Af CREE PLEA E Nip orto ts tm 

Bee eee 
Recent Wiltshire Books, Panvphlets, and Articles. 179 
length, and the Bishop on the whole inclines to Frome, Westbury, 
Bradford, Bath, Colerne, Littleton Drew, as the most likely stopping- 
places largely because at five of these places there are remains of Saxon 
sculptured stones or crosses, though of course the whole matter is one of 
pure guess-work, and the presence of remains of crosses at these places 
proves nothing, for there are also remains at Minety, Knook, 
Wantage, Ramsbury, and other places which can have no connection 
with this journey. In discussing the character of the sculptures 
on these Wessex stones the Bishop remarks that that at Littleton Drew 
is unique amongst stones in this part of England as having part of the 
remains of an inscription—four letters in all—upon it. He also notes 
the Irish character of the ornament on the Bradford stone, which has 
formed the jamb of a doorway. He regards the Ramsbury crosses as 
having very possibly stood within the Church, at the head and foot of 
recumbent body stones, and he argues that such stones were in use as 
early as 685 A.D., for William of Malmesbury speaks of a burial of that 
date outside the Abbey Church of Glastonbury under a ‘‘ Pyramid,” or 
cross shaft, “‘ nobiliter insculpte.” 
A photo of the splendid altar of Wolvinius in 8S. Ambrogio, at Milan, 
is given as a contemporary and probably similar work to the shrine 
of St. Aldhelm, set up about 855, in the Abbey Church of Malmesbury, 
and described by Faritius as covered with silver gilt plates on which the 
miracles of the saint were depicted. The miracles attributed to the 
saint are mentioned, and his writings are described and criticised, at 
some length, his principal work being his Sacred Hymns, his Letter to 
Acircius, The Enigmas, his Letter to Osgith, and his Treatise in Praise of 
of Virgins. 
His Letter to the Britons, addressed to ‘‘ King Geruntius and also to 
all the Priests of God dwelling throughout the Domnonian Realm,” 
shows that the Britons of the south-west were at that time by no means in 
the condition of slavery and misery that William of Malmesbury attributes 
to them. This letter, indeed, was not known to William when he wrote. 
The existing Abbey Church at Malmesbury and the works of repair 
lately finished are described, and it is especially noted that the new work 
has been left without mouldings, so that it will be impossible in the 
future for anyone to mistake it for work of the twelfth century. 
In the appendix a note on King Athelstan’s gift to Malmesbury and 
his feast day, together with the form still observed at the admission of 
& commoner is given; as also an interesting note on vine-growing in 
England, giving the results of the experiment begun in 1875 by the 
Marquis of Bute near Cardiff, from which it appears that the crop of 
1893 yielded, from 5 acres of land, one thousand dozens of wine, which 
were sold from the vineyard at 60s. the dozen, whilst the wine made in 
- 1881 sold in 1894 at 115s. the dozen. 
Crabbe, by Alfred Ainger. (‘English Men of Letters ” Series.) 
London: Macmillan & Co. 1903. Cloth. Cr.8vo. 2s.nett. Pp. viii. 
and 210. 
