Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/329

 AND AVAYSIDE CROSSIiS, 305 US that Christians not only erected the sign upon their churches, but painted and impressed them upon their door- ways, upon their houses, upon their substance, and even upon their persons. From Eusel)ius we learn that Constantine the Great erected a statue of himself, in a public square at Rome, holding a cross to commemorate his glorious victory over Maxentius ; we learn also that he erected crosses in the chief streets of Constantinople and in his palace ; upon the outside of the great church which he built in that city, and also upon the altar within. Crosses were introduced in and upon churches in this reign, "non tantum interdum sed et fre- quenter et quidem veteri more." These remarks will serve in some degree to enable us to reahze the history and cha- racter of the early time to which I am referring. The next instance of a Roman cross which I would adduce is given in this illus- tration. It represents a little cross in the parish of St. Bmyan, about three miles from the Land's End. It is situated about a mile from the " Chm-ch town," in the corner of a road turning down. to some ancient nims called " the Sanctu- ary." In dimensions it is about two feet high by two feet in breadth, and one foot in thickness, and it stands on a massive base three feet s(juare and about sixteen inches high. This cross I am inclined to attribute to the Roman Chris- tians, because it is unlike the other ancient crosses which remain in this county ; and because, in the squareness and massiveness of its proportions, it possesses something of a Byzantine character, and resembles in form the few illustra- tions which arc preserved of the old crosses of Constantinople. This however is only a conjecture, and like some antiquarian conjectures may be but a baseless dream. Ihit there is one inqiortant feature in this cross deserving of particidnr notice, and which sei-ves to draw our attention to the subject of the crucifix, or human figure displayed upon Sanctuary St. Burya