The person that projected the forming this vast body of earth, _Silbury-hill_, had a head as well as hands, and well chose his ground, well contriv’d how to execute his purpose. He pitch’d upon the foot of the chalk hill, by the fountain of the _Kennet_, in the very meridian line of _Abury_. The bottom of the hill is natural earth, and beyond the verge of its circumference at bottom, they dug the earth of the hill away to the level of the adjacent meadow, in order to furnish materials for the artificial part of the hill, leaving as it were an isthmus, or neck of original land. Further, to render this artificial part more detach’d from the natural, they dug a deep trench on the land-side, in the middle of the isthmus, but left two bridges, as it were, or passages up to the hill. By this means the ascent for the multitude employ’d, was render’d more easy, for the natural hill was as a half-pause or resting-place for them. The diameter of _Silbury-hill_ at top is 105 feet, the same as _Stonehenge_. At bottom ’tis somewhat more than 500 feet, in reality 300 cubits, as at top 60 cubits. 100 cubits its exact perpendicular altitude. They that have seen the circumference of _Stonehenge_, will admire that such an _area_ should be carried up 170 feet perpendicular, with a sufficient base to support it: and they that consider the geometry of this barrow, as I have drawn it in plate XXVIII, will be equally pleased with the natural and easy proportion of it. But without actually seeing it, we can scarce have a full idea of it. The solid contents of it amount to 13558809 cubic feet. Some people have thought it would cost 20000_l._ to make such a hill. Some old people remember king _Charles_ II, the duke of _York_, and duke of _Monmouth_ riding up it. The _Roman_ way, _via Badonica_, coming from _Overton-hill_ to _Runway-hill_, should have pass’d directly thro’ _Silbury-hill_; wherefore they curv’d a little southward to avoid it, and it runs close by the isthmus of the hill, then thro’ the fields of _Bekamton_. This shews _Silbury-hill_ was ancienter than the _Roman_ road. They have lately fenc’d out the _Roman_ road (which they call the _french way_) in the plough’d fields of _Bekamton_; but you see the continuation of it when it reaches the heath ground, as in plate IX. It seems no difficult matter to point out the time of the year when this great prince died, who is here interr’d, _viz._ about the beginning of our present _April_. I gather it from this circumstance. The country people have an anniversary meeting on the top of _Silbury-hill_ on every _palm-sunday_, when they make merry with cakes, figs, sugar, and water fetch’d from the _swallow-head_, or spring of the _Kennet_. This spring was much more remarkable than at present, gushing out of the earth in a continued stream. They say it was spoil’d by digging for a fox who earth’d above, in some cranny thereabouts; this disturb’d the sacred nymphs, in a poetical way of speaking.