The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-14

A Valuable Aid to Travellers, Though
II Lacks Map.


1t Lacks a Map.
There Is much Of the romance Of his.
tory in the volume entitled eThe Cas-.
ties and Kings OF Scotland by Frank
Roy Fraprie, which Is among the pie
|torial books published last fail BY L. &.
Page 4 Cd. OF Boston. 1t is called by
the author "a description Of slndry
fortresses, towers, peels, and other
houses Of strength built BY the princes
and barons OF the old time in the high
lands, islands, and borders Of the an
cient and Godfeariug kingdom OF Scot
land' All Of which promises very we'll.
II is Of course not 10 be expected Of d
writer to bring out new facts in a
field that las been So infinitely ex-
plored by countless antiquarles, there
is hardly a ruin in Scotland but has a
literature Of ito own. But to pick out
what Is most interesting and offer it
IN popular form with a pictorial OBJ
ligato is task worth while, and Mr.
fraprie has already shown BY his book
on Bavaria that he is well qualified to
undertake it The book is the outcome
o. three Scottish tours.
II is less, however, the author ex-
planned, d record Of travel than com
panion and guide for II, and no adds;
ut is, as the only handbook on the sub
ject, q necessity for the visitor to the
castles who would know the truth
about them. The so-eaIled facts dis
pensed By local guides are in most cases
erroneous, and have not been used in
this volume. where historical refer
ences are take from more authoritative
sources In answering the often asked
question, what Scottish castles should
first be seen by the tourist, he passes
over Edinburgh and Sterling, which are
citadels and palaces rather than castles.
and selects Doune, which can be easily
included III the Troussachs trip taken
by almost every visitor to Scotland.
For beauty OF situation he recommends
Boutwell,, Kilchurn, and Castles Camp
hell; for historic interest, Lochleven.
Dunnottar, Crai@nillar, Hermitage,
Lochmaben; for romantic story, Tant
allon and Tillictudiem. The list can
Of course be extended indefinitely, but
1t is perhaps better to see a few long
enough for them to make lasting i'm
precision.
The ordinary tourist, Mr.. Fraprie.
points out, does not realize how many
castles and keeps there are in Scotland
1t Is only when one leaves the railway
and makes excursions by road into any
Of the more settled parts Of the country
that their number is forced upon his
atttntion. and they are seen to be one
Of the most striking and picturesque
features Of the landscape 1t Is not 80
easy TO become familiar with their style
As Is the case with church architee-
ture, for the sequence Of styles Is not
50 marked, and the points Of difference
are less Obvious. But to the more nc
eye, the castles give q fascin
ating record. by which it is easy to
trace the growth Of civilization There
are in Scotland no Roman remains
except the Roman road, but
there are plenty Of traces Of the print.
tive Notifications Of the early inliabi
tants OF northern Europe bitches and
mounds strengthened BY wooden pals
AIDES, or artificial islands Of piles set
ii the midst Of lakes And If Scotland |
has no Roman camps; it Is only north |
81 the Tweed that one finds the
'brochsp or round towers OF uneemented /
masonry: These consist Of thick wall /
around a central we'll OF court. The
staircase and numerous small rooms
Ind galleries are followed ont Of this |
TalIand lighted by windows overlooking /
ne inner court These We're 81 Celtic I
,rigin and had no effect on the latter /
development Of castellated architecture, I
except that possibly wall chambers may I
ave been borrowed from these ancient |
structures.
For the development of the feudal /
.astlc it Is necessary TO turn 10 Gaul.
where the influence OF Roman arrhi /
ecture was lasting, not only in eccles
astical buildings, but IN country houses
which retained the Roman construction,
series Of buildings round central /
curt tn the center, on mound stood
lie hall of the chief Those structures.
we're built Of wood They were COM
non among both Franks and Normans
N The continent and in England but the
English, being barons by instinct les
ened the danger from fire by substitut
ne a tower al stone and mortar for
he central wooden redoubt. Thus about
$50 originated the Norman keep.
after the Conquest they became COM
non in England, and spread to the very
,order. but not one was even reared on
Scottish soil, which Is thus as free from
marks OF Norman as af Roman domi
Iation The strength of the walls, from
2 to 90 feet thick. max be seen from
he fact that in the 10Th century it
ook six weeks to piece q doorway in
he ground Of the Tower Of London.
For a long time these keeps were inn
reonable But in the Crlisades mill
ary engines were introduced and im-
rored. and soldiers learned how to att
ack strong castles with success, NOV
bic shields, for example allowing the
,esiepeYs to destroy the vulnerable
ouare corners while powerful engines
brew fire balls on the roof, 10 keep
he enemy at a distance, the outer walls
rere extended and strengthened and De-
anne tire main defense, while the Keep
fself was the place OF last resort. The
orners we're protected BY towers at the
nples. each tower being an independent
ortress with its own garrison and sup
lies. Thus it can be seen how greatly
hanges ii warfare influenced architee-
ure. The first period 81 Scotch castle |
uildina Il from hoo 10 1900. The cas-
le OF Macbeth was Of the primitive
vpe already described. wooden hall |
AZ a moud surrounded BY palisaded
iound or wall Of stones and earth
tut in the 18th century great changes
egan. rejecting 4 change in the condi
ion 81 Scotland
OF 18th century castles may be men
oned Duiferin. Bocharnc, Ruthven, Loeb
ldorb. Strathbolcie. Fyvie. Kildrummie,
-incaf,fina paraasfIa Farfar Giamis |