Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/327

 AN ACCOUNT OF SOME MONUMENTAL CROSSES. 303 the tliird, fourth, and tiftli centuries, than in any other part of the Roman dominions which at that time comprehended a large portion of the known world. AVe know these facts and many more which it would be tedious to rehearse here, but we do not generally make any effort to realize this part of our history. It is the ol)ject of this paper to turn attention to this subject. The remote times to which I would lead the reader's thoughts, are not unrepresented by characteristic remains, which, few and fragmentary though they be, are yet venerable, interesting, and almost unknown. In introducing these primitive Christian remains, I would divide them into three classes : First, that of Roman crosses or incised slabs, for the Romans appear to have been instrumental in introducing and establishing Christianity on these shores. The second, of Roman -British slabs and crosses ; and the third, of Irish crosses, which class resembles in all its varieties the crosses still remaining in Ireland. These last occupy chronologically the period intervening between the departun of the Romans from Britain, early in the fifth centmy, and the invasion and conquest of Cornwall by the Saxons ur Icr Athclstan, early in the tenth. The two first examples I adduce of Roman crosses are from St. Just in Penwith, a parish not far from the Land's End, where many Roman coins have been found especially in the excavations and among the heaps of the ancient tin works. The examples referred to are deposited in a recess in the chancel of the parish chm'ch, where they were placed by the late Rev. John Buller, formerly vicar of the parish. The former of these, here figured, was found built into the wall Avlien the chancel .was taken down in 1S34, to be re- built. It was probably a monument erected over the resting-place of Silus, in the ceme- tery of the primitive foundation*^, which occu- pied the site of the })resent church. The slab is of granite, and about three feet six inches •' There are some rude heads cut in ing the churchyard. Also a register of stone, similar to those which formerly the existence of a church in tliis spot in ornamented the south doorway in St. the time of Edward the Confessor. I'iran's oratory, in a gar Ion w:ill adjoin- St Ju3t, Peuwittl