of literature would be thus much advanced by the exertions of a class of men often so well calculated to do justice to the subject, which would arise adventitiously before them. I am not aware that the Parish of Bremhill, considered in seipso, embraces within its limits any very extensive matter for the pen of the Historian, but the objects of antiquity, with which it is surrounded, will present a discursive and interesting field to the ingenious and enquiring mind of Mr. Bowles. I think, Sir, that the new hypothesis of the author, that Abury was a Celtic temple of Teutates or Mercury, is very ingenious, and the united arguments in favour of it tend greatly to establish the fact, and I agree also with your Reviewer, that his application of the etymology of Tan Hill (or St. Anne's Hill) is very felicitous. I am, however, sure, from my long and personal knowledge of the author, that he will receive, with every liberal feeling, those remarks on other parts of his hypothesis, which a sincere difference in opinion may draw from me. I am confident, that his wish is to elicit inquiry, and as nearly as possible on abstruse, indeed almost hidden subjects, to gain the truth; and truth, we all know, is best obtained by the collision of opinions. In thus expressing a variance of sentiment, I cannot but feel much diffidence, since it is to differ from one whose well-earned literary reputation will necessarily create a bias in favour of his peculiar views, and with whom to tilt a lance may, perhaps, argue a boldness equal to audacity; yet, I trust, I never shall appear disposed to contravene the opinions advocated by others, without candidly stating the reasons of my dissent. With these preliminary observations I must now avow, that I do not at all agree with Mr. Bowles as to the origin of Wansdyke, and that, although I think, with him, that Abury was the British Temple of Teutates, yet I doubt its being Druidical; that, although I accord with him in the supposition, that Stonehenge was a Celtic temple dedicated to Belenus as the British Apollo, or Sol, yet I doubt that it was the Temple alluded to by Diodorus Siculus, or that it was a Temple of the Druids; and that, although I agree with him that the very curious sculptured head discover ed at Bath in the year 1790 is the head of the Celtic Apollo, yet I also consider it to be that of Medusa, the symbolic head of Minerva. I must confess also I much doubt the human sacrifices of the Druids, the burning of living men in wicker images, their peculiar resort to oaken groves, their affection for the misseltoe, and the cutting it with the golden hook. These subjects, Mr. Urban, open a wide field for discussion, and I feel it impossible in the present Letter to enter on them all. I am well aware, that these heterodox views will raise against me a host of opponents. The principles and opinions we imbibe in our early years usually stick fast by us. We look back on our scholastic exercises, and recall to our minds the delights of our imagination, when we pictured to ourselves the white-robed Druid ascending the sacred oaks, and with the golden hook cutting off the still more sacred misseltoe, when we heard the deafening shouts of the assembled multitude, as he waved in his hand the mystic plant. We remember again the horror with which we shrunk into ourselves, when we viewed, as we thought, the wicker image filled with its living victims, when we saw their writhings, heard their cries, and felt their pangs; but, Sir, we will draw the veil over these horrors, whether real or fictitious; let it suffice to say, I doubt these things, that I receive the assertions of classic authors (as to circumstances of which they do not assert personal knowledge) cum grano salis, and I believe that assertion and verity are often at variance in their pages. In reference, Sir, to the Temples of Stonehenge and Abury, I must beg permission to make the following quotation from a letter of mine, which appeared in your Magazine for Nov. 1824, p. 406. "In all countries these ancient stone structures have a strong correspondence in general character, are ever found in the most open and campaign parts, accompanied with sepulchral tumuli, and are situate in realms far distant from each other; they are to be found throughout the British dominions, in England, Wales, ScotMan, of the Hebrides, of the Orkneys, and land, and Ireland, in the Isles of Scilly, of of Iceland, in the Isles of the Mediterranean, in almost every state of the Continent, even in Russia, Denmark, and Sweden; in countries where the foot of a Ro man never trod, where Druidism never reared her head, and where the oak with its misseltoe never was a denizen. Why, then, Mr. Urban, should we not conclude, that ALL these venerable specimens of antiquity were the religious temples of the most early Celtic and Gothic tribes." Sach, Sir, was then, and such still is my opinion. Why should we take an insulated view of Stonehenge and Abury, and decide, that they were what we cannot for a moment believe the similar stone temples in Iceland, in the North of Germany, in Russia, Denmark, and Sweden to have ever been? Why should we thus take a partial and confined view of the arguments for the sake of establishing a favourite hypothesis? I protest against so narrow a mode of reasoning. Let us seek the truth, and hail it, wheresoever we find it. Between the dispersion from Babel, and the foundation of Rome, elapsed half that a period of nearly 1500 years; period again revolved between the foundation of Rome and the establishment of its Empire, and within this very extended space of time surely all these temples might have been raised without having recourse to the limited agency, or times of the Druids. In fact, Mr. Urban, we know little, and imagine much, relative to these supposed burbarous sages. I am strongly inclined to think we have been much led astray in our estimation of them by the early classic writers. I am greatly induced to believe they were much more local than is usually represented, and that the ancient authors have occasionally transferred their appellation to the Celtic priests of the barbarous continental tribes; that thus those dogmata and rites have in later ages been attributed to the real Druids, to which they have been real strangers. It will now be asked, Mr. Urban, who I presume the Druids were, 'from whence they sprung, and to what extent of country were they limited? To these questions I answer, it is at present my opinion, that the Druids were Priests of the Phoenicians and early Greeks, who came up the Mediterranean, and colonized different parts of its coasts, and, passing the Straights of Gibraltar, formed settlements also on the western shores of Spain. Sailing across the Bay of Biscay, I further think, these maritime wanderers touched on the probably prevailed. In my belief, the As to the peculiar resort of the Druids to oaken groves, and the just appropriation of the numerous stone temples to the Druids, I am still as much as ever in doubt. The observations of Mr. Bowles have not at all reconciled my mind to the one or the other, If my hypothesis as to the Druids, be really correct, Cæsar, Tacitus, Pliny, and Strabo, probably knew little about them, and their accounts of them may be very incorrect. Their alleged connection with oaken groves, as I said before, arose most likely from the analogy in sound of the word Druid with the Greek word Apus. The appropriation of the temples of Stonehenge and Abury to them, is not to be relied on. All the stone temples throughout the world are obviously de eodem genere, are ever situate in the most open and campaign parts, are ever accompanied by sepulchral tumuli, and never connected with oaken groves. Stone temples are found in the Isles of St. Mary and St. Martin, two of the Scilly Islands; in the Isles of Lewis and Arran, two of the Hebrides; in Pomona, one of the Orkneys, and in Iceland; but, Sir, can we for a moment imagine in these instances the existence at any time of oaken groves. Before I conclude this letter, I beg leave to quote the following passage from a note appended to the pamphlet of Mr. Bowles, and referring to the Temples of Stonehenge and Abury. "We are told these could not be Dru idical Temples, as the Druids worshipped in woods! now Stonehenge was within two hour's walk of Woodford, Boscombe, the immense sweep of forest extending from Clarendon to the sea, and Abury was nearly at the same distance from the vast woody tract of Pewsham, Melksham, and Chippenham forests, all abounding with mis my geological knowledge of the parishes of Woodford and Boscombe, I feel assured that they never at any time contained within their limits groves of oak. Stonehenge and Abury are each some miles distant from any forest or wood, which either now or (judging geologically) ever did exist. 1 readily accord with Mr. Bowles, that "a temple to the Suu would hardly be built, where the Sun never shone." Whether the woods alluded to by the author then abounded with misseltoe no man can say. From local knowledge again, I aver, that the woods of Clarendon do not now abound with misseltoe. That curious parasitic is by no means a common plant, although, where it is found, it is generally plentiful. On the oak, however, it is very rarely found. I never saw the misseltoe on the oak, and it is observed by Dr. Hunter, in his notes on Evelyn's Sylva, "the misseltoe is commonly found on the white-thorn, the apple, the crab, the ash, and the maple, but is rarely seen on the oak.” With the feeling that I ought not longer to trespass on the patience of your readers, I must now take my leave of the subject at present, with the declaration (Gent. Mag. April, 1824, p. 315) reiterated, "iterum iterumque, that "the ancient authors certainly represent the Druids as resorting to woods and groves, and I must confess I know not how to reconcile that the structures of stone usually desuch representations with the fact, nominated Druidical Temples are ever found in the most open and campaign countries." EDW. DUKE. seltoe. The woods were for secret rites, I the Temples for public assemblies; and a Temple to the Sun would hardly be built, where the sun never shone! How many learned objections would a little reflection and common observation obviate!" On the most mature reflection, Sir, I sincerely assure you that the difficulties which have arisen to my mind are as great as ever. From my local knowledge of Stonehenge and Abury, and of their respective neighbourhoods, I confidently assert, they are placed "in the most open and campaign parts of the country." I speak neither without "reflection," nor "observation." From Mr. URBAN, June 8. BEG to present you with a table of the early lineage of the family of De la Zouche, of Ashby, and a note descriptive of their estates, exchanged with the house of Rohan. The line of descent here deduced is not known to your readers, though there are parts, requisite to connect the whole, familiar to some of them. It concludes with the 3d Baron, by whose influence the inhabitants of Ashby de la Zouch obtained their charter. Scarcely any vestige of the old baronial hall now remains. The owners of the manor are the family of Hastings, King Edward IV. having granted it to Wil Alain de Porrhoët, la Souche, 3d son, Viscount de Bretagne, Lord of Ashby (Ascebi), co. Leic. jure ux. (Reg. of Lilleshull Abb. Roper MS. ex Col. R. Cot. Mil.) Mr. URBAN, Sir Wm. Har-Alice. June 8. sister of Conan III. Adeliza, dau, and heiress of Philip de Belmeis, temp. Hen. II. ret. Roger la Zouche, 2d Marga- Alan Lord de la Zouche, Helen, dau. and coh. of Roger de Quincy, Earl of Winchester. likewise Geoffrey le Bel. The origin certainly to be attributed to the Angevine family, though much more remote; it arose with Fulco the third Count of Anjou, a warrior of high reputation and impetuous passions, which may be well imagined from the tragic rencontre expressed, by an eminent historian, in these words: "Foulquest III. Comte D'Anjou, défit Conan I. Comte de Bretagne, son beaufrère, au combat de conquereux, et le tua de sa main le 27 Juin l'an 992." The Count made several penitential journies to Jerusalem, for the effusion HAVING noticed, in val. XCVI. ii. is * He ceded to Alain IV. Viscount de Rohan the parish of Plemieuc and the priory of Bodieuc, in the diocese of St. Brieu, in Bretagne, for the manor of Swavesey and lands in Fulbourn, co. Cambridge, &c. confirmed by King John and his successor. (Pat. 14 H. 3, 1, m. 2.) + Ermengarde, the sister of Foulques III. married Conan I. of blood he had shed in this and the many other battles in which he had been engaged; and as the symbol of his humility, wore in his cap or bon- net a sprig of the broom plant* (genista, -" pistillum deprimens curinam)," a decoration adopted by several of his descendants. The penance, however, ascribed to him upon that occasion is a sort of monastic discipline unworthy of belief. In such esteem was it to wear a sprig of broom, that an order of knighthood was instituted by St. Louis, King of France. The habit of the order, though known to many of your readers, may perhaps be amusing to some. It was a cloak of white damask, with a violet coloured hood; the collar, a gold chain of broom flowers enamelled proper, interlaced with lozenges of gold, fleurs de lis pendent; a cross flory with this inscription: "Exaltat humiles." The order, it is said, continued till the death of Charles V. Yours, &c. HENRY W. WHATTON. June 28. that of a youth, who, after being edu cated in their School, was by the imprudence of his father driven to the necessity of going to India as a coinmon soldier. The knowledge of Hebrew which he had acquired, so facilitated the acquisition of the other eastern languages, that by this means he attracted notice, obtained his first steps of preferment, and ultimately died a Major-general in the British Army.” Thus far the Courier. The notice is indeed most interesting, and may it speak forcibly to the numerous scholars, not only of one, but of other Grammar Schools in the country, in which the Hebrew language is taught. At Westminster it has been taught for many years; and I hope that some one of that “stabilita_domus" will inform us, when the instruction of it commenced. At St. Paul's School the late worthy High Master, Dr. Roberts, introduced it more than half a century ago; and when he used to return from his annual examination of the scholars of the neighbouring establishment of Christ's Hospital, he used to reproach his own boys with the superior promptitude and exactness with which those had been examining went through the paradigms of the Hebrew verbs. I would not add to this too long, and perhaps too late, communication, except by addressing Hebrew students in well-known words, altered but in one, K be a vehicle for the promotion of lie mentioned that "theirs was, he be- The genista, or broom-plant, was always considered as an emblem of humility by the classical ancients: Virgil says: "Salices humilesque genistæ." "Vos exemplaria sacra Nocturnâ versate manu, versate diurnâ.” Yours, &c. .גם זאת A. B. remarks, on our Memoir of the Harriet, his daughter by his first wife, is Earl of Onslow, in p. 269, that "Lady living. For some years before his death he lived constantly at his seat at West Clandon, where the poor of that place was most liberal, nor was it confined to them. On representation of distress his hand was always open. His tradesmen were paid with the most regular punctuality." The Editor will be obliged by communications, informing him who are the present representatives of Sir Rich. Leveson of Lilshull, co. Salop, K. B. anno 1638; Francis Blyth, esq. of Allesley, co. Warw. eod. anno.; Rob. Arden, esq.; Hen. Ferrers, esq.; Digbies of Coleshill; all of Warwickshire, in the 17th century. |