216 THE RIGHT REV. BISHOP G. FORREST BROWNE, D.D., ON 



Professor Stephens, in his Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and 

 England, states that he had read on the upper part of the cross 

 in Runic letters the words " Caedmon me made," referring to the 

 poem not to the cross, which is said to belong to the tenth century. 



Mr. Gray gave the two diverse renderings of this inscription 

 as an instance of the extreme difficulty which the Lecturer must 

 have met with in deciphering the numerous monumental records 

 which he had described so clearly and simply to those present, 

 and apologized for alluding to the story of the Ruth well cross, 

 which must have been well known to all. He also mentioned 

 Mr. J. Romilly Allen's Early Christian Monuments of Scotland, 

 which contained not only photographs but reproductions of the 

 designs of every monumental stone in Scotland, and a full description 

 of the Ruth well cross (see pp. M2-48). At p. 243 of his book 

 Dr. Anderson gives a free translation of parts of the poem found 

 in the manuscript at Vercelli, printing those which are still legible 

 on the Ruthwell cross in italics as follows : — 



'Twas many a year ago, 

 I yet remember it, 

 That I was hewn down 

 At the wood's end. 



There men bare me upon their shoulders 

 Until they set me down upon a hiU. 



Then saw I tremble 



The whole extent of earth. 



But yet I stood fast. 



Then the young Hero prepared Himself^ 



That was Almighty God, 



Strong and firm of mood 



He mounted the lofty Cross 



Courageously in sight of many. 



