Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-07
Where the Heart Of Sc0tland's Hero
Was Inferred.
Checkercd History Of This Famous Ruin Re-
viewed by the Journals Foreign Cor
respondent.

| once to the abbey. There we found q
man rejoicing in the title of "Custodian
| IF Melrose Abbey who showed US
everything there was to see and told
us many interesting things about tn"
beautiful old place. The shape Of the
! Abbey like all ancient churches is that
| Of the Cross. and it had a square tower
| in the center The workmanship OF
| Melrose is almost unrivalled and il
| is considered the finest example of
/ Gothic architecture and sculpture Of
! which Scotland can boast. Although il
rs not the most entire yet it ranks high
among the most beautiful of the ruins
+ of which both England and Scotland
/ are full
! Melrose Abbey was founded and rich
! ly endowed by David l.. King of Scot
lard, in 1896. ard ten years after it Was
consecrated with great pomp and dedi-
! Gated to 81 Mary. The king then
granted the abbey to he Cistercian or
! der Of monks which was originally
I founded in France on the same prln
cipleS as the HenedictInes. The king
gave "A large portion Of the crown lands
to the abbey, and as many of his mobiles
followed his example and gave rich
?
soon became very wealthy. The monks
Of MelroSe were noted for their hos
pitality which they lavished on rich
ara poor alike.
Merosc Abbey suffered 50 in age
past from the English armies which
made periodical inyasions Of Scotland
that it is wonder that il exists at al.
When Edward II. retreated from Scot
his army destroyed as many churches
rs II could. Melrrse among others. !
a few years later King Robert Bruce
granted sum equal tn $50. 900 $3.50. |
o01D Of the present currency TO repair |
the abbey. Many antiquarians have
said that the great beauty of the ruins
Of Melrose is due 10 this destruction for
at the time il was restored Gothic /
architecture had reached its highes-
and pureSt Development. In 1884 the
English led by Richard II. made an
inroad into Scotland and on their re-
turn the king stayed one night at Mel
rose Abbey which on leaving he set
on tire. He afterwards however. made
several grants 10 the abbey 50 he must /
have repented OF the way he had re-
paid the hospitality Of the monks. IT
was probably the chancel of the church
which was destroyed at this time for
the style of architecture there is later
than III other parts Of the building.
The stone used is also different In 1914
the English under Sir Ralph Evers
paid another visit to Melrose and de-
spoiled the tombs of the Douglases in
the abbey. Afterwards Sir Ralph {
marched down the Tweed closely fol-
lowed by the Scots A battle was
fought on Ancrum Moor in which the
invaders We're defeated and their leader
lost his life. His body was buried IN
the church he had tried to destroy.
In the next year the monastery of |
Merose was destroyed by the Earl Of
Hartford. Tradition says the English
had passed the abbeys of Melrose and
Dryburg when the bells a one of these
places were rung to testify the joy Of r
the inmates.
English were not out of hearing, aud |
when they heard the sound promptly re- c
turned and all the joy was changed to
grief. The abbey suffered severely at the
time of the reformation from which i;
never recovered. After the reformation
part of il was taken down to build a !;
house which is stll standing not far !
from the church. For a long time after
quarry. and 1t is said that there is not an
old house in the village which has not in
its walls stone from the abbey. The
ruins of Melrose Abbey and all the sur u
the noble house of Buccleuch' who have
to preserve the place from decay. and
Scotland has every reason to rejoice that
at last after such a checKered career the
Bile place has fallen into such good
hands.
The entrance to the abbey is at the !.
west end and the first parts of the build :,
ing which we notice are the side chapels
eight in number. which formed the outer
side of the south aisle.
Some of these chapels have had no
roofs for generations: and the walls
which separated them are just visible II
above the ground. The roofs over two a
of the chapels are still whole and are =
richly carved. The aisles and part of the {
jransept are still covered by the original b
groined roof; but the rest of the ruin has o
no covering but the blue vault of heav-
IN. Since the reformation the side chap
els have been used as burial vaults by
various noted families in the neighbour
hood. In the south tranSept our guide n
which is considered the best in the whole d
1t is on the capital of a pillar ii
which separates the aisle from the nave,
md represents the curly green's or kale
which is grown in almost every garden in
Scotland. Next comes small chapel
,alled St. Bridgets and a statue OF that $;
saint II stu standing in a niche near one d
IF the windows. Next to St. Bridgets
,hapel and between it and the chancel is
another small chapel in which is the
grave of Michael Scott. the wizard. ac-
'ording to Sir Walter Scott in The Lay =
Of the Last Minstrel" The wizards ~
grave is marked by fiat slab on the =
ground with large red cross marked on
it. This parsonage tlourished during the
18th century. and was one of the ambas-
sailors sent to bring the maid of Norway
to Scotland. He appears to have been |.
man of great learning which in those u
days was quite sufficient to gain him n 7"
reputation for witchcraft. Next to the
wizard is the grave Of Sir Ralph EVers
killed at the battle Of Anerum Moor, In
4 corner near the wizards grave was
pile of stones which our guide said was a a
favorite seat of Waiter Scott. who used p
to spend hours at time in the abbey
and who has paid high tribute to its
beauty in the Lay of the Last Minstrel"
The chancel is not the oldeat hut 1t is n,
without doubt the most beautiful portion pl
Of the abbey. 1t was here In front the Is
exquisitely beautiful eastern window 81
that the high altar of the church stood. al
I nderneath the floor are buried many of Is
Scotlands heroes. A large marble slab IL,
on which in the Lay" the aged monk G,
and Sir William of Delorane sat while ST