CROSS, 



The Inscribed Stone of the Meneage. 



By the Rev. W. IAGO, B.A., Westheath, Bodmik ; Hon. Loral Sec. of the Society of 

 Antiquaries, London; and one of the Council of the Royal Institution of Cornwall. 



Last Autumn, when tlie Eoyal Institution of Cornwall 

 made an Excursion to the South- Western part of the County, 

 the ancient stone known as Mawgan Cross*" was visited. 



It is situate about a quarter of a mile South- West of 

 Mawgan Churchtown, in the Meneage District, and gives name 

 to the small village or group of cottages around. It stands— 

 suitably to its designation in one sense — at an intersection of 

 roads, occupying the centre of the open space bounded by them. 



Four or more ways lead towards \ V.^--' the place but 

 there are only three turnings, thus : — ,^ l-^^ ^^ *^® stone. 



Since many an old Cornish Cross has been found set up at 

 a tri-unity, or trinity, it is thought that such a site must have 

 been chosen as emblematic of the faith connected with the Cross. 

 The Crucified Eedeemer was proclaimed to be Divine by this 

 visible association of the sign of his Passion with the symbol of 

 the Deity, the Trinity in Unity. 



This, in one respect, reminds us of St. Patrick's teaching, 

 which is said to ha.ve been by means of the shamrock or trefoil. 



The Mawgan Stone seems to have been regarded by some 

 as if it were a monolith of the Heathen, or a heathen relic 

 appropriated and perhaps altered by the Christians, but every 

 consideration connected with it points to a contrary conclusion. 



A clue to its origin is afforded not only by its position, as 

 we have seen, but also by its traditional name. It has been 

 denominated " Crossf " probably ever since its construction, and 



*The same name is applied to other well-known Crosses (viz : those in the 

 Parish of Mawgan in Pydar, which lies on the North Coast of Mid-Cornwall). 

 See illustrations of them in Blight's " Ancient Crosses," part I, pp. 53, 59, &c. 



fin the old language of Cornwall, Maen or M§n signified " a Stone," whether 

 of heathen or christian erection, Crois or Crows, denoted "a Cross" exclusively. 



