56 



I^oies on the Ornamentation of the Early 



many of the patterns, but all the same they are as much indebted 

 to a foreign source for the first idea of circular knotwork as they are 

 for the conventional way of representing' the Evangelists at the 

 beginning of each of the Gospels, 



The decoration of the stone at Knook and the cross-base (A) at 

 Ramsbury is worthy of careful study as showing the way in which 

 the circular knots may have been derived from the simpler class o£ 

 knots founded on the plait. The pattern on the Knook stone 

 consists of knot D (Fig. 7) (in my " Analysis, p. 242) arranged, in a 



Fig. 7. 

 double row facing each other' (Fig. 8). Knot D arranged in a 



Fig. 8. 



^ " Analysis," p. 251, pattern No. 123. 



