in antiquarian topography, are large single stones set up perpendicularly. Those of them which are found in this country were the work of the Druids; but as they are the most simple of all monuments, they are unquestionably more ancient than even Druidism itself. They were placed as memorials recording different events; as remarkable instances of God's mercies, of contracts, singular victories, boundaries, and sometimes sepulchres. Various instances of these monuments erected by the patriarchs occur in the Old Testament. Such was that raised by Jacob at Luz, afterwards by him named Bethel; and such also was the pillar placed by him over the grave of Rachel. They were likewise marks of exorcisms and magical talismans. These stones, from having long been considered as objects of veneration, were at length idolatrously worshipped by the ignorant and superstitious; wherefore, after the introduction of Christianity, some had crosses cut upon them, which was considered as taking them out of the category of works devoted to the service of the devil. Vulgar superstition of a later date has led the common people to regard them as persons transformed into stone for the punishment of some crime, generally that of sabbath-breaking. This notion, however, is not confined to single stones, but is also told of whole circles; as the monuments called

---

1 It deserves to be remarked here, that in the year 1423, under the reign of Henry VI., abundance of licenses were granted by the crown of England to captains of English ships, for carrying numbers of devout persons to the shrine of St James of Compostella, in Spain; provided, however, that those pilgrims should first take an oath not to carry with them any thing prejudicial to England, nor to reveal any of its secrets, nor to take out with them any more gold or silver than what should be sufficient for their reasonable expenses. In this year there went out from England, on the same pilgrimage, from London 289, Bristol 200, Weymouth 122, Dartmouth 90, Yarmouth 60, Jersey 60, Plymouth 40, Exeter 30, Poole 24, Ipswich 20; in all 926 persons. the hurlers in Cornwall, and Rollorie stones in Warwickshire. The former are by the vulgar supposed to have once been men, who were thus transformed as a punishment for playing on the Lord's day at a game called hurling; the latter are believed to consist of a pagan king and his army.