The Republican journal., 1901-12-05

General Trotter's estate; the Pentland
hills and other interesting places. all
came in for their share in his almost
continuous narrative. The drive,
though quite long, was through beauti-
full country and it was seen to advan-
tage from the top of the Highland
Favorite" When we alighted at a typ
ical little English inn we found we had
about a five minutes walk to Roslyn
chapel the most beautiful chapel ruin
in the country. Paying a fee of a
shilling to the girl gate-keeper, we
walked up a narrow path to the en-
trance chapel. We were rather sur
prised to find that part of the place
was in very good repair, and, Judging
from the prayer and hymn books, BIZ
bles, stools, ETC., it is still occupied
as place of worship. The STAIN
ed glass windows were magnificent,
and some Of the stone carving superb.
In out of the way corners and dark
inches hollow-eyed gargoyles, their
tongues hanging out of their mouths,
grinned derisively, and sent cold shiv-
ers down ones spine. In the rear of
the chapel is an imposing monument,
erected to the memory of the Right
Honorable Frances Robert St. Clair
Earl of Roslyn," who, we afterward
learned, was the last of the St. Clair
family.
After taking a snapshot" of the
chapel we enquired our way to Roslyn
castle, and were directed down pretty
little lane, and speeded on our way by
two lame and blind veterans with little
tin cups, stationed few rods apart on
the wayside. Passing some tumble
down stone walls (Which we learned
later were ruins of the residences of the
Lords and Ladies in waiting,) we came
to a gate guarded by an old man, who
stood in tiny building resembling
sentry box. Here we procured our
tickets, passed on over what had been
in former times the moat, and came to
the castle walls. Over one doorway
we noticed as we passed the inscription
''S. w. S. 1922" That, however, was
the modern part of the building! En-
tering by rear door we found the
gNide just starting with party, which
we gladly joined. He explained to us
that the door we had just passed
through was used as an exit and en-
trance for the servants, tradesmen and
soldiers. Just in front of the inner
door is an immense yew tree, over eight
hundred years old, the branches of
which had served to make many bow
in days of old. This huge old tree "of
vast circumference and gloom pro-
found, a relic of bygone age, seemed
like melancholy ghost of the days of
yore What tales it could tell of brave
knights and fair ladies, of pale and wan
prisoners of war being led forth to exc
low; of birth, and death, and marriage;
tales of war and peace, of joy and sor-
row, of mirth and sadness. Yet there
it stands, majestic, stately, tranquil,
but silent reminder of the past, IAN
age when men were men,"
On entering the inner door, our guide
told us that the builder of the castle
was the head of the Masons in Scot
land, and that every stone was marked
with the sign of the mason who laid
it. Several of the mystic marks were
pointed out to us, and we found others
| ourselves. These men worked for what
was equivalent to four cents a day in
our money. We were led into long
passage-way, off which were the sol
diers' rooms, some with their original
floors of cobble stones, which were
covered with rushes on which to sleep.
Truly the foemen of feudal days could
not have had very downy couches. At
the end of the passage was the bakery,
with its huge fire place and stone oven.
The sink was tiny hollow in the floor
about the size of a small wash-basin,
and the plumbing consisted of square
holes in the stone work, making a sys-
tenn of tubes through the entire build.
ing. The places the dumb waiter and
speaking tubes had occupied were point
ed out, and we were ready to agree that
there is nothing new under the sum-
Part of this room, and the passage
leading from it to cells for civil prison
ers, was hewn out of solid rock in 1910,
The dungeons for the prisoners of war
have been sealed up, but are to be
opened next year. A little niche which
once held the shrine was shown us, and
the hollows made in the stone stairs by
the kneeling knights in armor were
apparent. Our guide, who, one of the
gentlemen in our party told me, was a
Master Mason, had made our visit very
interesting, and considering that it was
likely his thousandth repetition of the
story it was very well told. n. P. Will
las said of Roslyn Castle in his ''Pencil-
ings by the Way:
The fortress was built by William St.
Clair, of whom Grose writes: "He
| kent a great cOnrt and was rova l1v