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Round Towers of Ireland. 345 
that such was the purpose for which the 
tower had been erected, would probably be 
complete, that no doubt as to its correctness 
would ever enter our minds, until suggested 
by one of those antiquaries who delight to 
refer all objects to the fabulous age, as fur- 
nishing a wider field for the excursions of 
their fancy, the exercise of their ingenuity, 
and the display of their learning, than’ that 
enlightened by regular history. Such men 
reject the notion of the Round Towers having 
been built for Belfries, as too simple and un- 
dignified, and suppose that they were raised 
by the Danes as Watch-Towers against 
the natives, admitting, however, that the 
christian Irish afterwards placed their rude 
churches near them, and used them for Bel- 
fries. This conjecture, for it is nothing more, 
is quite unsupported by history; and the 
situation in which many are placed,—those of 
Glendalough for example,—in a deep valley 
surrounded by hills, would render some of 
them at least peculiarly unfit for such a pur- 
pose. Neither should we have found two 
towers standing near each other, had such 
‘ been the object of their erection, which is 
quite inconsistent with the fact just stated of 
the Church and ‘Tower being built at the same 
period. In speaking of the antiquities at 
Xx 
