7. Mr. _Camden_ writes further concerning our antiquity, that “the country people have a fond tradition, that they were once men, turn’d into stones. The highest of all, which lies out of the ring, they call the _king_. Five larger stones, which are at some distance from the circle, set close together, they pretend were knights, the ring were common soldiers.” This story the country people, for some miles round, are very fond of, and take it very ill if any one doubts of it; nay, they are in danger of being stoned for their unbelief. They have likewise rhymes and sayings relating thereto. Suchlike reports are to be met with in other like works, our Druid temples. They savour of the most ancient and heroic times. Like _Perseus_, turning men into stones; like _Cadmus_, producing men from serpents’ teeth; like _Deucalion_, by throwing stones over his head, and such like, which we shall have occasion to mention again, chap. XIV. 8. We may very reasonably affirm, that this temple was built here, on account of this long barrow. And very often in ancient times temples owe their foundation to sepulchres, as well as now. _Clemens Alexandrinus_ in _Protrept._ and _Eusebius_, both allow it; and it is largely treated of in _Schedius_ and other authors; ’tis a common thing among these works of our Druids, and an argument that this is a work of theirs. I shall only make two observations therefrom. 1. That it proceeded from a strong notion in antiquity of a future state, and that in respect of their bodies as well as souls; for the temples are thought prophylactic, and have a power of protecting and preserving the remains of the dead. 2. That it was the occasion of consecrating and idolizing of dead heroes, the first species of idolatry; for they by degrees advanc’d them into those deities of which these figures were symbols, whereof we shall meet with instances in the progress of this work.