72 Mr. Dickson on Rothbury and its Saxon Cross. 



" And Jacob set up a Pillar upon her grave, that is the 

 Pillar o/RachaeVs grave until this day.'' — (xxxv. Gen. 20.) 



Stones or Pillars, with and without symbols or inscriptions, 

 have been erected to commemorate events by all nations of 

 the world. 



It is recorded in " the Chronicles of Scotland, 2nd Buke, 

 Cap. X," That King Reatha (who lived two centuries before 

 the Christian Era) " was the furst king amang the Scottis that 

 fund ingine to pat nobillmen for thair vailyeant dedis in 

 memory, and maide riche sepulturis for the bodyis of thaim 

 that was slaine be Biitonis in defence of this Realme. He 

 commandit als monie hie stanis to be set about the sepulture 

 of everie Nobillman as was slane be him of Britonis. In 

 memorie hereof sindry of thaim remainis yet in the hielandis, 

 that the pepill may under sic men now vailyeant in their 

 dayis : throw quhilk it come in use that the sepulturis of 

 nobilmen was holden in gret reverence amang the pepill. On 

 their sepalturis was ingravin imageris of Dragonis, Wolfes, 

 and other Biestes, for no inventioun of letteris was in thay 

 days to put their deidis of nobilmen in memore." 



For more particulars as to Pillars and Crosses, I refer to 

 the volume of the Spalding Club for 1856, edited by that ac- 

 complished scholar, J. Stuart, Esq., F.A.S., entitled " The 

 Sculptured Stones of Scotland.'"' 



The common symbols on those ancient sculptured stones, 

 in the north-eastern part of Scotland, are 



Crescents and the Spectacle Ornament, with and with- 

 out the sceptre. 

 Mirror, Elephant and Comb. 

 Arch, or Horse Shoe and Fish. 

 Serpent, with and without the sceptre. 



Here, on the borders, we have the mysterious concentric 

 circles carved on the rocks of Doddington and elsewhere, em- 

 blematical of eternity. 



But as Mr. Tate, one of oar members, has promised a 

 paper on this subject, I forbear to add more. ^ 



There is a natural transition as to these Pillars ; first, during 

 the Mosaic dispensation, then among the Heathen tribes, the 

 Druids and ancient Britains, and lastly, the early Christians. 

 And thus it is, that most of our ancient stone pillars now in 

 existence are symbolical of Christianity. Such is the case 

 with the Rothbury cross, now under consideration. 



But others again, such as Percy's Cross, at Hedgley, and 

 the stone at Otterburn, and Malcolm's Cross, at Alnwick, 

 and many others, commemorate stirring events in the history 

 of our own country. 



