162 Bibliography of Stonehenge and Avebury. 



1655. Jones and Webb believed the monument to be a Roman 

 temple in honour of the god Coelus, erected about the time of 

 Agricola (79 A.D.). This conclusion was attacked by Dr. Charleton 

 in his Chorea Gigantmn (1663), who assigned the monument to the 

 Danes ; and defended by Webb in his " Vindication" (1665). 



To this period Aubrey belongs, who was the first to affirm that 

 both Avebury and Stonehenge were " Pagan Temples," and probably 

 " Temples of the Druids " ; but unfortunately nearly all his 

 work was left unpublished at the tmie of his death in 1697. 

 Sammes (1676) propounded a Phoenician theory; while Dr. Plot 

 (1686) followed Aubrey in favour of the "Ancient Britons," which 

 latter theory Gibson (1695), and Toland (died 1722) also supported. 



Group V. Eesbarch extended to the Surrounding Districts : 

 A.D. 1740 to A.D. 1849. In the two volumes upon Stonehenge 

 (1740), and Abury (1743), by Dr. Stukeley, we mark a great 

 advance. This keen observer went outside the actual stone circles, 

 and discovered the " avenues " leading to them ; and also the 

 " cursus " near Stonehenge. But, more important still, he associated 

 the harroivs which stud the plain with the great monuments around 

 which they cluster, and he opened several of them. Stukeley 

 strongly supports the Druidical theory, and dates Stonehenge at 

 460 B.C. ; and Abury in " the year of the death of Sarah, Abraham's 

 wife, 1859 B.C." ! 



Following Stukeley we get the volumes of Wood (the Bath 

 architect), 1747 ; and then the first guide-book to Stonehenge 

 (c. 1750). Dr. John Smith (1770) was the first to see an astro- 

 nomical meaning in Stonehenge ; and in this he has been followed 

 by Waltire (c. 1790); Maurice (1796); Ptev. E. Duke (1846); and 

 many others ; ending with the accurate work by Lockyer and 

 Penrose in 1901. 



In this fifth group we may also mention the books by Gough (1780 

 and 1789); King (1799); Britton (1801 to 1825); Rev. E. Davies 

 (1804); and especially the splendid folios of Sir R. C. Hoare's 

 "Ancient Wiltshire" (1812 — 20); in the preparation of which 

 Mr. W. Cunnington (I.) and others lent much aid. We may close 

 this group with a reference to Algernon Herbert's learned work — 



