Choir gaur; the grand orrery of the ancient Druids commonly called Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, astronomically explained, and mathematically proved to be a temple erected in the earliest ages, for observing the motions of the heavenly bodies. Illustrated with three copper plates / by Dr. John Smith.

  • Smith, John
Date:
1771
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Choir gaur; the grand orrery of the ancient Druids commonly called Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, astronomically explained, and mathematically proved to be a temple erected in the earliest ages, for observing the motions of the heavenly bodies. Illustrated with three copper plates / by Dr. John Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Gibfon’s Stonehenge, from Camden’s Brittannia. ABOUT feven miles north of Salifbury is Stonehenge; a piece of antiquity fo famous, as to have gained the admira¬ tion of all ages, and engaged the pens of fome very confiderable authors. ’Tis of itfelf fo fingular, and receives fo little light from hiHory, that almoH every one has advanced a new notion. To give the feveral conjectures, with fome Ihort remarks, is as much as the narrow compafs of our defign will allow. But not to hunt after fuch uncertainties, and in the mean time to pafs over what lies before our eyes, we will premife a defeription of the place, as it now Hands, much more diftinCt than what Mr. Camden has left us. It is fituated on a riling ground, environed with a deep trench, ftill appearing, and about 30 feet broad. From the plain it has had three entrances, the mod; confiderable lying north eaH; at each of which was raifed, on the outfide of the trench, two huge Hones gate- wife; parallel whereunto, on the in fide, were two others of lefs proportion. After one has pafied this ditch, he afeends thirty five yards, before he comes at the work itfelf; which confifls of four circles of Hones. The outward circle is about 100 feet diameter ; the Hones whereof are very large, 4 yards in height, 2 in breadth, and 1 in thicknels. Two yards and an half within this great cir¬ cle, is a range of lefier Hones. Three yards farther is the principal part of the work, called by Mr. Jones the Cell, of an irregular figure, made up of two rows of Hones ; the outer of which confiHs of great upright Hones, in height 20 feet, in breadth 2 yards, and in thicknefs 1 yard. Thefe are coupled at the top by large tranfome Hones
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