Londonispagan。HefanciedthatgreatermenhadlivedinEngland，thananyofherwriters；and，infact，aboutthetimewhenthosewritersappeared，thelastofthesewerealreadygone。
Weleftthemoundinthetwilight，withthedesigntoreturnthenextmorning，andcomingbacktwomilestoourinn，weweremetbylittleshowers，andlateasitwas，menandwomenwereoutattemptingtoprotecttheirspreadwind—rows。ThegrassgrowsrankanddarkintheshoweryEngland。Attheinn，therewasonlymilkforonecupoftea。Whenwecalledformore，thegirlbroughtusthreedrops。MyfriendwasannoyedwhostoodforthecreditofanEnglishinn，andstillmore，thenextmorning，bythedog—cart，soleprocurablevehicle，inwhichweweretobesenttoWilton。Iengagedthelocalantiquary，Mr。Brown，togowithustoStonehenge，onourway，andshowuswhatheknewofthe\"astronomical\"and\"sacrificial\"
stones。Istoodonthelast，andhepointedtotheupright，orrather，inclinedstone，calledthe\"astronomical，\"andbademenoticethatitstoprangedwiththesky—line。\"Yes。\"Verywell。Now，atthesummersolstice，thesunrisesexactlyoverthetopofthatstone，and，attheDruidicaltempleatAbury，thereisalsoanastronomicalstone，inthesamerelativepositions。
Inthesilenceoftradition，thisonerelationtosciencebecomesanimportantclue；butwewerecontenttoleavetheproblem，withtherocks。Wasthisthe\"Giants’Dance\"whichMerlinbroughtfromKillaraus，inIreland，tobeUtherPendragon’smonumenttotheBritishnobleswhomHengistslaughteredhere，asGeoffreyofMonmouthrelates？orwasitaRomanwork，asInigoJonesexplainedtoKingJames；oridenticalindesignandstylewiththeEastIndiantemplesofthesun；asDaviesintheCelticResearchesmaintains？Ofallthewriters，Stukeleyisthebest。Theheroicantiquary，charmedwiththegeometricperfectionsofhisruin，connectsitwiththeoldestmonumentsandreligionoftheworld，andwiththecourageofhistribe，doesnotsticktosay，\"theDeitywhomadetheworldbytheschemeofStonehenge。\"Hefindsthatthe_cursus_（*1）onSalisburyPlainstretchesacrossthedowns，likealineoflatitudeupontheglobe，andthemeridianlineofStonehengepassesexactlythroughthemiddleofthis_cursus_。Buthereisthehighpointofthetheory：
theDruidshadthemagnet；laidtheircoursesbyit；theircardinalpointsinStonehenge，Ambresbury，andelsewhere，whichvaryalittlefromtrueeastandwest，followedthevariationsofthecompass。TheDruidswerePh；oenicians。Thenameofthemagnetis_lapisHeracleus_，andHerculeswasthegodofthePhoenicians。Hercules，inthelegend，drewhisbowatthesun，andthesun—godgavehimagoldencup，withwhichhesailedovertheocean。Whatwasthis，butacompass—box？Thiscuporlittleboat，inwhichthemagnetwasmadetofloatonwater，andsoshowthenorth，wasprobablyitsfirstform，beforeitwassuspendedonapin。Butsciencewasan_arcanum_，and，asBritainwasaPh；oeniciansecret，sotheykepttheircompassasecret，anditwaslostwiththeTyriancommerce。