446 



Grange of Conan, where there are a small grove, and founda- 

 tions of a chapel, and also a most copious fountain, which pre- 

 serves his name. Three or four acres of land contiguous to 

 these are by tradition held as belonging to the chapel.' 



" May it not, then, be not unreasonably inferred, that this 

 monument marked the place of St.Vigean's sepulture? This, 

 of course, is merely a conjectural suggestion, — at all events the 

 cross is evidently the monument of some person of distinction. 

 Of the personal history of this saint I know nothing ; but 1 

 think it not improbable, that he was of Irish origin or con- 

 nexion. From the similarity to like monuments in Ireland, 

 of the cross referred to, and of others in Forfarshire, and the 

 adjoining districts, not to mention the round towers at Aber- 

 nethy and Brechin, it is evident that Irish missionaries were 

 intimately connected with those parts. The inscription, ac- 

 cording to my copy of it is as follows : 



c 1-R o r c e M I 



* 



r T) e u 



o 



\i e 



C 



c r c E 



o 



R * * 



* 



cur?* 



* 



» * 



* 



" The above inscription appears to be partlyin the old Irish, 

 and partly in the Roman character. 1 take the alphabet of 

 the former from Armstrong's Gaelic Dictionary. This mixed 

 character of the inscription is quite common in monuments be- 

 longing to a period prior to the distinctive fixation of alphabets, 

 established in later times, particularly after the introduction of 

 printing. Supposing, as is not improbable, that the aboriginal 

 alphabets of Britain and Ireland had been lost sight of in the 

 darkness attendant on social convulsion, so remarkably coin- 

 cident either with the extermination of the order, or the decay 

 of the influence, of the pagan priesthood ; a renewed acquaint- 

 ance with the use of letters was only to be derived from two 

 sources, either from the Romans, or from the early Christian 

 missionaries. 



