The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-09-14
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
The Land of Scott.

one of the slightest literary pretensions can be
found who cannot recall picture of it from some
point of view. Probably there are not more than
three or four ruins in all Europe which compare
with Merose in interest. While it is a complete
ruin, for it is unoccupied and without roof even
it is yet in perfect state of preservation MS to
show its wonderful architecture, and to give good
understanding of what its beauty must have been
before it was wantonly and wickedly destreyed.-
1t has the additional charm of having its ragged
and crumbling walls so covered with iyx-that
beautiful mantle of nature, that the harshness and
desolaton of the ordinary ruin are entirely want
ing, and from the dead past seems to have sprung
a joyous and living present
The structure whose ruins are so much admired
was commenced in 1926 although u building de-
voted to some form of religious worship had oc-
cupied the same place in the immediate vicinity
for eight years previous. At first the Abbey was
very small building costing more than two
thousand pounds Of the money of that period. 1t
was occupied by acommunity of Cistcrcian monks
who were enjOined by the rules of their order to
constant and faithful labor. They therefoFs en-
gagged in agriculture, in transcribing and illumi-
mating manuscripts, and particularly in the con-
struction and ornamentation Of the grand build
ngs whose ruins are now found all over England
and Scotland. There is no better picture Of pa
thence and perseverance, than these pains liking
monks laboring faithfully year after yea with
their own hands welding the malet and 81 Jwly
cutting out those wonderful ornamental carvings
of flowers, plants, and curious and grotesque g
with which both the outside and inside Of the
church covered. Much of this work yet re-
mains, that even after the storms of hundreds OF
years have beaten upon it shows the wonderful
delicacy and beauty it originally had.
Entering through an iron gate on the west side
of the grounds we are at once in the midst OF the
ruins. On the right is a long corridor which is
filled with curious 2ld monuments, mos
so worn by time te.' S-thcif-aaecrie tiUns ,.
read. Passing partly through this and tuTnin to
the right we enter the cemetery by Il marrow door
way under the south window The whole south
front is the best preserved side of any of the
building and although weather worn and decayine
is grand in its proportions. On one of the towers
can yet be seen part of the face of the old clock
with part of one of the hands yet remaining. The
paint has long since gone from its face and the
boards even cracked and weather worn. The
venerable and aged face, as it were just dropping
into the tomb, needs no inscription of teapUs fug
to impress us the fact that time flies. Passing
around to the east side we see the east window
is a marvel of beauty as it stands in the ruined
wall. 1t is 81 feet high by 2S broad and is divi-
ded into five parts by perpendicular mullions, and
these were subdivided into n large number OF
smaller sections by delicate stone work muck o.
which remains until the present day. On the eX-
IRENE right the massive corner is entirely covered
with a wonderful growth of ivy, which complete
ly obscurcs the stone work and falls in gracefully
sweeping curves toward the ground. On the ruins
mt the left grass and flowers are growing, and on a
corner of the wall rose bush was in full bloom
fifty feet from the ground, while birds were merri
ly singing and flying back and forth from THEN
nests in the ivy and shrubbery on the ruined walls
From within the ruins are equally striking and
impressive. Although the sky is now the on y
covering of the Abbey one cannot look down its
vast length and see what must have been tho ma
estic spring of its grand vaulted ceiling without
feeling thrill of admiration as he catches, in i'm
agination, q glimpse of what must have been the
beauty of the building when it was complete. In
accordance with the Romish custom of the period
in which the Abbey was built, the church is in the
form of n Latin cross, with length Of 25S feet
and an extreme width of 1871.
Within the church buried many men who
were noted in their time. Here was inferred Rob
ert Bruces heart, and here are the remains of the
brave Douglas the hero of Chevy Chase. Here i;
also the tomb of SCOTS Wizard of the North.
Many of the inscriptions are very quaint, both in
thought and expression. The brackets of niche
are supported by the figures of two monks with
flowing robes and on the fllct of one and beneath
the other are the following nearly obliterated in
scriptiOns, in abbreviated Latin "GOing width
ersocyer he would and ''When Jesus came the
age of darkness ceased" Above the door of a
stairway is shield with compass and this in
scription:
"As the compass goes straight around
SO does truth and loyalty, without doubt,
Look to the end quoth John Murvo.'
On small stone in the form of four horse shoe;
fastened together is the inscription, "Pray for The
soul of brother Peter the treasurer" Whether
"brother Peter" had discovered the modern pro-
cess of "hypothecating" the funds of the treasury
and was aftcrward smitten WITH death bed fIPent-
ance we do not know, as this is all the record he
has left u.s.
The cemetery attached to the Abbey, which is
now part of sheep pasture, contains many hall
buried, half worn out monuments.
Probably there is not one traveller in thousand
who is able to take Sir Walter SCOTS advice tC
visit Merose "by the pale moonlight" and indeed
it is stated that he never made such visit him.
self but it can be readily seen that under the IA
voring light of mid summer moon the ruins
would have peculiar beauty, and call forth all
the romantic and poetical in a mans nature Mel
rose Abbey is one of those places where one would
like to spend days instead Of a few hor-s, and
drink the inspiration which comes from its con-
temptation. Examine it as often as you please OF
return to it after absence of years and you will
always find some new beauty in it,
From Melrose drive of three or four miles
along pleasant English road bordered with
hedges, brings us to AbbOtsford, the home of Sin
Walter Scott. Its castle-Eke towers do not come
in sight until we close to it as the building is
situated on low ground The structure is curl
Gus compound of castle, and residence and was
built at least rebuilt to its owners wishes
There are four or five rooms to which the public
are admitted at twenty five cents per person. In
deed it is as bad in Europe ms at Niagara Falls
you cannot get sight of any thing worth seeing
without first paying some one fee. We were
first shown the library, room at least fifty feet
long, which contains books on all sides from floor
to ceiling, 10000 volumes in all. Here is
the large leather covered arm chair in which Sir
Walter sat and the plain table at which he wrote.
Joining this is little study, with one small win
dow, just large enough to comfortably hold chair
and table. In this room the great novelist did
much of his hardest work. Connected with the
library is the reception room which contains many
portraits and curiosities presented to him. Next
to this is room used rs an armOry which contains
a fine collection of weapons. Among the notable
things in the armory we noticed Rob Roys gun,
marked with his initials Roman spears Mont
roses sword; pair of pistols taken from Napo-
Icons carriage at Waterloo the amor of one of
the kings of Scotland the rusty keys of the old
TOlbooth at Edinburg, and fine collection OF
modern and middle age arms from all over the
world.
The entrance hall is also filled with curiosties.
Here several full suits of armor with lances in
their iron hands, as if only waiting for the spirits
of their former occupants to return. Here are
also battle axes, maces, huge two handed swords,
spears, cross bows, and mementos from many of
the fierce and bloody battles with which Scotland s
history is filed. One of the rooms has a case con-
tanning the suit of clothes he at his death,
the plaid trowsers, Brother Jonathan" striped
vest the large Shoes Che broad skirted green coat
and his stout walking stick.
The exterior of the house is decorated with sew
eral memorial slabs from places of historic inter
est. The grounds are prettly laid out and are or
namented with statuary. fine efigy of Scott 5
favorite dog Mazda, is particularly noticeable. In
front of the old part of the house is the stone
foundation of the old cross at Edinburg which in
former times on festal occasions flowed wine in
stead of water.
Language can hardly portray our thoughts as
we fingered in these familiar to the great
novelist whom we all admire. When we can see
the books he read, the place where he studied and
wrote, the mementos and weapons which he seem
ed to weave into his wonderful stories, it seemed
as if we had been into the workshop of Vulcan
and seen the material or which Jove's thunder
bolts were forged. 1t brought home to us with
more force than that the true genius to which
the world owes so much is not the spasmodic off
castings of some inspired mind, but what Dickens