the probability of Silbury Hill being incomplete, from its wanting its spiral ascent similar to those still existing on eminences from East Anglia to the frontier of Wales.

Mr. Gladstone describes the Helloi and Selloi (terms which no doubt descended to the sacred administrators of the rites of Helios and Zeλnvn, Selene) as interchangeable terms. This arose, no doubt, from their alternation in day and night, and their sometimes, as at rising and setting, apparently almost equal magnitude. It approximates to the term KaToç, far-shooting, applied to Apollo, and the feminine ἑκάτη to Artemis as Selene; also to "Ηλιος and Ηλη.

The latter word, Selene, as abbreviated and incorporated in compound words, is hardly ever found except in Britain and Greece, and the few exceptions are in Greek colonies. The less prominence of this appellation of the moon in Greece arises from the numerous other terms applied to it there, as Artemis, Diana, Hecate, etc.; some examples have been already quoted.

The following names illustrate the localities sacred to Selene:

9. Selsea. (Chelsea may be a corruption of Selsea; if so, Apollo's Thorney would lie midway between the

VOL. XXII,

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rising and setting Selene, both places being on remarkable elevations-St. Paul's and St. Luke's.)

10. Selway or Solway.

11. Selgovie. The priests of the worship.

Camden gets Solway from Selgovie; here again is confusion of the sun with the moon.

As strong indications of references to Apollo could be given, but Artemis as Selene is less known, as to the name, to the Greek writers on Britain.

But the moon was associated with Britain in a special manner. Diodorus, quoting ancient authors, says the moon was held to be nearer this island than elsewhere, and Apollo visits the island once in every nineteen years. Leto (Latona), mother of Apollo and Diana, was described as being born here, and Hercules as having visited the island. One ancient writer asserts that on inquiring at Massalia about the navigation in the northern seas, he could get no information.

There is nothing surprising in this. The old story of the Roman and Phoenician ship-masters,

when the latter wrecked his ship rather than let the Roman know his trade course; the determination of the merchants summoned by Caesar not to reveal to him the products of, or the nationalities in, Britain; the ingenious report of the Irish people being cannibals, to prevent gold-dealers seeking the rich Irish gold, these and other subterfuges reveal the spirit of secrecy as the ruling one of the merchants, whose trade would be open to strangers if

known.

The story given by Herodotus of the communication between this island and Greece is too long to insert, but it may be summarised.

He records two sacred deputations from the island so described to the specially Holy Island of Apollo and Diana Delos. The names of the delegates are given in each case, as-First, two virgins, Arge (Apy's) and Opis ("Orts), both Greek names signifying a serpent, from its bright and rapid movements, bright light; and under the care and favour of the gods. Second, Hyperoché (YEрoуn), preeminent, a ridge. The Gallic roches (rocks) is clearly this word, so that it may be said to be half Greek, half Gallic,* i. e. from beyond the rocks or coast = beyond the sea; or Greek póxos, the roar of the waves, and Laodicé (Aaodiký) (Greek), the law, or custom of the people.

Corresponding missions are asserted to have issued from Greece to the priests of Apollo here, in each case to convey votive offerings to Apollo and Diana.

*Plato and others assert that the Greeks adopted words from the nations they came in contact with.

The missionaries did not return in either case. Those to Greece remained and were buried in Delos. Perhaps those to Britain were interred in the long barrow near Avebury.

It is remarkable, as these two worships involved night and day ceremonies, that the spirally cut hills of England, which appear to have been sacred ascents for such worshippers (as figured in my "Place-names in and around Rome, Latium, Etruria and Britain," in this Society's Transactions'),* in the east of England ascend facing the rising sun, and on the west side ascend facing the setting sun.

One of the most singular evidences of night or Dragon worship in the west of Europe, is, that the Python, Ladon, the Dragon form of the set sun, the hidden Apollo, was the emblem of the Iberian Tarshish (Tartessus), as the winged dragon or griffin, and was adopted by the Samians on their first voyage to Tartessus, to commemorate the great wealth their voyage produced (Herodotus, bk. iv, ch. 152), and like the winged dragon sphinx of Oedipos at Thebes, and the Graeco-Scythic dragon at Olbia, ruled from east to west in Asia and Europe.

So bright had been the recollection of the advent, mission, and death of the delegates from Britain, that perpetual rites were maintained at their graves in Delos.

The graves of these missionaries bearing offerings to Apollo and Diana were in Delos, and known to Herodotus, who minutely describes them, as well as the rites performed at them.

The tomb of the earlier ones was behind the

* October, 1898, vol. xx. part 1.

temple of Diana, and faced the east; it was near the banqueting hall of the Ceians; that of the later ones, on the left on entering the temenos of Diana, with an olive tree growing on it. Youths and maidens, before marriage, cut off and dedicated portions of their hair to the interred messengers in the latter case; and collections (firstfruits) were made at the other tomb during the chanting of a Lycian hymn, composed for the purpose, and the bones burnt on the altar were strewn over the tomb. These rites existed in the time of Herodotus (bk. iv, chs. 32, 33), circa 540 B.c. By the ruined temples' sites I traced their position in Delos myself.

Later missions reached Greece from the Western countries, clearly identifying the island in question with the one north of Keltic Gaul (Britain). These minute descriptions are most forcible, and the names impressive.

The poetic fables of Pindar cast a haze over this plain history, by mixing up passages in the Hesiodic poems as applying to the inhabitants of the island in question without authority. Aeschylos, also, in his 'Prometheus' makes similar confusion.

About 279 B.C. a military alliance was made between the Greeks of Delphi and the Hyperboreans, in which the latter sent the leaders Laodicus, Hyperochus, and Pyrrhus (all Greek names, and persons, from, in any case, an island north of Gaul, and assimilating to those of the female priestesses or missionaries, and therefore probably sacerdotal names, or pertaining to the families of high rank in the island), to aid the Delians in resisting the Gauls under Brennus, who was about to attack the temple