According to the Poets, Cœlus was not that huge machine adorned with stars, which Orpheus saith was composed for habitation of the Planets, and other Deities, and which we behold moving with continuall revolution: but a certain man so called, son to Æther and Dies, that, is della virtù ardente, & della luce famosa, of transcendent influence and resplendent brightness, as Boccace hath it.Boccace lib. 3.
By Historians, especially Diodorus Siculus,Diodor. lib. 4. it’s thus delivered. Scribunt primùm regnasse apud Atlantides Cœlum: Hominésque antea per agros dispersos, ad cœtum, condendásque urbes exhortatum, à fera eos agrestíque vita ad mitiorem cultum extitisse &c. They write, he which first reigned over the Atlantides was Cœlus, and that he invited men living dispersedly before throughout the fields, to convene, and dwell in companies together, exhorting them to build Towns, and reducing them from wild and savage to the conversation of civill life: Taught them also to sow corn and seeds, and divers other things belonging to the common use of mankind; Ruled likewise over a great part of the world from East to West; Was a diligent observer of the stars, and foretold men divers things to come: The year (before confus’d) bringing into Order, according to the course of the Sun, reducing it also into moneths after the Moons course, and appointing likewise the severall seasons of the year. Whereby many ignorant of the perpetuall course of the stars, and amazed at his future predictions, did verily believe he participated of Divine Nature, and therefore after his death, as well for benefits received from him, as great knowledge of the stars, they conferred on him immortall honours, and adored him as a God. And, as appears, called Cœlus in regard of his skill in the celestiall bodies, as also, for divers other causes eternall King of all the world. Thus Diodorus. It being an ordinary custome among the Heathens to deifie, and esteem for Gods, such excellent personages, as either had well ruled, or governed them, or done any notable thing among them to their especiall benefit, or good liking. Such, were they men, or women, remained with the name, reputation, and reverence of Gods or Goddesses after their deaths.
Furthermore, according to the Philosophers; Men (they knew not how) by nature soon wanting, and by instinct as soon seeking some God (in stead of apprehending better) deified the best to sense. Whereupon, out of all Entities as most glorious to the eye, they first made choice of Heaven, and Heavenly bodies; considering again, as the most beneficiall objects,Plut. Phil. opin. lib. 1. those living creatures, and fruits which the Earth beneath brought forth, to make compleat generations, they coupled Cœlus to Tellus, adoring Heaven as Father, and Earth as Mother to these; the pouring down of showers from Heaven seeming in stead of naturall seeds, and the Earth as a Mother to conceive, and bring forth the same.
Fifthly, the Sacrifices in times of old offered to Cœlus were Bulls or Oxen, their great God Jupiter himself, as I find in Rosinus, offering such Victimes unto him.Rosin. lib. 2. cap. 5. Ante pugnam, que cum Gigantibus in Creta habita est, Jovem sacrificasse dicunt Soli, Cœlo, ac Terræ bovem. Before the battell struck with the Giants in Crete, they say Jupiter sacrificed an Oxe to Sol, Cœlus, and Terra. Now that there hath oftentimes been digged out of the ground at Stoneheng, the heads of such beasts, in all probability anciently in that place sacrificed; I need not again remember, being it is so well known.
Sixthly, all the upright stones in this Antiquity are Pyramidall like flames, in imitation of those Ætheriall fires, wherewith the Heaven is adorned.Pier. Valer. Hier. lib. 60. Now, that Fire hath the form of a Pyramis is evident, percioche, essendo largo da basso, intorno alla materia & esca, da che si pasce, finisce in acuta fiammache riguardo al Cielo. Because, being large at the bottome, in respect of the matter and fewell, by which it is fed, it finishes in an acute flame tending upwards towards Heaven. And, that the Heavens are adorned with fires, Natalis Comes in his Mythology, out of Orpheus, makes apparent. Nihil aliud esse Cœlum existimans, nisi hunc æthera qui constat ex altissimis illis ignibus. Supposing the Heaven to be no other thing, but this Air which consisteth of those transcendent Fires.
Lastly, that Stoneheng was anciently dedicated to Cœlus I collect from the Conformation of the work. For the conformation of the Cell and Porticus in the Plant, was designed with four equilaterall Triangles, inscribed in a Circle, such as the Astrologers use in describing the twelve celestiall signs in musicall proportions. According to that of Vitruvius;Vitr. lib. 5. In ea conformatione quatuor scribantur trigona paribus lateribus & intervallis, quæ extremam lineam circinationis tangant; In the conformation thereof let four triangles be inscribed of equall sides and intervals, which may touch the extreme part of the circumference: quibus etiam in duodecim signorum cœlestium descriptione, Astrologi ex musica convenientia astrorum ratiocinantur; by which figures also, Astrologers from the musicall harmony of the stars ground their reasonings, as concerning the description of the twelve celestiall signs. Besides the Cell it self in the formation thereof, is cast into an Exagon, one of the three figures, likewise used by Astrologers in their aforesaid arguments of the sympathy of the stars. Figuris tribus (saith Philander) utuntur Astrologi, Trigono, Tetragono & Hexagono. The Astrologers make use of three sorts of figures; the Triangle, Tetragon, and Hexagon. Furthermore, the three entrances leading into the Temple from the Plain, were comparted by an equilaterall triangle; which was the figure whereby the Ancients expressed what appertained to Heaven, and divine mysteries also.Pier. Valer.
Hier. lib. 39. Aggiungono i Magi (saith Pierius Valerianus) che un triangolo semplice di lati uguali, è indizio di divinità, overo effigie di cose celesti. The Magi adde that a triangle of equall sides is a symbole of Divinity, or sign of celestiall matters. Now this Antiquity consisting of severall stones, orderly disposed into one entire work, in imitation, as it were, of those severall stars which appearing to us in the Heavens in form of a circle, are called the celestiall Crown; and wholly designed by those Scheams wherewith Astrologers use to describe celestiall bodies, which figures, usually applied by them to particular accidents onely, being all joyntly made use of by the Architect for conformation of this sacred structure, it is not improbable Stoneheng was so composed, because dedicated to Cœlum. Yea further, (if lawfull to compare an idolatrous place with so divine a work) was not the Temple at Hierusalem adorned with the figures of Cherubims; that thereby the Nations of the Earth might know it was the habitation of the living God? and, why not in like manner this Temple composed by Astrologicall figures, that after Ages might apprehend, it was anciently consecrated to Cœlus or Cœlum Heaven?
But in this conjuncture; concerning such kinde of Temples as this at Stoneheng, what saith the learned Patriarch of Aquileia?Dan. Barba. in lib. 4.
Vitr. cap. 7. in Ven. 1584. Io credo, che quel Tempio senza parete significava alcune cose del Cielo, gli effetti delle quali sono nelle scoperto. I beleeve that Temple without walls (speaking of the Monopteros aforesaid) had a relation to Cœlum (Heaven) because the effects thereof are openly displaied to the full view of all men.
Camden tels us he had heard, that in the time of King Henry the eighth, a table of metall was found, not far from this Antiquity, engraven with divers strange characters, which being not legible, was neglected and lost: had, indeed, that Table been found within the work it self it might happily have brought to light somwhat in relation to Stoneheng. And by all likelihood, in time some inscriptions may therein be found, it being the custome as well of Greeks as Romans, in times of greatest Antiquity, to lay inscriptions (usually) under the first stones set in what works soever; especially, those of any great magnificence. Wherefore, I advise mine honoured Friend Laurence Washington Esquire in whose demeasnes this Antiquity stands, to whom I am much obliged, for his friendly notice of what things have been there of late years digged up, that he would be solicitous upon any search made there, to enquire after them, and if any found not to neglect, or curiously conceal them, but preserve and willingly produce the same.
I suppose, I have now proved from Authentick Authors, and the rules of Art, Stoneheng anciently a Temple, dedicated to Cœlus, built by the Romans; either in, or not long after those times (by all likelihood) when the Roman Eagles spreading their commanding wings over this Island, the more to civilize the Natives, introduc’d the Art of Building amongst them, discovering their ambitious desire, by stupendious and prodigious works, to eternize the memory of their high minds to succeeding Ages. For, the magnificence of that stately Empire, is at this day clearly visible in nothing more, then in the ruines of their Temples, Palaces, Arch’s Triumphals, Aquæducts, Thermæ, Theaters, Amphitheaters, Cirques, and other secular, and sacred structures.
History affords only Contemplation, whereby their great Actions are made conceivable alone to reasoning: but the ruines of their buildings Demonstration, which obvious to sense, are even yet as so many eye-witnesses of their admir’d atchievements.