An Essay towards an History of 
Temples and Round Churches, 
- from “ the Architectural Anti- 
_ quities of Great Britain,” by John 
Britton, F, S.A. 
N a state of savage nature, the 
human mind is but little super- 
rior to brutal instinct; yet, even in 
that degraded condition, there ap- 
pears a consciousness of some supe- 
rior and awful power. That man, 
in every state of society and civilized 
life, is inspired with, or possesses, 
some peculiar notions of a deity, is 
the general opinion of philosophers ; 
and according to the advancement 
of civilization and refinement, so is 
the proportionate rationality” of 
their modes of worship. ‘The early 
annals of every country furnish eyi- 
dences of this, and further inform us, 
that either some manufactured idol, 
or other more impressive object, was 
worshipped with servile veneration, 
As the eye of the ignorant is mere 
susceptible than the ear, and as im- 
pressions on that organ are more 
powerful than those conveyed to the 
f 983 J ‘ 
ANTIQUITIES. 
mind by hearing, the most sagacious 
class of men, in the primitive ages, 
adopted certain symbolical figures 
to personify metaphysieal subjects. 
Among these, the circle is described 
by different ath Ot as the most . 
ancient, the most mystical, and, con- 
sequently, the most awful, figure. 
According to many writers, this 
denoted eternity, infinity, &c. and 
by the Hindoos it was formed by a 
coiledsnake, which, with the addi- 
tion of wings, was regarded with 
profound veneration, The Egyp- 
tians also used a globe with wings, 
anda snake attached, as asymbol of 
the deity; and on Chinese gates are 
found the figures of coiled snakes, 
applied to similar purposes,* 
Among the most ancient (if not 
really the very first) species of cir- 
cular temples, were those rude piles 
of stones, which are usually deno- 
minated druidical.+ These are al- 
most uniformly disposed in a circle, 
and consist of one, two, or four 
concentric rows of upright un- 
wrought stones.+ Several of these, 
of various dimensions and figures, 
3R 4 are 
* See Stukeley’s description, &c. of “ Abury,” fo. ’ 
+ “ Moses rose early.in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and 
twelve pillars.” Exodus, chap. xxiv. v. 4. 
See also the first volume of King’s 
Munimenta Antiqua, where the author has described, and referred to, numerous 
stone circles, or temples. 
{ Stonehenge, I believe, is the only example in Britain, where the stones have 
been squared, or shaped with tools; whence the Welsh antiquaries infer thatit is not 
a purely druidical structure. 
