The loss of this work I did not lament alone; but all the neighbours (except the person that gain’d the little dirty profit) were heartily griev’d for it. It had a beauty that touch’d them far beyond those much greater circles in _Abury_ town. The stones here were not large, set pretty close together, the proportions of them with the intervals, and the proportions between the two circles, all being taken at one view, under the eye, charm’d them. The great stones of the great circles at _Abury_ were not by them discern’d to stand in circles, nor would they easily be persuaded of it. But these of the sanctuary they still talk of with great pleasure and regret. This _Overton-hill_, whereon was the elegant temple we are speaking of, is a very pleasant place. ’Tis the southern end of that ridge call’d the _Hakpen_, broken off by the river _Kennet_. All the water that falls in that plain wherein the whole work of _Abury_ stands, descends this way. It is a round knoll with a gentle declivity to the east, west, and south. The _Kennet_, as it were, licks its feet on all those sides. The whole hill has its name from this end. To our name of _Hakpen_ alludes אחים _ochim_ call’d _doleful creatures_ in our translation, _Isaiah_ xiii. 21. speaking of the desolation of _Babylon_, “Wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of _ochim_, and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.” St. _Jerom_ translates it serpents. The _Arabians_ call a serpent, _Haie_; and wood-serpents, _Hageshin_; and thence our _Hakpen_; _Pen_ is _head_ in _british_. עכן _acan_ in the _chaldee_ signifies a _serpent_, and _hak_ is no other than _snake_; the spirit in the pronunciation being naturally degenerated into a sibilation, as is often the case, and in this sibilating animal more easily. So _super_ from υπερ, _sylva_ from υλη, _sudor_, υδωρ. So our word _snap_ comes from the _gallic_ _happer_, a _snacot_ fish from the _latin_ _acus_, _aculeatus piscis_. And in _Yorkshire_ they call snakes _hags_, and _hag-worms_. Vide _Fuller’s Misc._ IV. 15. The temple that stood here was intended for the head of the snake in the huge picture; and at a distance, when seen in perspective, it very aptly does it. It consisted of two concentric ovals, not much different from circles, their longest diameter being east and west. By the best intelligence I could obtain from the ruins of it, the outer circle was 80 and 90 cubits in diameter, the medium being 85, 146 feet. It consisted of 40 stones, whereof 18 remained, left by farmer _Green_; but 3 standing. The inner circle was 26 and 30 cubits diameter, equal to the interval between circle and circle. The stones were 18 in number, somewhat bigger than of the outer circle, but all carried off by _Green_ aforesaid. Every body here remembers both circles entire, and standing, except two or three fallen.