The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-04-04
A Scotch Legend.

SN~~N 49,
tention to the marble monument of Ebenezer
Erskine, and with many solemn protestations
of the truthfulness of what he is about to say,
he relates to us that Erskine was born after
his mother had been buried in this very
churchyard We all begin to look upon our
white-haired friend as an escaped lunatic.
"Ah, alb, old man, you are little of. :"
'tNay, nay, good gentlemen, tits true, tits
true. Just listen till tell this history Many,
many lang years ago, Mistress Erskine sud-
denly fell i'll and died. Her husband loved
her right strong, and before they buried her
her guide man put a costly ring on one of the
fingers of her right hand. This did not
escape the notice of some thieves, who, in
the night after the funeral, came to this very
spot and digged her up, but, as they could
ma get the jewelry from her hand, one of
the men cut off the finger which held the
ring But no sooner had he done his wicked
act than behold, the dead lady suddenly sat
up in her shroud The thieves, in terrible
fright, at once took to their heels, leaving be-
hind her severed finger and the lighted Ian
tern which they had brought with them.
Mistress Erskine was, of course awfully sur
prised to find herself in an open grave; but
by and bye, having Gained her nerves, she
took the lighted lantern and returned to her
home where, after having convinced her
friends that she was not ghost, she was
finally restored to perfect health, and, in due
time, gave birth to this noble son, on whose
monument you now look"
Of course we could not doubt our old
friends words. Perhaps he really believed
that he was telling us the truth; but, never
theless, it is to be feared he did that which
young Washington more or less truthfully or
untruthfully, told his angry sire he could not
do xvho ha of 7 10
essentially the same story is told of the wife
of Mr.. Aducht, rich merchant, who lived
in Cologne in the middle of the fourteenth
century. The tale is well told by Herr F. T.
Kiefer, in his most interesting " Legends of
the Rhine"
STERLING CASTLE,
Into which we now pass, is unquestlonobly
one of the most historic citadels in Scotland.
Like Edinburgh Castle, it is built on the
crest of rocky crag, and commands mag
nifcent view of one of the finest landscapes
upon which the writer has ever looked. For
years it will linger, dream of beauty in our
pinds. Our half hour spent in going out
over the sunlit splendors of these grassy
fields and winding streams and flashing lochs
and shady woods and breezy hills and charm
ing rural villages, with dim blue back
ground of may, wavy mountain ranges, as
seen from this old historic castles walls,
richly repays us for all ills suffered in this
D." trip abroad"
The date of the erection of this interesting
citadel is unknown, but history tells us that
1t was a fortress in the time of the Picts. 1t
certainly does not smell of new paint. 1t is
somewhat old. Alexander I died here in
1924, as did William the Lion, in 1914.
After well-sustained siege of three months
it was captured by Edward l, in 1904, and it
remained in the hands of the English until
1914, when it was again surrendered to the
Scots. James Ii was born within its walls,
James III built its Parliament house 1t was
the birth place of James v who was crowned
here Queen Mary was brought to this grim
old fortress when an infant.
Her coronation occurred within these walls
when she was but nine months old James
VI was baptized in this castle in 1866, and in
the same year the royal infant was solemnly
crowned in the church of the Grayfriars, on
which occasion sermon was preached by
John Knox.
The Covenauters had possession of this
fortress in 1889; it capitulated to Gen. Monk
in 1851 it was occupied by Wightman in
Ills, and it was furiously attacked by Prince
Charles Edward in 1746.
But come, we have had enough of history,
let us walk about and see what there is to be
seen. Here is dingy, white washed cell,
called the Douglas room-because William,
the powerful Earl of Douglas, was assassinated
in it by good King James II and some of
his noblemen. The royal murderer and his
friend pitched the dead earls body out of this
little window into the court beneath. All,
those were good old times Alas, alas they
are forever gone, gone. This Douglas room
contains interesting relics. Here is the COM
munion table, "a very dilapidated affair and
the pulpit of John Knox, model of the
Scottish crown, the chair of James VI. and a
shrewd Highland lass engaged in selling
trinkets to supplemented Yankee visitors
but come now, it is getting late, let us be
gone. These Highlanders with their bare
legs and red coats are certainly fine looking
set of men.
But it does seem too bad that SO many able
bodied men should idle away their lives
playing soldier in this dreamy, peaceful
Scottish town. What is that over yonder Just
outside of the Castle gate?
BRUCE MONUMENT
A fine monument to King Robert the Bruce
was erected in 1877. The figure which is
seven feet high, represents knight clad in
the armor of the 18th century.
Bruce is in the act of sheathing his sword
after victory, and is looking toward the field
of Bannockburn, on which Scotland's liberties
were secured. 1t is said that James V, as
boy was wont to amuse himself with his
companions by sliding down the sides of this
hill on inverted OK skulls, from which circum-
stance it bears the odd name of Hurry
Hawke. Well, here we are back at our hotel.