ANCIENT SCULPTÜRED STONES. 117 



as was usually in tlie seventh or foUowing centuries erected 

 to mark tlie graves of persons of distinction. Many such 

 remairij and \ve have historical mention of others. This 

 cross commemorates members of tlie religlous Community 

 at Hackness, and as such, imperfect as it is, it is very 

 important/^ 



The uppermost stone has on the north side a knot ; ou 

 the south a scroll ; and on tlie east and west the following 

 inscrlption : 



OEDILBURGA BEATA AD SEMPER TE RECOLANT AMANTES 



PIE DEPOSCANT REQUIEM VERXANTEM SEMPITERNAM 



SANCTORUM PIA MATER APOSTOLICA. 



Whicli may be rendered : — " Blessed ffidilburga, may 

 they always remember thee, dutifully loving thee ; may 

 they ask for thee the verclant everlasting rest of the Saints, 

 O Holy Mother, Apostolic/' 



The Word " Apostolica " being separated from wliat pre- 

 cedes it, may be the commencenient of another similar 

 inscription, but this is conjectural, and I am inclined to 

 think that it is only a continuation, as it will be seen that 

 the next Inscription ends with mater amaktissima — each 

 being epithets suited to the characters coinmemorated. 



2. In the next inscription the stone is broken away, 

 and only a portion of the letters can be made out. These, 

 according to Mr, Haigh, are * * * etb * * ga which 

 would form part of the narae Huaetburga, and the inscrip- 

 tion be read as follows : 



HUAETBURGA SEMPER TE AMENT MEMORES 

 DOMUS TUAE TE MATER AMANTISSIMA. 



Eendercd thus : — " Huaetburga, may thy houses always 

 love thee, remembering thee, most loving mother." 



The latter part of the first inscription is carelessly cut, 

 and therefore very difficult to read, but the reading glven 



