128 TAPERS, ETC. 



wald was abbot of Glastonbury, contemporaiy witli Hedde. 

 Bregored appears to liave been one of Ins predecessors in 

 the abbacy. " Piere then," observes !Mr. Haigh, " were 

 two of tlils class of monuments, recognised as sepulcbral 

 by William of Malmsbury, and probably erected early in 

 the eighth Century/^ 



It cannot but be a source of regret to all lovers of 

 historical remalns tliat no other records of these monuments 

 have been pi'eserved. However, the drawings of the Ruth- 

 well and Bewcastle crosses enable us pretty accurately to 

 judge of the nature of these pyramids as they are called. 

 And here we may observe how very timely and wise is 

 the proposal of the Society of Antiquaries, put forth in 

 1858, viz. to collect copies of all existing monuments of 

 British subjects, whether at home or abroad, and thus form 

 a record for future ages. It must be apparent how much 

 more enduring than stone or marble is a published account 

 — how much more likely to escape destruction? We 

 should have lost all knowledge of the Glastonbury crosses 

 had it not been for the record of William of JNIalmsbury. 



In conclusion I would ofFer a remark on these ancient 

 Christian memorlals. They are among the few traces left 

 US of Saxon Christianity. Sorae portions of churches and 

 towers, and a few cntire buildings, can be assigned to the 

 Saxon era. The small church at Bradford-on-Avon, now 

 a school, is among the few vestlges of Saxon Christianity 

 in the West of England. The remains of a Saxon cross 

 have lately been discovered in restoring the church at 

 Kelston, near Bath. 



That these crosses were very early erected, is piain from 

 history ; and that they had their origin in the dedication 

 of pagan memorlals to Christian purposes, is also on record, 

 for St. Patrick so dedicated pagan monuments to the service 



