When one traverses about this ground, an intelligent person will discern abundance of remarkable beauties in the manner and disposition of the temple. The wise Druids knew the internal meaning and purport of this great symbol of the fecundity of the deity, first exerted in producing the second person represented thereby, who with them was the creator of all things. From the supreme proceeded the divine essences equal to himself; but the son of the supreme formed the material words, whence call’d the _mind_, the _creator_, and the _wisdom of the father_, both by the Druids and us christians. And never since the creation, was so magnificent an idea form’d in mortal minds, as this hieroglyphic here before us made in stone-work. This snake of ours may be near three of our common miles in length, justly laid down, its proportions adapted to nature, its sinuosity well represented in huge curves running contrary ways, conduced over several elevations and depressures of ground. Two hills, one on each side the stream running from _Abury_ to _Silbury_, hide the view of the avenues from each other. So that probably the vulgar then knew not the true figure of the whole, no more than now. But those that approached this place with a purpose of religion, and that understood the mystical meaning thereof, must be extremely affected with it; the greatest picture, no doubt, on the globe of the earth, naturally exciting in their minds that disposition proper for those approaches! 2. I observe that _Abury_, even now, lays its claim to all the old appendages: the bounds of the parish taking in chiefly all that the snake reaches, and the environs, as _Southstreet_, _West-Kennet_, and _Bekamton_, and part of _Winterburn-basset_, and _Stan-more_ south of _Winterburn-basset_, (they say it has been a town;) and _Overton-hill_, _South-downs_, _West-downs_, _Cheril-hill_, almost to _Oldbury-castle_. 3. I remark, tho’ the people know nothing of the figure of a snake made by the two avenues, yet a notion has been handed down from all times, that gives an obscure hint of the thing, and of the prophylactic virtue in this figure of the snake. For they say, that in all this trail of ground, which we may call the _sacred field_, there never was a snake seen; and if a snake should be brought hither, it would not live. Nevertheless snakes abound in all the country round, even to _Clatford_, between _Marlborough_ and here, but never come higher up. This notion, I know not whether ’tis justly founded, but ’tis deeply rooted in the mind of the inhabitants. _Pliny_ has a great deal about the Druids’ fondness of snakes, but a little unintelligible, as we find most of what authors have said concerning them. And we must be content at this time, to mark out some obscure traces of things that seem to our purpose, relating to this affair of theirs, which shall be the subject of the next chapters.