created a Celtic wonder of the world, or the eighth. But to return to our present subject. The stones of our innermost circle of the quincuple one are twelve foot high above ground, and are of a square form, being four foot broad on each side, whence they compose three solids, one set upon another, and therefore appeared higher above the tops of the rest. Five of them are standing, and the roots of them two which are placed close together with their edges, and which make the cove; for the stones themselves are split from their foundation by some unaccountable violence, which, upon consideration, I can attribute to nothing less than a stroke of lightning; nor can I conceive that any other impulse, except that of a cannon bullet, could have so disjointed or fractured them. This set of circles are placed on the eastern side of the knoll, and have a fine declivity two or three ways for carrying off the rain. This niche, or cove, if such it be, opens to the north, and a little westerly: several of the stones of the outer circles stand on the other side of the hedge, and two or three are sunk into the ditch: those are vulgarly called the Fidlers, as the others the Maids, or the revel rout attendant on a marriage festival; for the people of this country have a notion, that upon a time a couple were married on a Sunday, and the friends and guests were so prophane as to dance upon the green together, and by a divine judgment were thus converted into stones: so I suppose the two stones so close together in the inner circle were reputed the Bride and Bridegroom: the rest were the Company dancing, and the Fidlers stood on the outside. I have observed that this notion and appellation of Weddings, Brides, and the like, is not peculiar to this place, but applied to many other of these Celtic monuments about the kingdom; as the Nine Maids in Cornwall, nine great stones set all in a row: whence possibly one may conjecture, in very ancient times it was a custom here, even of the Christians, to solemnise marriage and other holy rites in these ancient temples, perhaps before churches were built in little parishes: and even now they retain, or very lately did, in Scotland, a custom of burying people in the like temples, as judging them holy ground; without all doubt, continued down from the Druidical times. Or there may be another conceit offered, of which the reader may chuse which pleases him best; that is, that such names of these places may be derived from the mad, frolicksome, and Bacchanalian ceremonies of the ancient Britons in their religious festivals, like those of all other nations which are recorded to us in history. However, I think it is a confirmation of what wants none, that these are the temples of the Gods, made by our British predecessors; of which we come next to deliver our opinion.