coast, endeavours to establish, that the stones are the remains of a Roman camp, constructed during Cæsar's campaign against the Veneti (Comment. lib. iii.), and explains the magnitude of the blocks of stone employed, as necessary to resist the violent winds which often blow on this coast. He is joined in his opinion by Ogée, who also suggests another idea. Finding that the name of Carnac may, by a plausible analysis, mean in Latin ossarium, cemeterium, or in French charnier, cimetiere, it was, he supposes, a Roman burial ground. But these two hypotheses, at variance with all the evidence of history and analogy, are triumphantly refuted by M. Pommereul, in a dissertation inserted, with much candour, by Ogée in his own work. The author of that paper shows that it must be a Celtic monument, or the remains of a people still more remote, and erected for a religious pur

pose.

M. de Caylus and De la Tour d'Auvergne, also combat Sauvagère's conjecture.

Cambry (Monumens Celtiques) starts a new idea for ascertaining the purpose of this monument, ingeniously founded on the number of the rows of stones, which, consisting of eleven, and the most ancient zodiacs comprising only that number of signs, he asks whether it may not be a Zodiac?

Next, my friend M. de Penhouet published, in 1807, a memoir, wherein, after recapitulating the opinions of preceding inquirers, he attaches himself to that of a M. de Robieu, contained in MSS. deposited at his death in the public library of Rennes. He supposes that may be intended to represent an army in battle array, and meant to commemorate a victory gained upon that spot.

it

Again in 1814 M. de Penhouet (Recherches Historiques), adhering to the same view, extends it by regarding the monument as a military trophy in honour of Hercules (a common appellative of many oriental leaders of armies), who first made a settlement in this country.

c Is it not more probably the Gaëlic or Celtic charn, stony or rocky, and ach, field? This etymology is certainly descriptive of the place. James Logan.

Lastly, prompted by the satisfactory elucidation which Sir Richard Colt Hoare gives of Stonehenge and Abury in his superb work on the Antiquities of Wiltshire, my friend visited Carnac, and by a more careful examination, was delighted to ascertain that the monument there does also display the form of a serpent, though different in the convolutions, thereby reinforcing Sir Richard's explanation, and contributing to throw great light on this hitherto obscure topic of controversy, on which conjecture has so long almost exhausted itself.

Daniel, in a poetical description of Stonehenge, adverts to the popular tradition of its origin, little imagining that it contains, according to M. de Penhouet, the very key to the fact:

"Then ignorance with fabulous discourse,

Robbing fair art and cunning of their right,
Tells how those stones were by the devil's force
From Afric brought to Ireland in a night;

And thence to Brittany, by magic course,

From giants' hands redeem'd by Merlin's sleight.

"And then near Ambri plac'd, in memory

Of all those noble Britons murder'd there

By Hengist and his Saxon treachery,

Coming to parley, in peace at unaware ;
With this old legend, then credulity

Holds her content, and closes up her care."

XV. Observations on several Circles of Stones in Scotland, presumed to be Druidical: by JAMES LOGAN, Esq. F.S. A. Edinb. in a Letter addressed to the Right Honourable the EARL OF ABERDEEN, K. T. President.

Read 15th November 1827.

MY LORD,

50, York Square, Regent's Park.

YOUR Lordship having sometime since done me the honour to lay before the Society of Antiquaries, some Drawings and Observations on certain Druidical Circles, I am induced to trouble your Lordship with a similar Communication, in the hope that it also may be received as a slight essay towards a knowledge of such remains, and their probable

uses.

These Sketches represent views and plans of several Circles of Stones in Scotland, some of which may be thought curious.

It is not necessary for me to extend my observations respecting their origin and design; the Society being doubtless better informed on that subject. I may, however, be permitted briefly to state that they were devoted to the purposes of worship, to the performance of all solemn and important transactions, as the election of chiefs, trials by combat, which were here decided as in the presence of God the supreme judge, &c. and that they were likewise used as Courts of Justice.

A very early account of these monuments occurs in Scottish history: "Fergus the First," if we may credit Hector Boece, "was a great restorer of learning and religion, and caused great Circles, the highest stones towards the south, to be erected."

This was three centuries before the Incarnation, and in that period, of which it must be allowed the records are generally considered fabulous; but these circles were certainly erected in remote ages by the Celtic population of Britain, and remain the impressive monuments of this singular race. Upon the introduction of Christianity the system under which they were raised began to decline. It was strongly assailed by the Christians, who were seconded by those Chiefs who had been converted, and whose influence was exerted to suppress all meeting in these temples. Hence Merddyn, the Caledonian Druid, deplores the fate of that religion which could no longer be openly practised in the RAISED CIRWhen Druidism had been almost banished from the other parts of the island, its votaries found an asylum in Scotland; and Iona, then called "Inish Druinish," the island of the Druids, became their chief retreat in the north, as Mona had formerly been in the south. It so flourished here, that Gwenddollen, the Arch-Druid, is represented by Merdyn, who was his priest, as "gathering his contributions from every extremity of the land." But this prosperity did not long continue, for toward the close of the sixth century it began to decay, and Colan, or Columbus, established himself in its very strong-hold.

CLES.

This very ancient and primitive worship being proscribed in Scotland, again found protection in Wales, where it was not only tolerated, but publicly professed, and was cherished by many, even until comparatively recent times. Prince Hywel, who died in 1171, thus invokes the Deity: "Attend thou my worship in the mystical grove, and whilst I adore thee, maintain thy own jurisdiction."

The Christian missionaries would naturally resort to the sacred Circles as the most eligible places to exhort the people and attack the lingering superstition, and thus the Bardic fane was transformed into a Christian church, and its massy stones are found to have been not unfrequently employed in the new erection.

But although the rites of Druidism were superseded, a veneration for its monuments did not cease to exist, and the spirit which in later times dictated to the Reformers the policy of demolishing churches and

relics of superstition, excited the converts to destroy the Circles. These open temples were not adapted for the Christian religion, and to have held meetings in them on any occasion, would have kept alive popular respect. The church offered the obvious place in which all matters, heretofore decided in the circles of Druidism, ought to be discussed. But this arrangement, being attended with so much inconvenience and impropriety, was opposed by the Clergy, and one of the canons of the Scots church prohibited the laity from holding Courts in churches. This injunction was unnecessary, if meetings had not been at first held in them which were inconsistent with their sacred appropriation. From this, and some other reasons I shall adduce, I have formed an opinion that Moothills were first raised for such purposes as Churches were considered unfit for. I find no mention of these mounts previous to the introduction of Christianity. They are often dedicated to Saints, and the hill of Scone, the most noted of the kind, was called "Collis credulitatis," and this name it acquired from a celebrated council held on it in 909 by King Constantine and Bishop Kellach, when all present swore to maintain the rights of the churches and of the Gospel. It would seem that when these mounts were appointed for public meetings, they were often raised near the church, itself erected near or in the site of the ancient temple; legislation being intimately connected with the solemnities of religion.

The appropriation of Circles to judicial purposes is well known. Their name in Orkney, Lawting, in Icelandic, Domring and Domthing, Circles of Justice and Courts of Judgment, prove this use, and they continued to be selected for occasional meeting in the absence of a Court or moot hill.

Circles continued to be used as places of meeting, although the practice was discountenanced. In 1380 a Court of Regality was held "apud le stand and Stanes de la Rath de Kingusie," Cart. Abredonensis. The Court Hill was reserved in many grants of land. It was the right of the Superior to assemble his vassals, and exercise his other prerogatives on it. So late as the reign of James the Fourth an importance