It appears from the number of graves, that many thoufands muft have fallen on thefe plains; for the people have continued to dig for fuch treafure many years, and still find it unexhausted. They are fometimes, indeed, interrupted, and robbed of all their booty, by parties of the Kalmucks, who abhor the difturbing the ashes of the dead.

I have feen feveral pieces of armour, and other curiofities, that were dug out of these tombs; particularly an armed man on horfeback caft in brafs, of no mean defign nor workmanship; alfo figures of deer caft in pure gold, which were fplit through the middle, and had fome fmall holes in them, as intended for ornaments to a quiver, or the furniture of a horse.

While we were at Tomíky, one of thefe grave-diggers told me, that once they lighted on an arched vault; where they found the remains of a man, with his bow, arrows, lance, and other arms, lying together on a filver table. On touching the body it fell to duft. The value of the table and arms was very confiderable.

John Bankes, of Kingston-hall, Efq; about a mile N. W. from Studland, and fix leagues from the isle of Wight. It is furrounded on all fides by feveral little hills, or rifing grounds, which form a theatre, except on the eaft, where they open, and give an agreeable view of part of Pool and Studland bays, and the isle of Wight.

The name Agglefton feems to be derived from the Saxon halig, or hælig, holy; and stan, a ftone; which is expreffive of its ancient fuperftitious ufe, for it was, no doubt, a rock-idol or deity in the British age. The country people call it the devil's night-cap, and have a romantic tradition, that the devil, out of envy, threw it from the isle of Wight, with a defign to have demolished Corf caftle, but it fell short, and dropt here.

It is a red heath, fand, or moorftone, which, though very common over all the heath, does not abound hereabouts, or at least of any bigneis. It stands on an high barrow, or tumalus; its prefent form is that of a pyramid inverted; or an irregular triangle, one of whofe fides is placed uppermoft, though it is probable it was originally quadrilateral. On the caft front it is convex or gibbous, on the west nearly flat. On the top, a ridge or bulge runs its whole length from north to fouth, whence it flopes away to thereaft fix feet, to the weft five. There is a confiderable cleft croffes it in the middle from east to west. On the furface are three hollows or cavities, no doubt + rock balons, in which ravens have bred. The furface is overgrown with heath, and turves have been cut there.

All.

All the ftone is rough, full of cracks, fiffures, and inequalities, and parts into horizontal layers, or lamina, especially on the east fide, and at the ends.

The dimenfions are as follow: The girt or circumference at bottom is 60 feet, in the middle 80, at or near the top 90. But thefe meafurements, by reafon of the inequality of the furface, cannot be very exact. The quarriers compute it contains 407 tuns.

On the top of the barrow lie feveral ftones, one of which contains 16, another 9 tons. On the fides and bottom a multitude of others, of various fizes, moftly covered with heath, furze, and fern. Some tuns have been broken off, and carried to Pool and Studland, for building. If we confider this, and the detached ftones before-mentioned, which were certainly fragments of the great one, separated from it by violence, time, and weather, it must have been a prodigious one indeed, not inferior to the Tolmen at Conftantine in Cornwall, the meafurements of which, in Dr. Barlace, fall fhort of this, though he makes it contain more tuns.

There is little doubt but that the ancient Britons had skill to lift great weights, and spared no pains to erect fuch vaft rude monuments, many of which are extant at Stone Henge, Abury in Cornwall, and other parts of the three kingdoms. Yet the enormous bulk of this ftone, in its primitive ftate, may incline one to imagine it to be a natural rock, and that the barrow was formed by a collection of earth thrown up round it; or if the barrow be thought too large to be artificial, perhaps the stone might grow here on a natural hil

lock, and the earth at top might be removed, and the ftone laid bare, to a depth fuitable to the use it was defigned for, and then the hill ck might be shaped into its prefent regular form.

Yet Silbury Hill in Wiltshire, and many other vaft barrows allowed to be artificial, mentioned by Dr. Berace, lib. 3. c. 8. p. 205-207, are much larger than this, and are ftrong evidences of the labour and time bestowed by the ancient Britons, and other nations, on fuch works.

The etymology of Agglefton, and the rock bafons on it, determine it to be a rock idol, erected in the British age, and the object of their fuperftitious worship.

The barrow on which this stone ftands is very large. Its diameter on top is 60 feet, at bottom it occupies half an acre and 14 rood of ground. Its flope on the eaft fide, where it is fteepeft, is 300 feet, the perpendicular height go feet. On the north and fouth, it is nearly of an equal height. On the west, it is much lefs fteep. It is all covered with heath, furze, and fern. On the top it is concave, worn down by fheep lying there, or by attempts to break off ftone. Round the bottom appear traces of a shallow ditch, almost filled up, and covered by heath, &c. About it are feveral other barrows of different forms and fizes. On one, a little north from it, called Puckftone, is a tone thrown down ten feet by eight.

This monument ftanding in an unfrequented part of the country, and hid by the hills that almost environ it, was fcarce known or obferved, till it lately drew the attention of James Frampton, of

More

to the notice of the public, as it deferved.

The Tolmen at Conftantine is of an oval form; its long diameter, which points due north and fouth, is 33 feet, its fhort one 14-6. Its breadth in the middle of the furface, where it is deepelt, from east to weft, 18-6. Its circumference 97 feet, and about 60 cross in the middle, and contains 750 tuns.Dr. Borlace, ibid. 1. 3. c. 8. p. 168. plate II.

Silbury hill is a large barrow, without any stone on it. Its diameter at top is 1c5 feet, at the bottom above 503, its perpendicular height is 170.-See Dr. Borlace, 1. 3. c. 8. p. 206; and Dr. Stukeley on Stone Henge.

fæft and ileftinde in alle thinge abutan ænde, and the heaten alle ure treowe in the treowthe thet heo us ogen, that heo ftede-feftliche healden and weren to healden and to swerien the ifetneffes that beon makede and beon to makien thurg than to foren ifeide rædesmen, other thurg the moare dæl of heom alfwo; alfe hit is beforen iseid, And that æhcother helpe that for to done bitham ilche other agenes alle men [paucula quædam hic deeffe videntur, hæc fcilicet aut fimilia: in alle thinge that] ogt for to done and to foangen. And noan ne mine of Loande ne of egetewher thurg this befigte muge beon ilet other iwerfed on oniewife. gif oni ether onie cumen her ongenes we willen and heaten, that alle ure treowe heom healden

And

willen thet this beo ftedefæft and deadlichistan. And for that we leftinde, we fenden gew this Writ

open

ifeined with ure Seel to halden amanges gew ine Hord. Witness us feluen æt Lundænthane egtetenth day on the Monthe of Octobr, in the two and fowertigthe geare of ure crunninge. And thir wes idon ætforen ure ifworen redefmen, Bonefac. Archebifchop on Kanterbur. Walter of Cantelop, Bifchop of Wirechefter, Sim. of Montfort Eorle of Leichestre, Rich. of Clare Eorl on Glochester and on Hartford; Roger Bigod Eorl of Northfolk and Marefcal on Engleloand, Perres of Sauueye, Will. of Fort Eorl on Aubem, John de Pleffe Eorl on Warwick, Joh. Geffereeffune, Perres of Muntfort, Rich. of Grey, Rog. of Mortemer, Iames of Aldithel, and ætforen othre moge.

AND all on tho ilche worden is ifend in to aurichte othre Schire

oner