[Sidenote: _Gir. Camb. de adm. Hib. Cap. 18._]
_Giraldus Cambrensis_, curiously diligent in his relations of the miracles in _Ireland_, amongst other strange things in those parts, reckons up this Antiquity _Stoneheng_. _Fuit antiquis temporibus in_ Hibernia, _lapidum congeries admiranda_, (saith he) _quæ &_ Chorea Gigantum _dicta fuit, quia Gigantes eam ab ultimis_ Africæ _partibus in_ Hiberniam _attulerunt &c. There was in_ Ireland _in ancient times, a pile of stones worthy admiration, called the_ Giants Dance, _because Giants, from the remotest parts of_ Africa, _brought them into_ Ireland, _and in the plains of_ Kildare, _not farre from the Castle of the_ Naase, _as well by force of Art, as strength, miraculously set them up. These stones_ (according to the _British_ story) Aurelius Ambrosius, _King of the_ Britans, _procured_ Merlin _by supernaturall means to bring from Ireland, into_ Britain. _And, that he might leave some famous monument of so great a treason to after ages, in the same order, and art, as they stood formerly, set them up, where the flower of the_ British _Nation fell by the cut-throat practice of the_ Saxons, _and where under the pretence of peace, the ill secured youth of the Kingdom, by murdrous designs were slain_.
_Rainulph_ Monk of _Chester_, speaking of _Aurelius_, alias _Aurelianus Ambrosius_ (by others called _Ambrosius Aurelianus_) saith (as Sir _John Trevisa_ the Priest in old English laid it down) =His brother Uter Pendragon by help of Merlin the Prophet brought= Choream Gigantum, =that is Stonehenges out of Ireland. Stonehenge is now in the plain of Salisbury: of that bringing of Stonehenge out of Ireland, speaketh the British story, if it should lawfully be ytrowed.=
It appears, _Rainulph_ of _Chester_, as easie credit as he gave to strange stories, had not much confidence in this: and if, according to _Geffrey Monmouth_, or _Matthew Westminster_, I should set it down, I presume you would be of his mind. But, I affect not such conceits, they are neither fitting my discourse, nor your perusall. Neverthelesse, seeing none of them tell us, by what ways, or Arts, Giants (as they will have it) brought them from the remotest parts of _Africk_ into _Ireland_ (for it seems they could not hansomly find a _Merlin_ to help them therein also) I shall take so much leave, following _Geffrey Monmouths_ steps, as to give you, at least, some part of the story, and relate (according to their opinions) how they came from _Ireland_ hither. After _Geffrey Monmouths_ discourse of _Uter Pendragons_ victory over the _Irish_, who with _Merlin_ forsooth and a great Army, were sent by _A. Ambrosius_ to fetch the Giants dance, _Lapidum structuram adepti_ (saith he) _gavisi sunt & admirati; circumstantibus itaque cunctis, accessit_ Merlinus _& ait, utimini viribus vestris juvenes, ut in deponendo lapides istos, sciatis utrum ingenium virtuti, aut virtus ingenio cedat, &c._ i.e. _Having found the structure, from joy they fell into admiration, and standing all of them at gaze round about it_, Merlin _draws near, and thus bespeaks them: Use now your utmost strength young men, that in taking away these stones, you may discover, whether Art to strength, or strength gives place to Art. At his command therefore, they bring severall sorts of engines, and addresse themselves to pulling it down. Some ropes, some cables, some had made lathers ready, that what they so much desired, might be effected, but in no wise able to atcheive their purpose. Deficientibus cunctis, solutus est_ Merlinus _in risum_ (saith _Geffrey_) _& suas machinationes confecit. Denique cum quæque necessaria apposuisset; leviùs quàm credi potest lapides deposuit: depositis autem, fecit deferri ad naves, & introponi: & sic cum gaudio in_ Britanniam _reverti cœperunt. All of them tired_, Merlin _breaks out into laughter, and provides his engines. Lastly, when he had set all things in a readinesse, hardly to be beleev’d it is, with what facility he took them down: being taken down, he caused them to be carried to the Ships, and imbarqued; and so with joy they began their return towards_ Britain. Leaving it for us to suppose, with as small labour they were imbarqued, dis-imbarqued, and brought from their landing place to _Salisbury_ plain: all (it seems) done by _Merlins_ spels. But of this too much.