SCANDO-GOTHIC ART IN WESSEX. 13 



The last Abbot of Middeltun was Agelricus [Egelricus, or 

 Egeilricus]. The name Egill occurs frequently in Land- 

 namabok, and Agila was a Visigothic King. 



In conclusion, we may look again at the drawings on the 

 wall, in order fully to realise the links of a remarkable chain 

 of Scando-Gothic art. We can begin with two fonts, one 

 in Gotland (fig. A) and the other in Wessex (fig. B), each 

 adorned with a dragon that resembles the other so closely 

 that they must have been sculptured, if not by the same 

 hand, then by a monk of the same nationality and almost 

 of the same period. And each dragon is being assailed, one 

 by a Christianised Thor with his Tau-cross and the other by 

 a Christianised Sigurd with a pointed Crozier ; and a Raven 

 is ready to devour the carrion. 



Then we come to the fragments of two crosses. On the 

 one at Ramsbury, in Wilts, we see a serpent's head among 

 the asymmetrical coils of its death-struggles (fig. C), and on 

 that at Whitcombe in Dorset, amid similar throes, if we 

 cannot see the head we can recognise one of the limbs of 

 the dragon's writhing body (fig. D). 



And then at last we arrive at Milton Abbey, but only to 

 witness a typical intreccio, in which the characteristic art 

 remains, but the legend has vanished. 



APPENDICES. 

 I. 



In founding Milton Abbey, yEthelstan gave " duas hidas terree cum 

 " pertinentiis suis apud Wydecombe." 



The signatories were 



Wulfhelmus Dorobernensis (Winchester), ^thelredus, Cenwaldus, 

 ^Elfredus, Cayman, Egwynus, Radulphus, Brinstanus, ^Ella (or Alia) 

 Osferdus, ^Elfledus, ^Ethelmundus. 



Acta est hsec nostra doiiatio et concessio. . . . anno DCCCXLIIL, 

 in villa regali quse dicitur Dorcacestria. [Kemble, in his Codex 

 Diplomaticus, gives as the true date 23 April, 939. The Anglo- 

 Saxon version, which he dates as 16 April, 928, bears the same Latin 

 conclusion as the above. The name Alia would seem to be Gothic, as 

 in Alaric, from Alareiks : All-ruler.] 



