Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/387

 ii s. VIL MAY 17, i9i3.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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between Jerusalem and Alexandria, we must, unless we entirely reject the historicity of the Gospel narrative, admit that the details of the trial of Jesus became well known to Jew and Gentile in the Egyptian capital.

Space does not permit here the full dis- cussion of the question, but it may be mentioned that there are passages in Josephus and Hegesippus which might be cited in support of the hypothesis above outlined.

. MACCABTHY.

THE FORGED 'SPEECHES AND PRAYERS' OF THE REGICIDES.

(See ante, pp. 301, 341.) III. THE FIRST PREFACE TO THE BOOK.

THROUGH its omission in Howell's ' State Trials,' the Preface to the first edition is almost unknown. Sir Roger L'Estrange's tracts contain a great deal of comment upon its blasphemous nature, and he drew special attention to the concluding sentences. The Preface is as follows :

" To the Reader. The intent of this Epistle is not to set forth in a commendatory way anything concerning the persons or their sufferings, though much might be spoken deservedly in that matter, but only to present unto thee the words of dying men, some part whereof was occasional discourses betwixt them and some friends that visited them in the prison, yea in the dungeon. Unto every particular there are sufficient witnesses in this City, to whom we can appeal that there is nothing patronized upon these sufferers hut what was spoken by them, though it is not all that was spoked [sic] by them, for that would have swelled unto too large a volume. What thou hast here, therefore, are but some small mites carefully taken out of their great treasury. Here are also extracts [sic] of several letters coppied from their own hand-writings. The rest is their speeches and prayers at the time and place of execution, taken by exact short writers. And divers of the best copies have been compared, and the work, with much care and industry, hath been brought to this perfection. There hath some speciall reasons moved us to undertake this matter. As, first, to prevent that wrong which might be done to the deceased, and more especially to the name of God, by false and imperfect copies. Secondly, to satisfy those many in City and country who have much desired it. Thirdly, to let all see the riches of Grace magnified in these servants of Christ. Fourthly, that men may see what it is to have an interest in Christ in a dying hour and to be faithful to His Cause [sic]. And, lastly, that all men may consider and know that every man's judgment shall be from the Lord. Prov. 29/26."

Titus Oates himself never wrote any- thing worse than this ; and as the authors of this book actually printed equally veracious

accounts of the " judgments from the Lord,' r we shall be able to carry on their tale from the writers' own pens. The other prefaces are not important. J, B. WILLIAMS.

(To be continued.)

THE STONE CIRCLE ON MEAYLL, HILL, ISLE OF MAN.

AT the south end of the Isle of Man, next to the Calf Island, is a group of low 1 rounded hills which stand out rather prominently, from being nearly separated from the re- mainder of the land by the narrow neck of low-lying country which runs from Port Erin on the west to Port St. Mary on the east. This is the " Meayll," a district sur- rounded on three sides by lofty and pre- cipitous sea cliffs, extending from Spanish Head and the Chasms, round by the Calf Sound, to Port Erin ; on the fourth side is the low neck of land, formerly submerged, and later a swamp. Near the highest summit, known as the Meayll Hill, is a stone circle, unique in form and arrangement, and 500 ft. above the sea.

The circle is formed of six symmetrically arranged sets of cists (or stone chambers), each set to which in describing them the term " tritaph " is now given being com- posed of one radial cist and two tangenti- ally placed. Three tritaphs form the eastern half of the circle, and three form the western, leaving considerable gaps or entrances at north and south. The south entrance measures 16 ft. in a line with the external circumference, while the corresponding open- ing at the north is 18 ft. across. The north- to- south diameter measures 50ft., and the east - to - west 57 ft. A circular mound of loose stones and earth packed on to the external circumference of the cists slopes to 3 or 4 yards beyond the above measure- ments. There are indications of a cist or chamber of some kind having formerly been in the centre, but it has evidently been disturbed.

There are slight differences in size and proportion between the various tritaphs, though they are built on the same plan, viz., two large cists placed end to end, running on the circumference of the circle, and one, rather longer and narrower, directed radially outwardstfrom the place of junc- tion of the two former. The arrangement then is a triradiate one ; we shall call the end of each cist which is nearest the centre of the tritaph " proximal," the re- moter end " distal," The tangential cists