Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/393

 NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. 309 is a rectangle, about 32 feet long by 25 feet broad, but the interior of the east-end is semicircular. In each corner (of the east end ? or of the chancel generally ?) are three small vaulted cells or recesses, one above another, with stairs of communication. The main entrance and tlie windows are round-headed. Mr. Laing proposes a conjecture, whether this edifice may not originally have been a heathen temple ? St. Laurence, also built A.D. 1046, is a cross church, wherein round and pointed arches are used indiscriminately. St. Drotten's was built a.d. 1086, " in the Saxon style " — that is, apparently, with round arches. St. Nicholas, erected a.d. 1097, is large, having long windows, " and all the arches, which are very beautiful, pointed. It is evident," continues our author, "that the different style of the arches does not denote a different age in these buildings ; and these are older than any in Britain of a known date. They deserve the consideration of the English antiquary who takes an interest in the eccle- siastical architecture of the early ages., . In the front of St. Nicholas' Church, two ornamental roseworks, or circles, are shown, in the centres of which were two carbuncles, it was said, of which the light would be seen far off, and was of use in guiding mariners at sea. It is possible that some glittering spar may have been inserted in these circles, which are con- structed of brick upon the stone front." Very many gravestones were observed, applied to uses of all kinds ; " some with dates of the XVIth. and XVIIth centuries, had evidently been much older tombstones, and the original inscription erased to make room for the later." " On many there appeared a sort of hieroglyphic, or runic character — a stroke, with other strokes crossing or meeting it in various shapes and angles, of which I could make nothing. It was not possible that a runic character, which it most resembled, could be in use in Wisby on tombstones of dates between 1500 and 1600. I applied to a young lawyer, a native of the place, whose acquaintance I had made, to solve me the puzzle ; his solution was inge- nious, and, I doubt not, correct. When writing was not an ordinary accomplishment among the most wealthy burgesses of Wisby or the Hans Towns, every merchant had his own particular mark or scratch, known to his customers or correspondents, as well as if it had been his signature in letters ; and this mark was hereditary, and transmitted in his family, and was their countersign by which their wares were known, or their commu- nications recognised, by all who dealt with or knew them ; and this mark or hieroglyphic was inscribed on their tombstones to distinguish them, dead or alive, from others. This is the tradition of the place with regard to these marks." Pp. 302—312. Although it is manifest that Mr. Laing is not very conversant with the subject of ancient architecture, the descriptive remarks above cited may well attract the attention of our archaeological readers. The entire remains, both ecclesiastic and civil, of the mouldering town of Wisby seem likely to repay the curiosity of an antiquarian traveller, if any such should be tempted to visit those hitherto unexplored regions. On the mainland of Sweden, indeed, our author expressly declares the churches generally to be the reverse of interesting ; it may, however, be mentioned, upon other autho- rity, that the churches of the ancient town of Lubec, on the eastern side of the Baltic, are stated to be extremely deserving of inspection. On taking leave of the " Tour in Sweden " it may be added, that Mr. Laing has subsequently (viz., in 1844) published a more decidedly archaeological ,York— namely a translation of the Sagas of Snorro Storleson, under the VOL. IX. s ^5