attacked, is the shrine of St Cuthbert now at Durhain, which is recorded
to have been made in 698. Some designs incised on it, which include
figures of Christ, angels, and apostles, together with symbols of the
evangelists, a cross and inscriptions, are again singularly like the designs
found upon the two great cross shafts. The runes on the Bewcastle
cross formed a memorial inscription, which is terribly decayed, and
doubt is cast on the readings, first made in 1856, by which it appeared
that it was set up to Alchfrid, son of Oswy, about the year 670. On
the other hand, the name Cyneburh, which was the name of Alchfrid's
wife, has often been read by many independent observers, including
Kemble, in 1840. Even the presence of the name Alchfrid is admitted
by Viator, the Runic scholar, but Professor Cook claims that the form
is feminine and cannot apply to Alchfrid. Thus the question stands for
the moment, but when, by comparative illustration, it has been shewn
that the objection to the early date of the art of these wonderful monuments must fall to the ground, then we may anticipate that much of the
opposition to the interpretation of the runes will also disappear. At the
least the certain name of Cyneburh will be given its due weight. The
present writer has no doubt at all that these crosses were set up by a
powerful Northumbrian ruler in the seventh century. Professor Cook even
expresses a doubt as to whether these shafts were parts of crosses at all,
which to English scholars will seem like doubting whether a torn volume
was ever a book. His work, however, is valuable as stating the case
for the extremist reaction. In regard to the sculptures on the Ruthwell
cross, it has been shewn that they have affinities with the subjects on the
Byzantine ivory throne at Ravenna, which was probably made in Alex-
andria, and with some Coptic works. Now the second half of the
seventh century was exactly the time when Rome itself had become
almost completely Byzantinised. The church of Sta Maria Antiqua, before
mentioned, belongs to this time. It is no accident that it was just at
this moment that a Greek from Tarsus, Theodore by name, became
Archbishop of Canterbury. The sculptures on the Ruthwell cross in-
clude the Crucifixion, the Annunciation, Christ healing the blind man,
Christ and the Magdalene, and the Visitation on one side; on the other,
the flight into Egypt, SS. Paul and Anthony the hermits, breaking bread
in the desert, Christ worshipped by "beasts and dragons," St John
Baptist, and the symbols of the evangelists. A third cross shaft, hardly
less remarkable, that of Acca, now at Durham, is accepted by Rivoira
as being of the eighth century. It is difficult for an English student
to understand why two should be taken away and the other left.
Saxon works of a different kind, but not less noteworthy, are the silver Ormside cup, the celebrated Alfred jewel and the vestments of Bishop Frithstan, now at Durham, which were embroidered at Winchester. about the year 912. It may be remembered that William of Malmesbury says that the daughters of Edward the Elder were skilful needle-
