451 



ment is exactly the sa7ne as that of the only human figure on 

 the cross of St. Vigean, belonging, as I conjecture, to the same 

 period. 



" The next inscription which I shall notice is that on one 

 old monument which was found some years ago in the parish 

 of Insch, Aberdeenshire. The dimensions of the stone are 

 six feet by one foot eight inches. The inscription runs along 

 the central length of the stone. It is — 



ORKU8PR«y^HK0/IR/lDVLFi:S/VCe|^DOr;iS: 



This is evidently : 



Orate pro Anima Radulphi Sacerdotis. 

 The characters shew the influence of Anglo- Saxonism at the 

 period when the monument was executed. There are good 

 grounds for believing, that it was placed over the grave of 

 Radulph, Bishop of Aberdeen, who died in 1247. 



" I have been induced to give the above specimens of an- 

 cient inscriptions in Scotland, in the hope that they may incite 

 the able and zealous archaeologists of Ireland to direct their at- 

 tention to the subject. There are other inscriptions in this 

 country of, perhaps, greater interest, to which I forbear to 

 refer ; partly because I confess my entire ignorance of their 

 nature, and partly because I believe they have already at- 

 tracted the notice of members of your Academy, from whom, 

 if from any, the interpretation of those inscriptions maybe 



expected. 



" Between the antiquities of Ireland, and those of the north 

 of Scotland, there are many points of interesting connexion. 

 The aborigines of both countries belonged to the same great 

 family of the human race ; both remained almost equally in- 

 tact by the ambition of ancient Rome ; neither had to bow the 

 neck to the yoke of the old Saxons ; both were harassed by 

 the Danes ; and while the Picts were compelled, partially, 

 to succumb to warriors of Irish descent, it was to missionaries 



VOL. III. 2 Q 



