown inward, and seemingly some turf on 

 both sides, thrown upon the avenue, to raise it a little above the 

 level of the downs. The two ditches continue perfectly parallel to 

 the bottom, 40 cubits asunder. About midway, there is a pretty 

 depressure, natural, which diversifies it agreeably . . . When I 

 began my inquiries into this noble work, I thought it terminated 

 here, and Mr. Roger Gale and myself measurM it so far with a chain. 

 Another year I found it extended itself much farther. For at the 



'Page 41, ed. 1740. 

 'This was examined by Dr. Thurnam unsuccessfully as regards primary, but 

 saocessfuUy as regarded secondary, interments. 



