Croffes 9 and Crucifixes.

Many erect ftones, ornamented with hieroglyphic figures, are of pagan origin, as that on the fide of Clwyn Macnos, or Clon Mac- nois, in Ireland [/j ; as are fome of thofe adorned with knots, flowers, and other devices, which are commonly called Danim. After the introduction of chriftianity fome of thefe termini or boundary ftones had reprefentations of Chrift's crucifixion cut on them, which was confidered as removing them from the ferviee of the devil, and afterwards ftones which had been creeled in the times of paganifm obtained the name of croffes, although they had not any refemblance of Chrift's crucifixion cut on them. This ancient practice of confecrating pagan antiquities to reli- gious purpofes has been continued to modern times; feveralof the popes dedicated many of the moft valuable works of art to chriftian faints. Pope Sixtus the fifth purified the Antonine column, and eonfecrated it to St. Paul the apoftle, whofe ftatue in brafs, of a coloflal fize, he placed on the top []. This pope alfo eonfecrated the Trajan pillar, and dedicated it to St. Peter, placing on the top a colorTal ftatue of that apoftle in brafs [/]. Pope Paul the fifth re- moved a column from the Temple of Peace, whofe fhaft is forty- eight feet high, and erected it before the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and placed on its fummit a brazen ftatue of the blelTed virgin [w]. Succeeding popes followed thefe examples, and dedi- [/] See PI. XVII. fig. i. [] Sixtus V. Pont. Max.- [/] Sixtus V. Pont. Max. Cruci invidae Obelifcum Vaticanum Obeli feu mVaticanum Diis Gentium ab impura Superftitione impio cultu dicatum expiatum, juftius Ad Apoftolorum limina et feliciusconfecravit ' - operofo labore tranftulit Anno 1586. Pontif. a. Anno 1586". m See Lumifden's Antiquities of Rome, London, 1797? 410. p. 347, 387, et alibi. cated