This exactness with which the Druids set their works, and the uniformity of their variation, make me believe, this variation was not the effect of chance or negligence.
By a superficial reflexion upon it, we should be apt to suspect, it was owing to their observing the sun’s rising on the longest day of the year, or summer solstice, and setting their line by it. For this is supposed to be a method by which they formerly set our Churches: marking the sun’s rising at the equinox. But the Druids were too good astronomers and mathematicians to need so mean an artifice: nor does it correspond to the quantity precisely enough. Besides, this same variation appears where it cannot possibly regard the sun’s rising at that time.
Prospect of the Cursus & Stonehenge from the North Aug. 6. 1723.
A. The Entrance of the Avenue. B. The 7 Barrows. C. The Kings Barrow. D. Salisbury Steeple. E. Stonehenge.
For, I observ’d the like variation, or very near, in all the other parts relating to this temple before taken notice of; beside the avenue leading up to the temple from the north east, in a strait line; which has the before-mention’d variation all the way. At the bottom of the hill, this avenue divides into two wings, each going off from the last mention’d part, with a decent sweep; the one to the left hand, westward, the other to the right hand, eastward. They go off with a like angle, and that angle varies the like quantity. The western wing goes to the cursus, before observ’d, the place upon the downs, half a mile off Stonehenge, made for races with chariots and horses. The right hand wing of the avenue runs directly eastward for a mile together, pointing to a place on an angle of the river, called Radfin. This part of the avenue, which was intended by the founders, to have been drawn precisely east and west, varies about 5 or 6 degrees to the south.
Likewise, that great work of the cursus itself, which stretches its length across the downs, from east to west, like a line of latitude upon the globe, varies such a like quantity, from true east and west, the same way. The meridian line of Stonehenge passes exactly through the middle of this cursus.
Further, at the east end of this cursus, the huge bank of earth, above 200 foot long, made across the end of the cursus, as a meta, and whereon sat the princes and judges of the prizes: This bank of earth is drawn exactly at a right angle with the cursus, consequently due north and south, but with the variation before spoken of. These, and other like observations here, as well as in other Druid Works, appear’d to me no otherwise to be accounted for, but that the Druids us’d a magnetical compass, in laying down the works: and that the needle vary’d so much, at that time, from the true meridian line.
I remember I open’d this affair, near 20 Years ago, to Dr. Halley, who was of the same sentiment. Nor am I the first who suspected the Phœnicians of old were possessed of this great secret, as well as the Chinese, from times immemorial. I am not moved to think otherwise by what Bochart writes against it. The very name of the magnet lapis Heraclius strongly suggests, the Tyrian navigator before-mention’d knew it, as is well argued by Fuller in his Miscellanies, IV. 19. And many things occur, in the mythology of the antients, wherein (if I mistake not) I discern most evident traces of this knowledge of the directive power of the magnet. We are not to despise the fables of the antients, but to make the best use of them, and search out for their latent truths. My predecessor Cumberland, observes in Sanchoniathon, p. 325. “that Apollodorus (for instance) hath many truths in his mythic history, deriv’d from the tradition of Phœnicians and Egyptians, planting Athens.” And the Greeks, those happy practitioners in writing, as well as other arts, took the unlucky turn of the marvellous, to so exorbitant a degree, as to write nothing without it. In Apollodorus, put out by the learned Dr. Gale, p. 114. we have an account of the 10th labour of Hercules, his conquest of Cadiz, or Gadira, as then call’d, or Erythea. We are told, the hero set up the 2 pillars at the Streights mouth, at Gibralter, or then Tartessus; which we may reasonably suppose some temple made of these rough stones, or some main ambres, like those we mention’d before, the petræ ambrosiæ in the Tyrian coins. Then, says our author, going on his journey, “the rays of the sun were so vehement upon him, that he had the boldness to draw his bow against him. The god admiring the intrepidity of the man, gave him a golden cup with which he sail’d over the ocean.” Pisander in his IId. book, (in Atheneus Deipnos. XI.) writes the same, only that Oceanus lent him the cup. Panyasis in his I. of the history of Hercules, says, he begg’d it of Nereus, son of Sol, and with it sail’d to Erythea. (Macrob. Saturn. XXI. 5.) Theoclytus, in Atheneus aforesaid, in his II. de tempest. mentions the same thing. He said it before in his Titanomachia. Pherecydes, in his III. of history, quoted both in Atheneus and Macrobius, tells a story somewhat like that of Apollodorus, but more particular. Servius Æn. VII. mentions it, but as some of the former, makes the cup of brass, instead of gold. Alexander Ephesius the like. All very ancient writers. Lucian says, that Hercules sail’d in a sea-conch shell. What can we understand by all this, mention’d by so many grave authors, but a compass-box, which enabled him to sail the great ocean, and penetrate to our northern island, less obnoxious to the suns vehement heat? Add to this, in the same place, Apollodorus speaks of his fighting Albion and Dercynus, by Mela, called Bergion, Sons of Neptune; which were the most antient names of the Britannic Isles, before the name of Britain. Diodorus Siculus, in his IV. book delivers a like account of this 10th labour of Hercules, but in a mere historical manner. And adds, that when he return’d by Sicily, he dedicated a grove to Geryon the hero, where, to his time, the people did religious rites. For this affair of sacred groves, we know our Druids were famous. He built a temple likewise at Gades. We are not to suppose it a cover’d edifice, like what posterity call’d a temple, but an open one, according to the mode of those days. Cover’d temples, at that time, being a thing unknown in the world. Afterward, a magnificent temple, properly, was there built to him. Mela witnesses, that it was our Egyptian Hercules, who was there worshipped. For I suppose our Egyptian and the Tyrian Hercules to be all one. The same mention’d by the name of Assis, in Manethons XVII. Dynasty, in Josephus c. App. in Africanus, Eusebius, and Syncellus. Apollonius II. 14. writes, it was not the Theban but the Egyptian Hercules that came to Gades: which is confirm’d by Hecateus. And Herodotus, in Euterpe says, Hercules is a very antient deity among the Egyptians, not so, among the Greeks. And I suppose this hero lived at, or very near the time of the patriarch Abraham.
These were the times about the beginning of idolatry. And Hercules was far from being an idolater himself, though worshipp’d afterwards, for his great exploits, and perhaps on this very account of his inventing or knowing the use of the compass. This is the Hercules kneeling on one knee, a constellation in heaven, taken notice of by Dionysius Halycarn. by Tzetzes, Hyginus, Æschylus and others. It seems to indicate his piety; for which the astronomers his disciples plac’d him in the heavens. He kneels upon the arctic circle, and supports the zodiac on his shoulders; tho’ this is not understood by the painting on our modern globes. The Phœnicians, his successors in the tin trade of Britain, kept the trade and the very name of the Island as a great secret; as well as the use of the compass, till it was lost with them. But it seems highly probable, because Lucian describes Hercules with a sphere in his hand, that he affixed the present Asterisms of the zodiac: and his successors, the Phœnicians, propagated them.