Some examples of both the Latin and the Greek cross are elaborately and beautifully ornamented. It is a remark quoted on good authority, in the Magazine already referred to, that during the Middle Ages, in the Western Church a plain cross was considered as a cross of shame, and an ornamental one as a cross of glory.
The simple Latin cross and St. Andrew's are most suitable for introduction into capital letters. The Greek is more generally placed at the conclusion of a text, sometimes also as an intermediate stop, or rather as a renewed dedication.[18] Two crosses are, in general, quite sufficient for the same text; one as a part of the dedication, the other as a conclusion.
The Dove.
The Dove is the well-known symbol of the Holy Spirit. When thus employed, the head should be encircled with a Divine glory. With the olive-branch, it is the emblem of peace. The dove has also been employed to represent simplicity and purity of heart, and in ancient times was thought an emblem of the soul.
The Dove resting on the cross is a modern but beautiful combination of emblems, probably originating in the following lines:—
"Shouldst thou not need some mighty charm
To win thee to thy Saviour's side,
Though He hath deigned with thee to bide?
The Spirit must stir the darkling deep,
The dove must settle on the cross,