the Greek Appellative of Jesus; and this opinion is further contended for in the "Minor Correspondence" in the No., also, for the month of June. This may, in some instances, have been the case. I perceive, on reference to the "Numismata Pembrochiana,” (P. 1. T. 36,) that the letters IHS and XPS, &c., are used as abbreviations also on the later coins of the Greek Empire, but here the use of them is as a portion of a full sentence of a complete legend, as when they thus appear in that of" IHS XPS REX REGNANTIUM," that is, "Jesus Christus Rex Regnantium," on a coin of Niceforus, in barbarous, and diverse, characters, or as connected with the portrait of Christ-they are not presented as insulated letters, and then to be explained as the abbreviated Greek Word, Jesus-construed to represent a detached, and single, word! I here acknowledge the abbreviation, and that, from hence, it may have been supplanted into Greek MSS. of even a later day, and thus it may (as Mr. Gorham asserts its appearance) have found a place in the MSS. of the Greek Testament, and of the Latin Vulgate Bible of the 16th century.

Having said thus much as to the use of these letters in their abbreviated character of the word Jesus, I will now consider them as the initials of the compound sentence of Jesus, Hominum Salvator, or Consolator, &c. This is the, generally, received opinion as to the meaning of them; but, I think, that there is slender argument in favour of this hypothesis-in fact I know of none save, that they are the initials of those words; and, were they accompanied by the figure of our Saviour, it would strengthen the argument in favour of this explication; but they present themselves alone.

I feel, gentle reader, that you, perchaunce, will arraign me for presumption, and esteem me too bold in venturing my own hypothesis in opposition to long established, and, generally, received opinions. Believe me, I seek not to urge your adoption of my creed--give me, I pray you, credit for my sinceritylisten with candour to what I have to say, and-you are heartily welcome to draw your own conclusions. Let me, however, add, in my own defence, that, oft-times, the most obvious truths are

The work, here alluded to, is a scarce, and bulky, quarto, with plates of all the coins collected by Thomas, Earl of Pembroke. The whole of this extensive, and fine, collection is vested in trustees, and has been deposited, in the Bank of England for many years, for sale.-E. D.

slowest of discovery, and that men are too apt to seek at a distance for that, which lies at their feet.

I will now, then, state my own hypothesis in as few words, and in as clear language, as I can, and then adduce my arguments in its support.

I believe, that the letters IHS and IHC form-not the abbreviated Greek Appellative, Jesus-nor are they, as I think, the initials of Jesus, Hominum Salvator-or Conservator-or Consolator-but that-they are the initial letters of the words, IN HOC SIGNO, and IN HAC CRUCE, (Suppl. vinces-or-victor eris,) and that they bear reference, in their origin, to the miracle of the Cross, (the credibility of which we have just discussed,) and are the latinised version of the Greek Words, ΕΝ ΤΟΥΤΩ ΝΙΚΑ, which were said to have accompanied the vision of the Cross to Constantine.

It is, I think, very improbable, that the christianised Romans would adopt alone the usage of the Greeks-the monogram and the IHS, the abbreviated appellative, Jesus. It is more probable, that they would be anxious to preserve a memorial of him in their own language. As to the Greek Monogram it does not appear to me necessary to suppose this to be a portion of the vision to Constantine. We have the record alone of the Cross, and the Legend EN TOYTË NIKA; and there is no ground to believe, that the name of our Saviour appeared, on that occasion, covertly couched under the form of an enigmatic monogram.

The allusive monogram R as it thus appears on the coins

of the Roman Emperors, is compounded of the mingled form of a (decussate) cross with the X P-the first two letters of the word XPIETOΣ-Christ. I have now before me a brass of Decentius, in which the monogram, alluded to, is finely exhibited, and bearing, on each side of it, the A and î.

In the further support of my hypothesis I now avail myself of a coin of Constantius II., the son of Constantine, (who was, probably, with him in the battle,) on the reverse of which is represented the Emperor standing, and holding in his right hand the Labarum inscribed with the usual sacred monogram, (the mingled Cross and Letters,) whilst a Victory behind him is placing a garland on his head, and the whole is

surrounded with this characteristic legend, (allusive both to the Cross and the sacred monogram,) " Hoc Signo Victor Eris.” The similar instance occurs on a coin of Vetranio. Here, then, have we truly the latinised version of the Greek Inscription « ΕΝ ΤΟΥΤΩ ΝΙΚΑ,” which is alleged to have accompanied the vision of the Cross-and here, I triumphantly add, we have the proof, that the Romans would not permit the record of this alleged miracle to descend to posterity through the medium of the Greek Language alone. I must now again remind you, gentle reader, that, on the coins of Niceforus and other of the later Greek Emperors, the abbreviated word, Jesus, does appear, as, in these, the portrait of our Saviour is given on the reverse with this legend in barbarous Greek Characters-“ IHS XPS REX REGNANTIum"-" Jesus Christ, The King of Kings." Here we have, decidedly, the IHS as the Greek Contraction of Jesus; and I should be wrong to say, that IHS, as these letters appear in ancient Greek MSS., or in the Latin Vulgate, do not mean the word, Jesus. The continuous text will prove it. I admit, that thus, in, comparatively, modern times, the IHS does, occasionally, represent the Greek Abbreviation of the word, Jesus; but, in conceding this to my adversaries, I must add— non constat-that IHS never stand as the initials of "In Hoc Signo," or IHC as those of " In Hac Cruce."

It is a remarkable coincidence, that the letters IHS and IHC (the C being the ancient Sigma) are, equally, referable as the abbreviated word, Jesus-or as the initials of the sentences "In Hoc Signo" and "In Hac Cruce;" and, though it is, strenuously, contended by others, that they designate the above abbreviated name, or are the initials of Jesus, Hominum Salvator, or Conservator, &c., I, with equal firmness, contend that, used, as they are, on our pulpit and altar-cloths, or engraven on our sacramental plate, they are rightly to be understood as the initials of " In Hoc Signo," or as those of " In Hac Cruce." Thus (when taken in connexion with the Cross) I have no doubt, that the early Christians did thus understand them, although their true meaning during the dark ages was lost, and then misapprehended on the revival of learning. I will here observe, that there may have been a well understood, and distinctive, use of the letters IHS, &c., of which we have altogether lost sight-that, when they made their appearance in ancient

MSS. and books with the mark of abbreviation, and interwoven with the continuous text, then they denoted the contracted Greek Appellative, Jesus; but that, when they appeared, detachedly, on ancient crosses, and on the cloths of the altar and pulpit, or engraven on the sacramental plate, they originally, and rightly, stood for "In Hoc Signo," and did not denote an—insulated word!

I will now conclude, gentle reader, (having cleared the way before me of its molesting briars and thorns,) with pressing, I trust, to conviction, the arguments in favour of my own hypothesis. It has been said, that—to regard the letters IHS or IHC as the initials of a sentence is unexampled, yet Brady says, that "The letters to be found on the most ancient crucifixes of INRI are universally agreed to be the initials of the Latin Words, Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judæorum, i. e. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, a title, which PILATE wrote, and affixed to the cross; see John, chap. xix. ver. 19, 20, and 21.”

We have again the A. U. C. for "Anno Urbis Condita"-the ancient Roman chronological date, and we have a yet stronger instance in the symbolical representation of Christ under the figure of a fish, the IXOTE, which contained the initials of 6 Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς, Θεῖ Υιός, Σωτὴρ.” “ Jesus Christ, the Son of Gorl, the Saviour." Thus is this objection abundantly removed.

Brady then proceeds to say, that "The S and Ths on other very ancient crosses are presumed to be abbreviations of JESUS, of which name they are said to be the three first letters in the Greek language; and the straight stroke through the upper part of the is stated to denote abbreviation." I doubt the correctness of such an alleged abbreviation; since, as such, I think, the more proper letters should be the two first and the last of the word; but, if they represent these, then, in my opinion, the abbreviating mark is in a misplaced position-that it should be given at, nearly, the close of the letters.

"The next crosses" (says Brady, again,)" in point of antiquity bear the letters IHC, which the ignorance of former ages considered as the design of the preceding Greek characters, mistaking them for Latin letters, and the mark of abbreviation for a cross. While the more common letters to be found on

ap

crucifixes are IS, which are thought to have been substituted for the original Greek abbreviation of JESUS, by a mistake of a similar nature as to its meaning." Brady here, as it pears to me, himself in error, wrongly attributes to the early Christians, that they knew not what they were about! He makes the cross stroke in the letter to denote an abbrevia

tion, and yet notices not the decided cross in the IHS! in fact, these letters were inexplicable to him, and, therefore, would not serve his purpose-at all events, he could not even tortuously aver, that the latter cross was a mark of abbreviation, and why should he assert the abbreviation in the one instance—and not-in the other? No! gentle reader, they are both palpably meant to denote crosses. Brady testifies, that these letters, thus marked with the cross, are especially to be found on ancient "crucifixes." Where this is the case they may be explained as simply the abbreviation of the word, Jesus; but, if, as I suspect, he has, wrongly, applied the word "crucifixes" to the standard crosses, then we must seek some other meaning for them, but not denotive of his abbreviated name.

I at length arrive, gentle reader, at my concluding, andmay I add ?-conclusive argument. It cannot but be observed, that the IHS on the pulpit and altar-cloths, and on the sacramental plate, is, usually, (and, properly,) pourtrayed with the surmounted Cross, and I herein think, that the mystery of these letters is fully solved. It is very true, that we do find these letters, sometimes, pourtrayed without the cross, but this omission has arisen from the common misinterpretation-from ignorance of their real origin, and intent. As the Cross was exhibited to Constantine, previously to his battle with Maxentius, accompanied with these words, "EN TOYTË NIKA," he was thus told," Believe in the Cross-have faith on your Saviour, and-thou shalt be Conqueror !" Thus, in after-ages, is the exhibition of IHS, surmounted by the Cross, intended as an encouraging exhortation to the humble, and pious, Christian. The letters IHS-" In Hoc Signo"-form the latinised version of the Greek Inscription (and I have proved, that this inscription was latinised)—the one was the prototype of the otherand the whole (bearing the allusive reference to the appearance

"Clavis Calendaria," Vol. ii. p. 113.