EARLY CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS INSCRIBED STONES IT is only when the whole of the monuments distributed over a certain geographical area have been collected together and classified that we are able to judge of a county's wealth in this respect, and to compare it with other parts of Great Britain containing similar monuments. As a result of such a comparison Cornwall can boast, not only of possessing a larger number of inscribed stones than any other county in the British Isles, but that it also contains a far greater number and variety of early 1 crosses, as the following summary will show : INSCRIBED STONES Rude pillar stone* . A fragment with one letter A cut stone with raised medallion and Chi-Rho monogram A Latin cross-head with Chi-Rho monogram A Saxon pillar . Unornamented crosses cross-base Ornamented crosses . cross-shafts cross-base altar slabs CROSSES Erect crosses, including cross-heads and cross-shafts, but omitting the nine inscribed and ornamented crosses and cross-shafts included in the above ........ Crosses now missing or destroyed, but known to have existed . MISCELLANEOUS MONUMENTS Coped stones .......... Early recumbent cross slabs 22 I I I I 4 i 6 3 i 2 43 34 12 352 Total 4 5 9 404 1 Besides the early crosses there are a great many erect Gothic crosses, as well as now empty bases. A list of the Gothic crosses will be found in Langdon's Old Cornish Crosses, 423. 407
