l68 ON THE PRE-NORMAN SCULPTURED STONES OF DERBYSHIRE. 



•years will stand the weather for any number of years more. 

 They forget that the fragments have been carefully preserved 

 in the soil of the North Anglian or Mercian churchyard, and 

 in the cement of the Norman church wall, for all these centuries, 

 and that they will perish like any other stone in this smoky 

 nineteenth century. It is beyond the power of words to express 

 the folly of leaving such gems as the Ilkley shafts to perish as 

 they are perishing. In the churchyard of St. Alkmund's, hear 

 the vestry door, is a massive stone, something the shape of a 

 coffin lid, with an arcade of Romanesque arches on the side or 

 edge. At Gainford, near Darlington, there is a similar stone, 

 more massive and more carefully cut, with an arcade almost 

 exactly the same as this. Probably these were the body-stones 

 laid on graves, a cross standing at the head. At Meigle, in 

 Perthshire, there are five or six stones for a like purpose, but 

 with many animals and intricate designs sculptured on the 

 sides ; they have for the most part a rectangular hole sunk on 

 the top near one end, and I think this may have been the 

 socket in which a cross was erected — perhaps a cross of some 

 perishable material. More will be said later on of stones of 

 kindred character. In the porch at St. Alkmund's there are 

 other fragments, differing in character from all of the stones 

 already mentioned. Dr. Cox shows one of them (Vol. iv., 

 pi v.) 



Proceeding to Bakewell, where is so large a collection of 

 sculptured stones, and taking first the great cross, we probably 

 have at the top our Lord's entry into Jerusalem. That, at 

 least, is the ordinary interpretation, and though there is nothing 

 against it, there is nothing particularly in its favour, except perhaps 

 the presence of branches, leaves, etc. (St. Matt. xxi. 8), and 

 the fact that on the reverse side is the crucifixion. The 

 horse or ass is very rudely designed, especially in its hind 

 quarters, where it is difficult to say which is tail and which 

 legs (Plate XII ). Horses on English sculptured stones are 

 exceedingly rare. There is another horse or ass at Bakewell, 

 on a stone which will be mentioned later, and a remarkable stone 



