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dred, from which I have received much assistance, says, 
referring to the above paragraph: “This devotional motive 
was, however, combined with objects of practical utility, of 
which perhaps the chief was this, that the steps of the pedes- 
tals of these wayside crosses afforded a befitting resting 
place for the bier of the dead, and for the bearers of it, as 
they laboriously bore the corpse to some distant burial place, 
in an age when churchyards were many miles apart, when 
roads were all but impassable in the winter season, and when 
hearses and other vehicles for the conveyance of the dead had 
not come into vogue. Among those of our fellow countrymen 
who adhere to the Roman Catholic communion the traditional 
use of these crosses is preserved, and we are informed that 
funeral processions of members of that church are invariably 
halted before the ruins of the ancient wayside cross, to which the 
mourners kneel or make reverence.” ‘This custom of praying 
at the wayside cross is alluded to by Shakespeare in the Merchant 
of Venice, Act V. Sc. L— 
“ Stephano is my name and I bring word 
My mistress will before the break of day 
Be here at Belmont; she doth stray about 
By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays 
For happy wedlock hours.” 
The most remarkable series of crosses belonging to this 
class were those erected by Edward I., and generally known as 
the ‘Eleanor Crosses.”’ Queen Eleanor died at Hardby, in 
Nottinghamshire, and her remains were conveyed to London, 
twelve days being occupied in the transit, and at each place 
where the body rested for a night, the King who accompanied 
the cortege, caused a memorial cross to be built. These crosses 
were very elaborate in character, and were amongst the finest 
architectural structures of the period. Of the twelve originally 
built but three now remain, namely, those at Geddington, North- 
ampton, and Waltham. - 
Tartor’s Cross.—The first local example of the wayside 
cross we shall notice is generally known and is marked upon the 
6-inch Ordnance Map as ‘‘Tailor’s Cross.’’ Many are the tra- 
ditions which have been handed down regarding this cross, and 
there is some difficulty in coming to a satisfactory conclusion as 
to the ‘“*why and wherefore” of its existence. There is a 
tradition mentioned in the ‘‘ Annals of Colne,” ‘“‘ That Cromwell’s 
army being in the neighbourhood, and extremely short of clothiers, 
made a raid upon and captured all the tailors they could find, 
Amongst the captured was a Royalist, who vowed he would 
never soil his fingers by making clothes for the rebels; so the 
rough soldiers without more ado shot the obstinate and loyal- 
hearted: tailor, at a spot about two hundred yards from Kirk 
