Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/331

 AND WAYSIDE CROSSES. 307 the reader of tlic many Roman coins which arc impressed with the sacred signs above stated, I will close this notice of Roman Christian remains. I have adduced a few, but I trust sufficient, to turn attention to the facts so much neglected, which justify the belief that the Romans, during their sojourn in these islands, w^re in some part Christians. We cannot realize the early history of the Church without admitting this. We may readily suppose that the Britons among whom the Romans lived, were not backward in receiving the true faith, for they were involved, both Romans and Britons, in one common persecution, which was inflicted by their rulers on account of the Christian faith. This trial doubtless united them, and drew them closer to each other in bonds of amity and it may be consanguinity. We find on various incised monumental slabs in this county, Roman and British names, evidently proving that such relationship actually ex- isted ^ I have drawn only two of these slabs, for the others have no cross or other sign by which they may be distinguished as memorials of Christians, The former of these is here given : it is a rough unhewn slab of granite, about eight feet in length. The inscription upon it is thus rendered, cirvsius HIC lACET CVNOMORI FILIUS. Fowey. Here we have Roman letters and a Roman inscription, purporting an intinuite connection betweeij a Briton and a Roman. On the opposite or reverse side of this inscribed : surface there is- a large Tau cross, which we. may suppose indicates that the person to whom the memorial was erected was a Christian. There is also something engraved just above the names, now almost obliterated; it has the ap- sliire, in the Roman station, and now in * See Borlase's Anti'jiiilits of Cornwall the possession of Sir W. Lawson, Bart., is pi. 3J. p. 391. oi'iianicntcil with the cross.