ANCIENT CHARIOT. 297 



the Greeks defcribed in Iliad IV. I could quote other 

 paflages to the fame purpofe, but this is fufficient. 



As this was the peculiar art of war amongfl the an- 

 cient inhabitants of this country, fo had they the fame 

 folemn races, to train and exercife their youth to this 

 difcipline, and to maintain the fame honour towards 

 thofe who excelled in it. There are, to this day, remain- 

 ing in England fome veftiges of the Curfus in which they 

 ran thefe races ; which races, being attendants on the 

 folemn meetings of religion, the curfus were near their 

 temples. The mod remarkable is that near Stone- 

 henge, which is a long tracSl of ground, about 350 

 feet (or 200 Druid cubits) wide, and better than a 

 mile and three quarters (or ^000 Druid cubits) in 

 length, enclofed quite round with a bank of earth, 

 ftretching direftly eaft and weft. The goal and 

 career are at the eaft end. The goal is a high bank 

 of earth, raifed with a Hope inwards, whereon the 

 , judges are fuppofed to have fat. The line of this 

 bank is north and fouth, diredly acrofs the curfus, 

 beginning from the fouth bank of the curfus, not 

 reaching quite to the north, but leaving a fpace there 

 for the chariots to pafs to the career, between this goal 

 and the north bank, or fide of the curfus. The metaj 

 are two tumuli, or little barrows, at the weft end of 

 the curfus : 



Some tomb, perhaps of old, the dead to grace, 



Or then, as now, the limit of a race. Pope's Homer. 



Vol. I. Q^q As 



/ 



