280 



MAWGAN CROSS, MENEAGE. 



In 1876, Professor Hiibner of Berlin, not having seen 

 Martyn's engraving, published a copy of Borlase's, somewhat 

 amended in accordance with information received from Professor 

 Ehys, of Oxford, who had inspected the stone. 



The joint reading of these two last excellent authorities, 

 given in " Inscriptiones Britannise Christianse," is probably the 

 true one, viz. : — 



Two of the letters, N and E, seem to be conjoined. 



In translating this inscription a question arises as to which, 

 name should be read first. 



Hiibner has shewn that in some instances a name which 

 may appear to be second is in reality first. 



The words before us, have been held to signify [The Cross 

 (or Monument)] "o/ Cnegumus, son of Genaius.'''' 



If this reading be right, Grenaius should be in the genitive 

 case, but instead of this it looks as if it were in the nominative. 

 If Grenaius be nominative, the word Fill must be regarded as 

 an abbreviation for Filius, and the whole sentence becomes 

 transposed thus : — 

 ■ ''Genaius Cnegumi fili[us]," — " Genaius, son of Cnegumus.''^ 



The inscription can only be read in one of the two ways 

 just shewn. 



With regard to the second rendering it may be objected 

 that it is very unusual in a legend of this general form for a 

 nominative to stand unaccompanied by the words " Hie jacet" 

 or " Ic jacit." Most likely therefore Genaius was intended to 

 be in the genitive notwithstanding its nominative resemblance. 



Certain words of the third declension, with those of the 

 fourth which spring from it by elision or contraction, made 



