[26] Though a poetical authority is of no weight in antiquarian argument, it would be wrong to omit quoting Sir Walter Scott’s account of the famous fiery cross formed of twigs. “The grisly priest, with murmuring prayer, A slender crosslet framed with care, A cubit’s length in measure due; The shaft and limbs were rods of yew. ... The cross, thus formed, he held on high, With wasted hand and haggard eye.” _The Lady of the Lake_, canto iii. stanza viii. [27] Plate No. 2. [28] Plate No. 5. I am indebted to the Rev. George Cumming M.A. for permission to re-engrave this and plates Nos. 6 and 8 from his interesting work on the crosses of the Isle of Man; and to my nephew and assistant, Mr. W. E. Brown, for drawing all the illustrations of this brochure on stone. [29] Plate No. 6. [30] Plate No. 7. From _The Sculptured Stones of Scotland_. [31] Plate No. 8. [32] Vol. vii. pp. 17-19, 23, 24. [Illustration: No. 1 DRAINIE MEIGLE GOVAN GOVAN SHANDWICK GOVAN CLONMACNOISE MOUNTBLOW HOUSE CLONMACNOISE MEIGLE CLONMACNOISE MONASTERBOISE] [Illustration: No. 2 KILKLESPEEN] [Illustration: No. 3 SHANDWICK] [Illustration: No. 4 BRODIE GLENFERNESS] [Illustration: No. 5 IN THE CHURCHYARD OF KIRK MICHAEL ISLE OF MAN] [Illustration: No. 6 BRITISH URNS FRAGMENT OF A CROSS AT KIRK MICHAEL] [Illustration: No. 7 FROM A SCULPTURED STONE AT FORTEVIOT] [Illustration: No. 8 FROM THE OLD CHAPEL, CALF OF MAN] End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of An Attempt to Explain the Origin and Meaning of the Early Interlaced Orna, by Gilbert J. French