Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-04
SIR NOEL PATTON.
A YusEun or ANTIQUITIES.

r,s,ee charles Histssic Plsid and Piece
- hs Bspss ef Robert Brace-Arms from
c.,Ieden and BoshweiI Brass.
An Edinburgh correspondent Of the
Pittsburgh D,spoteh writes; A hsn-
dred years ago, or longer, when the
building Of the present new town !"
of this northern metropolis was under
consideration, the canny Scots were di-
yided into two parties, each with its
own scheme. The result Of this RI
yalry was the formation Of the splendid
omen place in the city known rs
George Square. II is . spot Of
magnificent appearance, but of even
more illustricus associations. On
its western side stands the house in
which for many years lived the father
OF Sir Walter Scott. Near the north
east corner is the house where francis
Jeffrey was born, and near the south.
east corner is the birthplace Of the Ia
nous Edinburgh Resiep. All about
are buildings redolent Of ancient glory,
and spots that figure high In history.
Within the square presents an expanse
of green sward, shaded by trees and
shrubs. II is the favorite haunt OF
many birds, and the summer air Is vo-
cal with the songs Of the mavis and the
merle. A fairer spot for the home OF
An artist and poet cannot be found,
and il was to visit such a one that
repaired hiiher a short time ago.
He WAS born, this artist-poct, in an
ancient country house at Duniermline,
on street known then, and to this
day, 1 think, as Wooer's alley. In that
ancient town, with its historic sssocia-
tons, his boyhood Was passed. His
mother, q daughter Of the great house
of Robertson Of StrowaD, filled his
eager young mind with the tales Of
Highland romance. Ills father sur
rounded him with arms and srmor and
banners and all the mementoes Of great
men and great deeds u Scottish history.
Books and works Of art were his play
things. Ghosts seemed as real to the
boy as horses, and fairies dancing by
moonlight appealed as much to his Gre
dence as Wallace, Balliol, and Bruce.
A nincteenth-century boy, he lived in
medieval atmosphere.
AN ARTISTS HOME.
found his mansion on the south
side Of Georges Square. The moment
entered it could not help seeing that
the objects that kindled the boys adj
miration and imagination appeal with
equal power 10 the intellect of the man.
As in the studio Of Parihasius, de-
scribed by Willis, /" the walls are
hung with armor." Outer and inner
halls, staircase, dining-hall, draw
ing-room, studios, library, all arc
rich with trophies Of war, paint
ings, statuary, medieval relics and
objects from foreign chimes. In the
dining-room are knightly suits of armor,
pieced together and standing on pedes-
tails, like warriors of olden times arisen
from their tonfbs and cleaning in plated
steel and chain mail. Here and there
are stacks Of spears and pixies and
battle-axes, gauntlets and spurs, he'll
NETS and Highland targes or small
shields of tough bulls hide" flint
lock pistols and uncouth guns.
The effect Of living among such OBJ
iects must be one Of two things. 1t
must fill the mind with morbid brood
ing and unhealthy gloom, or it must
develop to the highest degree the spi-
ritual, poetic, and imaginative facul-
ties for these old arms speak strange
things to him who meditates upon them
in the dim and ghostly twilight, or under
the Pickering light Of flaring torches.
81 was at Drummossie, says sword.
81 was borne by the guard Of the first
Edward" says a grim battle-axe. 81
was at Threave," says coat Of mail,
land saw Sir Patrick Grey gaze on the
hesdless body Of poor Bombie, his own
kinsman." There are nearly seven hum
bred Of them, and they seem to speak
with strange, uncannv voices, all at
once, like the clamor of a cawing rock
cry.
Here, too, is al Indian tulwar, with
silver hilt and velvet sheath, brought
home by a soldier who took it from its
dead owners hand at Lucknow. 1t
was then coated from point to hilt with
British blood. Again, here are two
long, straight swords, full five feet from
hilt to point. They once did bloody
work in the hands of German heads
man, and by their side is full set of
the fiendish implements Of torture and
mutilation so often used in those bar
barrie days.
RELICS OF SCOTTISH CHIEFS.
noticed here a spontoon head from
the field of Boutwell, Brigg, and nea-
by a cannon-ball from under the walls
Of Caerlayerock Castle. The field Of
Prestonpans is represented by troop
er's sabre, Sherifimuir by an officers
sword, aud Bannockburn by a pair Of
horse-shoes and long-poled Lochaber
axe. Another battle-axe was once
welded by William Wallace. There
are other arms from the Cromwellian
field of Pitreavie, and others yet from
Langside. One relic, held almost sacred,
is scrap of the plaid worn by Prince
Charles at Culloden. When that pre-
tender was retresting from that disas-
trous field he threw away his plaid. 1t
was picked up and preserved by his
loyal follower, Blair of lnchtyre, who
made it into morning dressing-gown
and wore it for many years. Dying, he
left il TO his daughter, Mrs. Bett, wife
Of the minister Of lnchtyre, and she,
with Vandal-like irreverence, made it
into the cover of an easy chair, in
which her worthy husband sat to
compose his sermons. Its next owner
was Janet Wallace, Mrs. Belts
housekeeper, and she presented it,
on her marriage, TO her hus-
band, Mr.. Cochran, merchant of Leith.
Now, Mr.. Cochran knew how to value
the relic, for his father had been " out
an the 49," So he quickly removed
the plaid from the chair, divided it into
many pieces, and distributed it among
his friends, who still cherished the me-
mory Of Bonnie Charlie" One piece
went to Captain James Wilson, harbor-
master at Leith from him to Mr.. Fetch