Natural Hi/lory of the Ancients. 235 



the other hand, with their barren cliffs, vaft 

 precipices, and ftern lengthy winters, were more 

 accemble in the way of contraft to gentler and 

 fofter beings who would refine the ruggednefs of 

 their national character. Yet early northern art, 

 like Greek poetry, played with and expanded its 

 types of the fupernatural into a thoufand quaint 

 interlaced devices. That Chriftianity underlaid 

 moft of thefe curious carvings, fo familiar to 

 admirers of Pictifh or Scandinavian ftone-fculpture, 

 is manifeft from the circumftance of the crofs in 

 fome floriated and interwoven pattern frequently 

 forming the foundation of a wealth of ornamenta- 

 tion and imagery. In this crofs are often found 

 fine bofTes or holes (for the five wounds of our 

 Lord), juft as is fo frequently obferved in the fine 

 crofles of Cornwall. The imagination of the 

 carvers was allowed to run riot round this fymbol 

 of falvation. Among the moft lovely twifted 

 cable-patterns are feen on the old Scotch ftones 

 birds, fifh kifTmg each other (as at Mortlach), deer 

 purfuing each other (Elgin), horfe-headed fifh 

 (Upper Manbean), ferpents, bulls, horfes, bears, 

 fifh with the adipofe fin reprefented proving how 

 carefully the artift had copied nature galleys, 

 reindeer (near Grantown), wild boars with very 

 confpicuous tufks, ospreys eating fifh, and the 

 like. " The eye," fays Burton, " becomes almoft 

 tired with the endlefs fuccefTion of grim and 

 ghaftly human figures, of diftorted limbs, of pre- 

 ternatural beafts, birds, and fifhes, of dragons, 

 centaurs, and entwined fnakes." The germs of 



