, 1890-10-02

terry OF Iona, In tho HeOrl'ts,
who here founded IA rude chapter
house In the seventh century. Its
first abbot was Eata, Old Mclrose
became renowned, but its brethren
were bnnishcd In 1915 on their re-
fusal to acknowledge Malcolm III.
ns their sovereign. A chapel, dodi-
Gated 10 st. u,hbert, alone survived
the destruction which followed.
Nearly century later, in 1886, a
magnificent monastery or abbey
was founded by the Scottish King
David l. for Clstertian monks at
the then hamlet of Fordel, now Mel
rose, tho precise site of the Melrose
Abbey OF to-day. 1t was conse-
Grated In 1148, and about two GEN.
turIes later, In 1892, was nearly de-
stroyed by Edward H., of England,
during one Of Ills last forays north
of the border. The restoration, or
rather reconstruction, of the Melrose
Abbey, founded In 1876, gave Scot
land this surprising ruin of to-day.
Its original completion was the
most, ardent desire OF Scotland's
greatest hero-patriot, King Robert
Bruce, who In 1926 granted TO Its
abbot "all the feudal casualties and
crown issues of Teviotdale;" aud on
the death of Bruce at Cardross, In
1929, his heart, which was embalmed
To be carried by Sir James Douglas
to Palestine, was rescued from the
M0ors, who slaughtered the chlval-
rous Douglas, and brought to and
sepultured In the noble abbey which
Bruce so loved. 1t Ia authenticated
at
covering the outlines of area
existing and traceable ut the present
time, was completed in ten years
after Its spoliation by Edward H.,
the Clstertian monks, whose skill
in that age In architecture and
statuary will remain the wonder of
all time, and who regarded lavish
ornatnentation ofecclesiastic editices
as one OF the highest expressions OF
religious feeling were zealously en-
ployed over POO years upon its deco
ration. or all the religious edltices
created during the period of the
middle-pointed style, which pre-
vailed from the thirteenth century
to about the middle of the fifteenth,
or to the time of the reformation In
Scotland, Melrose Abbey was in
comparably the most magnificen
and stately, exquisitely chaste and
marvelously beautiful.
SOME MARVELLOUS RUINS
Surprising In Its day and time OF
massive feudal piles and vast re-
ligious structures, 1t still holds the
same regal prominence among all
the countless impressive ruins
throughout Great Britain. The inn
mediate surroundings of the abbey
are distressing to the stranger. On
one side Is IL grazlng-ground for
sheep. On the other, drear,
forlorn, modern graveyard, with
thin and meager headstones, is
crowded against 1t. On another,
matched novels and cabins huddle
beneath its graceful buttresses.
And on another, that Cerberus
horror, guarding all that is sweet,
sacred and beautiful, in Scotland, u
combined inn and tollgate, lays in
wait vt the only entrance. Scarce
ly a free shrub or plant Is
there to kindly hide the squalor and
ayarice, or soften the hurtful ravages
of time. Ify you love to contemplate
the glorious in pure art, Melrose is u
never-ending feast. II, In your lik-
ing, even marvellous ruins must be
In the tender framework wrought
by natures recovering and rehabili-
tating hands, you will be bitterly
disappointed. 1he church itself Is
in the form of the cross of st. John,
of Jerusalem. Its length from east
to west Is 25S feet, the cross aisle,
1877 feet; while the breadth of the
nave Is go feet between the walls.
From the center of the Latin cross
rises square tower "a feet high, of
which the west side only remains.
This tower rests on lofty-pointed
arch the summit of which term
mates in a stone balustrade with
quatrefoil rails, under which Is II
bas-relief frieze of roses. The north
transept Is roGhess. The eastern
part of the nave is still covered and
was used during the first quarter of
this century as parish church; but
the western part is rooiless and the
great west entrance Is gone. In the
south wall are eight windows, six
teen feet by eight, well preserved
ohu VI Wohoiouo otuuNy' hC iboi
above the eastern part of the choir,
and the marvellous east window at
its end, are still almost perfect. This
least oriel" Is the one everybody has
seen through Sir Walter Scott's
description In the "Lay of the Last
Minstrel:"
"The moon on the east oric shone
Through slender shafts of shapely stone,
BY foliage tracery combined.
Thou wouldst have thought some fairy $
hand
'Twixt poplars straight the osier wand
In many u ireakish knot had twined !;
Then framed a spell, when the work was
done.
And changed the willow. wreaths to
stone"
Indeed the keynote of the won
drous art exhibited in Melrose alb
hey seems TO have been this very
"ioliage trucery combined The
pedestuls for all statues, aud there
must have been upwards of 200, are
composed of five members of cor
nice, supported by palm boughs,
terminating at the foot in II point
with II triple roll. The tracery of
the window mullions is In foli-
age. The pedestals and cunopies of
the buttress inches are all orna-
mented in garlands of flowers. In
the arch of the door once leading to
the cloisters, the work upon the
fl llet is of marvellous conception and
eNecu ution, tho flowers and foliage
being separated from the stone be-
it,h