[Sidenote: _Ædes sacræ Templa dicta fuerunt, quòd essent quasi ædes Deorum. Rosin. lib. 2. cap. 2._]
But to come to their sacred works, which in regard of this _Antiquity_, are (it’s true) of most concernment, I find the _Romans_ used (as _Vitruvius_ witnesseth) such manner of _Temples_. For (in his fourth Book, and seventh Chapter) he delivers, there were amongst others two forms of round _Temples_, commonly in use amongst them, the one called _Monopteros_; the other _Peripteros_. This, had the _Cell_ enclosed about with a continued wall, and at a proportionate distance from it, the columns placed which made a _Portico_ round about it, clean different from _Stoneheng_: the other made open, and in stead of a wall encompassed with a row of pillars only, having no enclosed _Cell_ within it at all, as much conducing to our purpose in hand. His words are these, _Fiunt autem ædes rotundæ, è quibus aliæ sine cella columnatæ constituuntur. They make also_ (saith he) _round Temples, of which some are built without a Cell, environed with Pillars only_. These were without any wals, (as his Commenter hath it) lying open to the Air. And truly (as I may presume to say) from this very manner the invention of _Stoneheng_ was principally taken, in ordering whereof, the _Architect_ disdaining usuall and common forms, of both the aforesaid forms composed one. For, taking the outward circle from the _Monopteros_, he made it open also as in that, but in stead of the continued wall circularly enclosing the _Cell_ of the _Peripteros_, at _Stoneheng_ he made only an _Hexagon_ about the _Cell_, leaving the same open in like manner. And, as _Hermogenes_ (whom I shall have occasion to remember again) to illustrate his work, leaving out the inner row of Pillars, made a single _Portico_ about the _Temple_ at _Magnesia_, whereby it came to be a new invention, for which he is famous to posterity: so the subtile _Architect_, whosoever he was, to ennoble this his work, adding the said _Hexagon_ here, made a double _Portico_ round about this _Temple_, and thereby a new invention likewise, no lesse famous to succeeding Ages. Our _Antiquity Stoneheng_ had otherwise been of the self same _Aspect_ without a _Cell_, as _Vitruvius_ hath before delivered. That _Temple Monopteros_, was environed with a row of pillars; this _Temple Stoneheng_, in stead of them, supplied with a rank of pillasters (as they may well be called) continuing round about it. That, lay open to the air without any walls: so doth this at _Stoneheng_. That, had over the pillars an _Architrave_, _Freese_, and _Cornice_, the _Order_ being delicate: this at _Stoneheng_, over the pillasters an _Architrave_ only, as most conformable to the solidnesse of the _Order_ and plainnesse of the work.