Transactions. 1 25 



(Vulg. S. Luke i. 28). The remainder of the passage is illegible. 

 The next subject is " Jesus healing the man that Avas born 

 blind:" " et praeteriens [iesvs] vidit [homixem caecvm] a 



NATIVITATE ET s[aNAVIT BVM a]b INFIEMITA [te] "* " And 



Jesus passing, saw a man blind from his birth, and healed him 

 from his infirmity " (St. John ix. 1 et seq.) The next panel 

 above contains a representation of Mary Magdalene anointing 

 the feet of the Saviour : " attvlit alabastrvm vngventi et 



STANS retro SECVS PEDES EIVS LACRIMIS COEPIT RIGARE PEDES 

 EIVS ET CAPILLIS CAPITIS SVI TERGEBAT " " She brought an 



alabaster vase of ointment, and standing behind, with tears began 

 to wash His feet, and with the hair of her head did dry them " 

 (St. Luke vii. 37-8). On the Gosforth Cross, Cumberland, she 

 is represented as carrying her vase of ointment, which, though 

 particularly mentioned, is not shown on the Ruthwell monument.* 

 Above this panel is the salutation of Mary and Elizabeth. The 

 inscription is too much obliterated to be read, but there can be 

 no doubt that it is a quotation from tlie Vulgate relating to the 

 subject as in the other cases. Again, where the stone curves 

 inwards to the crossbeam, there is an archer pointing his arrow 

 upwards. I am not sure what it means. Possibly it may repre- 

 sent the sign of the Zodiac Sagittarius, which is a common 

 feature in ancient sculptui-e. The amis being modern, we may 

 pass tliem by and proceed to the top stone- — the most interesting 

 portion of the whole monument, as bearing the name of the 

 immortal author — Cadmon," the Milton of ancient England. 

 This face of the top stone bears the figures of St. John and his 

 eagle, with tlie opening words of his gospel, " In puincipio erat 

 VERBUJi." We turn now to the southern side. The first panel, 

 corresponding to the one on the northern side containing the 

 Latin cross, appears to have contained two human figures, but 

 they are too much obliterated to be made out. The second panel 

 contains " The Fliglit into Egypt," considerably mutilated, but 

 showing the words — " makia et io[sepii]," " Mary and Jo-seph," 

 round the margin. The next panel contains a subject from 

 Jerome's " Life of St. Anthony." The reference is to the inci- 

 dent in the legendary life of St. Anthony, who for sixty years 



* The words and letters within brackets are not now on the Cross, and are supplied 

 from the Vulgate. The words et sanavit eum ab infinnitate .-ire not in the Vulgate. 



= " Memoires de la Society Royale des Antiquaries du Nord," 1884, p. 16. 



"^ I prefer to spell this name Cadmun instead of Coedmon, as the former is the original 

 Northumbrian form. 



