_Silbury_ is the name of the hill given by our _saxon_ ancestors, meaning the _great_ or _marvellous hill_. So _Silchester_, the _Vindoma_ of the _Romans_, means the _great Chester_. It cannot help us to the name of the monarch there buried. When I consider this hill standing at the fountain of the _Kennet Cunetio_, still call’d _Cunnet_ by the country people, and that among the most ancient _Britons_ the name of _Cunedha_ is very famous, that they talk much of a great king of this name, it would tempt one to conjecture, this is the very man. This conjecture receives some strength from what my old friend Mr. _Baxter_ writes about _Cunetio_ or _Marlborough_, which the river first visits. He thinks it had its name from a famous king, _Cunedha_, who lived at _Marlborough_, called _Kynyd Kynüidion_, which we may _english_, _Cunedha_ of _Marlborough_, which name is mention’d in the ancient _british_ genealogies before the grandfather of king _Arthur_; tho’ we scarce imagine their genealogies can truly reach the founder we are thinking of. But _Cyngetorix_, a king in _Britain_, who fought _Julius Cæsar_, and _Cunobelin_, king of the island in _Augustus_’s time, may be descendants of this man, at least their names have some relation. And in _Cæsar_’s _Comment._ B. G. VII. _Conetodunus_ a _gaulish_ prince, is the same name. We may remember too, that _Merlin_ the magician, who is said to have made _Stonehenge_ by his magic, is affirm’d to have been buried at _Marlborough_. Mr. _Camden_ recites it from _Alexander Necham_. Doubtless _Stonehenge_, much more _Abury_, are incomparably older than _Merlin’s_ time. But the oldest reports we can expect to have of these affairs, must be from the _Britons_, the oldest inhabitants left. And ’tis natural for them to affix old traditions vastly beyond their knowledge, to the last famous persons they have any account of; so that we may well judge some truths are generally latent in these old reports. It is likely our king _Kunedha_ lived at _Marlborough_, was buried in _Silbury_, was the founder of _Abury_. And the archdruid, who with him was the projector and executor of the stupendous work of _Abury_, was buried at _Marlborough_. For _Marlborough_ is in sight of that part of the temple which is the _Hakpen_, or snake’s head, on _Overton-hill_. [Illustration: TAB. XXII. _Stukeley delin._ _Toms Sculp._ _Prospect of Kennet Avenue from the Druids tumulus on Hakpen hill. May 15ᵗʰ. 1724._] _Strabo_ writes in XII, that there is a _tumulus_ of king _Marsyas_, where he was buried, at the head of the river _Marsyas_. This seems to be an exact parallel case with ours, and that the river preserves the name of the king to this day, from whom it had its name. _Pausanias Bœot._ writes, the tomb of _Asphodicus_ is at the spring-head of the river _Oedipodias_. And _Tiresias_’s sepulchre is by the fountain _Telphussa_. And the like of very many more.