On Druidical Remains, 299 



Rev. Mr. Whicaker, in his hiftory of Man- 

 chefter. 



The large upright ftone, about twenty feet 

 in height, erefted at fome little diftance from 

 PANCAKE, I fhould fix upoH as the ftone, or idol, 

 once here worfhipped ; around it are many very 

 large ftones, lying in all diredlions, as if tum- 

 bled one from off another. The general form 

 of this ftone is that of a large irregular wedge. 

 Borlafe fays, " the Phoenicians adored deities of 

 this form." The holes defcribed before may be 

 confidered as highly neceflary in the bufinefs of 

 Pagan deception ; from them anfwers might be 

 given, and founds and horrid noifes might be 

 heard, produced by perfons concealed there for 

 the purpofe of aftonifhing deluded people, and 

 by thefe fecret ways, maintaining the credit of 

 the Druidical hierarchy*. 



Ancient hiftory informs us, that the prieft of 

 Apollo, at Daphne, near Antioch, when deli- 

 vering his oracles, fat upon a fmall feat like a 

 bufhel, pierced with many holes, and pla- 

 ced over an aperture of the floor of the temple, 

 through which the gale of infpiration was thought 

 to arife. 



It is not improbable that this part of the 

 c6untry was early peopled by thofe Celtas, who 



• Thefe conjedlures are much ilrengthened by Major 

 Rooke's obfcrvations on Druidical remains, publiihed in 

 the Archseologia. 



owed 



