5

OF THE DRUIDS. 159
society (with whom I became acquainted at OxfoM,
when I was a sojourner there; and collecting
during my idler hours a vocabulary of Armorican
and Irish words, which, in sound and signification,
agree better together than with the Welsh)
was the only person I
ever then met, who had a
right notion of the temples of the Druids, or indeed
any notion that the circles so often raention'd
were such temples at all :
wherein he was intirely
confirm'd, by the authorities which I show'd him;
as he supply'd me in return with numerous instan*
ces
of such monuments, which he was at great
pains to observe and set down.
And tho' he Was
extremely superstitious, or seem'd to be so : yet
he was a very honest man, and most accurate in
his accounts of matters of fact. But the facts he
knew, not the reflections
he made, were what I
wanted. Nor Will I deny justice on this occasion,
to a person whom I cited before, and who in many
other respects merits all the regard which the curious
can pay; I mean Sir Robert Sibbald, who,
in his foresaid History of Fife (but Very lately
come to my hands) affirms, that there are several
Druids temples to be seen every where in Scotland,
particularly in the county he describes.
*'
These (says he) are great stones plac'd in a
circle, at some distance from each other, &c."
Mr. Ailbrey show'd me several of Dr. Garden's
letters
From that kingdom to the same purpose,
but in whose hands now I know not.