The Irish standard., 1897-09-04

and half feet long by foot wide.
The inscription on it was composed by
Plate himself and proclaimed the king
ship Of Christ The letters were Gu,
into the board with sharp instrument
and then colorcd rcd. It was carried
IN the procession conducting Christ 10
the place Of execution, and there fasten-
ed with nails to the cross over His
head. About one-thrd of this tablet
still exists. 1t IS preserved in the
church OF Santa Croce. Rome, ard is
in good state OF preservation, the
letters being still plainly discernible.
On it can be read tho word NAZAR-
mus ltE''+ in Latin Then the words
APENOC L.. in Greek, and lower down
on the tablet can be seen a few strokes
OF Hebrew characters. The letters are
written from right to left, after the
Hebrew fashion. II is thought likely
by scholars that the Roman soldiers
who prepared the title under Pilates
direction knowing only Latin, wrote
tho three inscriptions in Latin with
Hebrew, Greek and Roman letters.
Taking the cross and tho title board
with her sho journcyed with them to
Rome where they were delivered to
Emperor Constantine So imprcsses,
was ho with the recovery OF the sacre.
relics that he had once began tho
building of the Church OF Santa Crocc
at Rome, for the express purpose OF
providing a safe and suitable ahldiNE
place for the long lost treasures. AS a
further safeguard IT was decided to rr;
tho cross into several pieces, ANA So.
crete tho pieces in different places, so
that in event of one being stolen tl,;S
would be other portions of 1t SIN OK
isting
Accordingly tho cross WAS divided
into four pieces, the largest being DO
posted in Il specially prepared vaul,
i'll the church of Santa Crurc. An.
other portion was conveyed by Helena
TO Constantnoplc, which city had been
named after her son, and there placed
In a secret vault. Then returning tc
Jerusalem sho built Il church over the
spot whore the cross had been found
Within ii shc deposited the third Dor
1ion OF tho relic. The remaining part
was kept by Constantine himself, whn
hud ii cut up and a portion set in the
affairs of several OF the great churches
he had founded Not satisfied with
this. ho caused an immense statuA
OF himself to be erected, and at the head
he inserted n piece of the wood that IT
might last forever. llc also had anoth-
er picco set in the front of his helmet.
All this occurred in the year 1926. and
within u short time after tho finding
OF tho relies.
IN order to more safely preserve IL,
title tablet IT. was likewise cut int,
thrco pieces. Tho central portion. L..
ing considered the most important, w.e
taken to the church of Santa Crocc and
deposited in q lcadcn chest I'm n NTH,
niche In the vaultcd dome that had been
prepared for it. Tho niche was then
brlckcd up Il small tile being rcmcntrtl
over tho center to mark its l0rntlon.
So secretly was this done that wilt,
tho death of Constantine all trace @:
II was lost, and II lay hidden from The
sight OF man for over Il hundred years
Flhcidus Nacntinan. wholly ipnora,I;
or tho hiding place OF tho tablet. then
began tho nrnrmontltion of the dome
He ovcrlnid it with costly mosai,..
Which completely blottch from sight hr
tile that Constantine had placed ,n
identify the spot. For ten cc.,i,lrl,s
more tho relic lay securely hidden.
In l492 Cunsalvi de Mendoza ordered
tho church repaired and the dome VIM:
cncd. While doing this one of TN,
Workm"n touched the tile ana il noyt
forth Il hollow sound 1t was immc
diat"ly removed, ana under II was dis
covered tho lcndcn box ana the relic. in
almost rs perfect condition as when
placed there II was removed ana
placed In Il final resting place in u vaul,
under tho altar Of the church. whrr,
it now is.