Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-23

special Correspondence OF Gazette and Journal
LONDON, March 9.--If Melrose Abbey,
the mecca of all American tourists in
Scotland, furnishes examples of art
nearly as bewitching as the most delicate
expressions of nature itself, Dryburg
Abbey, but four miles distant down the
Tweed, holds and fascinates the wan
derer with far more tender and subtle
charm. The founding of Dryburg is
of remoter antiquity than even that of
the original Culdee house of Old Mel
rose.
Before the advent of Christian mis-.
sionaries the place was resorted to by
the Druids for the celebration of their
mystic rites-as Darachbrauch or hurgh,
'sthe bank-cluster of sacred oaks Dry
burg's Celtic name, implies Modan, q
Culdee presbyter, set up the first Chris
tian establishment of Dryburg, in 522
For 629 years thereafter its history is
insignificant The monks from Ain
wick, under the patronage of Sir Hugh
de Morville, constable of Scotland under
King David l., founded here . Premon-
stratentian Abbey of splendid dimen.
sions. This was burned along with
Melrose Abbey by Edward H., and re-
stored by aid granted by King Robert
the Bruce.
Twice, in 1885 and in 1554, it was pill.
LACED and devastated by the English.
The reformation of doughty John
Knox, 16 years later, did the rest The
ruins of Dryburg Abbey show that the
walls of the completed edlfice stood on
different levels, and that the structure
illustrated at least four different styles
Of architecture. This is seen in the
massive Roman arch with its ample,
square sides; the deep.splayed and
always impressive Saxon arch; and the
early English pointed arch. The church
was originally in the form of cross
with short transepts, and small but
exquisitely decorated choir, while the
interior was divided by light and grace
iul colounades into a central space and
side aisles.
OF the transepts portion of but one,
the north, called st. Mary's Aisle, is still
standing; but there is no more beauti-
full specimen of the early Gothic to be
found in Scotland than is this, the
solemn and secluded burial place of
Scotia's GREATEST minstrel, the noble
author of "WaverIy." The chapter
house, tiny chapel of st. Modan, and
Norman arch which formed the west.
ern doorway are yet standing A stately
yew, over 500 years old, casts its somber
shade upon the lawn, opposite where
once the abbots sat at their easements
to mock the huge pile of stone as il
crumbles into the earth.
You feel more than you can see al
Dryburg, The whole place is instinct
with repose. The horizon is close, no
half mile away in any direction. 1t il
fringed with the boughs and verdure o
sheltering trees, save where, far to the
south, the weird Eildon hills of wiZart
renown peer down from above thel
cloud mists into the sunny copse. Tn,
Tweed, moving in silence for mile
above, circling here sweeps wide anC
grandly over cleaning shadows, anC
sings Its endless song just at the edge o
the olden Abbey grounds.
You come to the place through
hushed and silent avenue, ankle.deep il
the spring-time with hawthorn blossom
white as snow. In the grazing day
their place is filled by the browns an
puces of rustling drift from the beacl
elm and sycamore. Only the lodge
keepers habitation reminds of carthl
activities. Nature alone holds SWAY
Bloom and birds, grasses and vines, odc
and song, russell walls and emeral
masses of moss, oriels of ivy, tillets {
vines, pointed arches of roses, towers {
trees leaping from the old walls then
selves, reach the eye and sense tenderI,
slumberously, pulsing with hush an
balm.
Melrose exalts. Dryburg soothe
The entire spot is ruin merged int
Elysium, hallowed by one humbI
grave. And SO sweet and hushed is al
that even your reverence for the eve
silent disappears; for you feel that yoU
mighty friend lies here as on the boso
Of the land he SO loved and immorta
lied and that Scott only sleeps viii
sweetly all nature-songs to him a
sung.
If your own wanderings ever lea
you to Gibraltar, to Barcelona or to Ma
settles upon the Mediterranean coast,
not fail 70 engage passage in one Of Il
pretty steamers which ply between the
cities and the slumberous port Of Pain
In the little Spanish Isle of Maiorica
is qualnter than Spain, more 1Ioori
than Algiers, and its pleasant folk a
the most hospltable in all the world.
visit to its half ruined ancient mons
terry Of Valdemusa and the wild al
marvellous north coast scenery are alo
worth trip to the island
With as magnificent and far me
classic surroundings as those Of Vi
lombrosa in Italy, a mountain chasm
bridged by the ancient pile in SO ext
ordinary and picturesque way as
seem at a distance like gray old clor
kissed nest that has for ages detied
cay and the battling Of the aer
tempests there. But the gray Of n
decay is upon all things at Naldemu
in the gray old church and endl
cells and clolsters; in the gray ,
houses that nestle along the mot
tain side beneath it, and in |
gray old folk that haunt the spot Ii
wraiths of those who once were there
An indescribable sadness fingers abr
this splendid Majorican relic Of monk
times and days. The rich of Palma co
here in summer and live gay me
conventual life. George Sand hall
century ago passed the most dolorr
winter of her life within these wa
With her was Chopin. Perhaps will
these very cloisters was born the W
and ine1pressible melancholy of
melodic creations of the masters la
life. To me Valdemusa will rem
more memory of these two strai
sad souls than merely crumbliug,
: serted and majestic monastic relic uI
~ the island mountains.
have passed the greater portion
the last seven years among the poasan
OF Europe. Not only has this asset
tipn been wit Ia tho 1pyvl,y ,,,,y,,,. M. !,