Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-07-25
THE STONE OF scoNE.
History of the Seat Upon Which the Nos.
nrchs of England Are Crowned.


nrchs of England Are Crowned.
For more than sixty years the Stone
of Scone has not been in requisition.
So long a period of rest has probably
not occurred in the course of its long
and varied experience. There are two
legends as to its origin, one of Irish
and the other of Scotch birth, which
in process of time have been inter-
mingled, and some inconvenient details
ignored. The tale as given by the
chroniclers is briefly this:
A certain Greek, Galethus by name,
went to Egypt at the time of the Exc
dus, where he married Scotia, the
daughter of Pharaoh. After the de-
struction of the Egyptian hosts in the
Red Sea, Galethus and Scotia, with
band of Egyptians, Travelled along
the north coast of Africa to Gibraltar
Thence they crossed to Spain, where
they settled, and Galethus founded a
kingdom. For many generations this
kingdom continued to be ruled by the
descendants of Galethus and Scotia
Their royal seat was the "Stone OF
Destiny" described in the earlier
legends as a "stone shaped like
chair"
In the course of time Simon Brech
leader of a band of Scots, took the
stone to Ireland, and was crowned oD
it at Tara, as King of that country,
Here it was called the Lila Fail" OF
Stone of Destiny. Fergus, son OF
Eric, lineal descendant of Simon
Brech, being driven out Of Ireland, by
his foes, 500 B. c., went to Argyle,
in Scotland, taking the fateful stone
along with him. He set it up at Duns.
staffenage, with the inscription:
mi fallar fatum Scott, quocunque
locatum.
Invenient lapidem, regnare tenetur
ibidum."
Forty kings were successfully
crowned upon the stone while it re-
mained in Argyle. The last of these
was driven back to Ireland. His
nephew, Fergus McErc, returning, con,
quered Argyle in the sixth century Sin
the marble chair"
In 1896, after the defeat of Balliol
by Edward l., the Stone of Scone was
transported by the conqueror to Eng.
land as one of the most precious spoils
of victory.
Its removal was regarded as a ma.
tional humiliation by the Scotch, and
in the treaty Of 1928 one of the condi.
tions insisted upon by the Scotch was
the return of the "Stone of Scone."
However, for some unexplained rea.
son, this was never done.
Henry III. had rebuilt Westminster
Abbey, and erected a chapel, to con.
tain splendid shrine to Edward the
Confessor, the original builder of the
Abbey Church. The shrine was the
work of an Italian artist, Peter of
Rome, and originally shone with color,
gliding, and fine mosaic work. These
glories have been much defaced and
dimmed during the centuries which
have elapsed since it was erected.
The floor of the chapel was also laid
in beautiful mosaic work-now worn
away by the trampling feet of many
generations. Against the altar-screen
in this chapel stand the coronation
chairs of England. The Queens chair
was made for Mary, the daughter of
James H., when, in 1859, William OF
Orange and Mary were crowned at
Westminster.
The stone is an oblong block of red
sandstone. and is placed under the
seat of the chair on board, supported
by four carved lions, one at each cor
ner. 1t is said to have been gilded and
otherwise decorated, but, if SO. these
adornments have entirely disappeared.
In modern coronations it is covered
with cloth of gold.
1t is, to say the least, very curious
that the sole claim of Edward VII. to
be crowned sitting upon the Stone of
Scone rests upon his descent from
Scottish Princess-Elzabeth Stuart,
only daughter of James l., of England,
wife of the Eector Palatne, after
ward King of Bohemia, the heroine
of the Thrity-Years' War, who in
herited the beauty, wit and the mis-
fortunes of her grandmother, Mary
Queen of Scots.