Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-19

replaced by a well-authen.icated ex-
tract. The most important OF these
yellow, musty papers is that oil James
VI. In 1897, making the lands oil fysie
a barony, with parliamentary peer pri-
vilegcs, with rights Of justice IN ITS do
main, and power Of pit and gallows.
Next comes the commission charter OF
King James, promoting Lord Urquhart,
the lay lord president of the Court OF
Session, TO the Scotch cbancellorship
in 1904. Then, also, patents pro-
noting his Lordship TO the earlsbip oil
Dunfermline
AND KEEPER or HOLLYWOOD PALACE.
Then there are state papers involv-
ing the rcigns Of the two Charles in
which the Lords Dunfermline were con-
cerned. Beneath this historic room is
the secret chamber--secret, indeed, rs
TO its contents, for the exact locality
is undoubted. IL seems never to have
had either door or window, so 1t
could not have been used to con-
ccal arms. Around it the mists Of
superstition fall thickly, for it has
been guarded by heavy curse
against any bold intruder upon its
mysteries. OF course, a vivid magma
ton peoples the place with entombed
maids and cavaliers and all sorts Of
SIR Walter Scott fancies, but likely as
not the only bones are those Of defunct
mice, the only mutations those Of
spiders and beetles. The gaze TO Seton
Tower is in It's way equally interest
ing. 1t is of massive iron grating,
hung in low vaulted passage a few
feet within the outer door, which
was of oak and heavily clinched
with iron nails. II is the most pohde-
rous door in all Scotland, and in size,
weight, and workmansl p very remark
able. The horizontal and vertical bars
are ingeniously interlaced, each being
alternately welded around the other.
Yet, in spite Of this enormous metal
mass, it swings lightly on its hinges,
and the heavy bolts, which fit to the
opposite wall, may be pushed aside with
the fingers. II is capital illustration
of .he Peel tower described in SCOTS
" Monastery" In the centre Of the
arch above the doorway is the fatal
aperture denominated "the murder
hole" whence boiling fluids and mis-
siles might be rsined down upon asssil-
ants, against whom these strong de-
fences were designed. Fyvie, however,
is rich in other things outside Of archi-
lecture, for she bristles with super
stitions and legends, folk lore Of
the purest type. Happily, che castl.
guests were never disturbed in their
slumbers by the grcwsome yisitants Of
ghost-like aspect. The ghost Of "the
green lady" walks the great staircase,
though she was never known to appear
to any but a Gordon, and then as a
warning of approaching death. Green
is an omlnous color in the Scotch high
lands, because it was the fayoritc hue Of
the fairies, and it was fatal to many fami-
lies, especially - the gallant Grahams. :"
The "green lady" was supposed to
have been a member of the family,
who, like poor Ophelia in " Hamlet"
went mad for love and grief, and wan
dered to her death in a black pool at
the foot Of a tangled brier-wood dell.
IN THE "MURDER-CIrAMBER,"
already referred to, there is no GER
tainty existing as TO the victim Of the
tragedy. One tradition sets forth that
one Of the first Lord Dunfermline' S
wives met with a violent death at his
hands, but his amiablc character seems
tt repudiate such a wicked aspersion.
In one Of the battlements is the weep
ing stone," which is damp when it
should be dry, and dry when it should
be damp. 1t is supposed to have once
been a boundary-mark, stolen from raw
ished church-landS, and carrying curse
TO the successors or lineal descendants
of the sacriligious robbers. A strange
proof Of the truth of the superstition
is to the effect that while Fyvie has
been transmitted through many fami-
lies for many successive generations,
no male heir has been born in the cas-
tie for five hundred years. Leaving
romance and coming down to the &C
curacy Of history. the thanage of Fyvie
formed for long decades a porto. Of
the crown dominionS. In 1921
Alexander the Second dated a char
ter from the castle to the monks
at st. Thomas at Arbroath. In
1896, Edward |. of England slept in a
chamber at the base of Preston tower,
Reginald lie Cheyne, the baron Of that
day, having sworn allegiance to the
English prince. In 1925, after the
battle at Bannockburn, Robert Bruce
fixed the boundaries Of " the Kings
park of Fyvyne." The name Fyyie is
from the Gaelic for % Deerhill." In
1868 David IL. granted one half OF
Fyyie to the Earl Of Sutherland; the
other half reverted 10 the crown
on the throne where afterward sal
the Steward of Scotland, who was the
identical Robert &C The Fair Maid Of
Perth" When Robert resigned his
cousin, Sir James de Lindsay, as
cended in his stead. and later on hi:
lady was beset by an undutiful nephew
Then the castle uss besieged but sh'
was a valiant chieitain, standing Ou
until her husband, Sir James, came t
her rescue.
Now comes the linking Of Fyvie'
history with that Of CLAIMS, for Si
James, quarelling with John Lyon o
Glamis. chamberlain Of Scotland, {
family connection, challenged and
SLEW HIM IN SINGLE COMBAT.
Sir James fought under The Dougla
against the Percy st Otterburn. Ate
the Prestons at Fyvie, who succeeded
Robert and ST. James, came the success
sion Of the Meldrums, who built Mel
drum Tower, holding the property 70
a century and half, and one Of whom
was sent on an embassy to Henry ", o
England. at war with the French allies o
Scotland, and engaged in the siege o
Boulosne. In 1896 the Meldrums soil
the estate to the Setons. Then com
tie Setons, the younger son Of Lore
! Seton, Alexander being a staunc'
champion OF Queen Mary, who was hi
godmother. lie was the trusted frien
Of james W., and after many promo
tons Of rank became Earl Of Dunferm
line in 1900. lie was a familiar co,