Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/260

 240 NOTICES OF ANCIENT ORNAMENTS of Christianity reached the most remote parts of Europe. Thus, according to the relation of Bede, the two British missionaries, the white and the black Hewald, who took part with Wilbrord in his pious endeavom' to introduce the faith into the bar- barous regions of northern Europe, having been detected through their daily offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice, for which purpose they had provided themselves with sacred vessels and a tabula dedicated as a substitute for an altar, suffered cruel martyrdom amongst the ancient Saxons, in the seventh centmy'*. Amongst the earliest evidences of the use of the super-altar in our own country the cmnous relations of the anonymous monastic chronicler, and of Reginald of Durham, respecting the translation of the remains of St. Cuthbert to the new church at Durham, in the year 1104, deserve especially to be noticed. They have given a detailed account of the state in which his remains were then found, with the vestments and sacred objects deposited with them at Lindisfarne, A.D. 688, including a small golden chalice, a paten, and a silver altar''. The tomb in Durham cathedral supposed to contain the remains of St. Cuthbert, was opened in the year 1827; they were then found wrapped in rich pontifical vestments, and upon the breast of the corpse had been deposited a small portable altar of oak, covered with silver plate, cmiously orna- mented, and bearing an inscription. It is remarkable that on the wood itself was also found part of an inscription, concealed by the metal coating, as if it, likewise had been used as a portable altar, previously to being thus decorated. Mr. Raine has given a detailed account and representation of this re- markable relic, now preserved in the Chapter Library, at Diu-ham^. It has been recorded that a similar portable altar, formed of two pieces of wood fastened together with silver nails, and inscribed, alme trinitati agie sophie sancte MARIE, was found in the tomb of Acca, bishop of Hexham, opened about the year 1000 ; Acca died A.D. 740^^. There can be little doubt that the primitive bishops were acciistomed to carry such altars with them in the visitation of their flock altaris vice dedicatam." — Ilist. Eccl. Ang., with this account, lib. V. c. 10. '^ Saint Cuthbert, by the Rev. James '' " Habet secum in sepulcro altare ar- Raine, Durham, 1828, p. 199, plate vi. genteum et corporalia." — Regin. Monaclii ■' Sim. Dun. Scriptores Decern, col. Dunelm. libellus, c. 42. Tlic anonymous 101. history, printed in the Acta Sanctorum,
 * " Habeutes secum vascula et tabiilam iii. mens Martii, is closely in accordance