The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-03
Visitors to Sacred Isle of Iona
Will Be Shocked by Van
dalistic Work.
ny la MAnouIsE DE roNrExoY.

BY LA MARQUISE DE FONrENOY.
Y 7 ISITORS to tho sacred Islo Of
" Iona, possessed of any sense of
art. or Of reverence for tho his
toric past. will be profoundly shocked
by tho vandalistic restoration Of the
glorious old ruin OF the Cathedral Of
Iona. the cradle OF Christianity OF
Scotland. 1t has not only been re-
rooted. but also fitted up with Neo-
Gothic brasswork. woodwork. as we'll
rs other twentieth century furbish-
ings, from tho church furniture en-
poriums, and which offend the eye. not
only by their argressivcly modern
Philistinism. but also by their glaring
anachronism.
That Scots should have desired to
uso tho old sanctuary of what was
III" Gaelic counterpart OF Eng
lands Canterbury Cathedral and
Westminster Abbey Is comprehensive.
But IL passes the imagination how hey
could have had so little sense of pro-
priety rs to convert 1t into what look $
like n brand-ncw Presbyterian church
utterly out OF place among It's won
derful environment.
When the late Lord Lcvcn and Mel
WILLIE left s25O,00o for the restoration
OF Holyrood Chapel at Edinburgh.
with tho idea Of its being used once
Order OF tho Thistle. Edward VII and
his chief advisers declined to accept
the Legacy. on the ground that any at
tempt at restoration would impair the
picturesque beauty of the exquisite
ruins. and that to repair them would
constitute nh act OF objectionable
vandalism. The sovcrcigns attitude
in the matter met with universal APP
prevail. both at home and abroad.
That tho ruins of the Cathedral Of
Iona, which means SO infinitely more
to every son OF Scotland than Holy
rood Chapel. should have thus been
permitted TO become tho prey OF the
inartistic rcstorer, is simply ncon-
ceivable.
1t is only fair to state that tho
present Duke OF Argyll Is in no .ense
of the word responsible for this crime
against art and archaeology 1t is nee
essary to mention this. since Iona UNI
til few years ago belonged to the
Dukes Of Argyll. The late duke, how
ever. greatly to the Indignation of his
family. mado over all the ecclesiastical
remains on the Island Of Iona to the
trustees of the Presbyterian Church of
Scotland. OF which he was a shining
light, his main object being to prevent
them from falling into the hands OF
either the Church Of England or of tho
Church OF Rome.
For the present duke has. since his
marriage to Princess Louise, become
member OF the Anglican Church,
while his nephew and next heir, Mall
Campbell. tall and extremely good
looking young fellow. is either on tho
very brink OF conversion to roman
Catholicism. or has already become a
convert. After Mall Campbell. who is
unmarried, there come his cousins,
Douglas Campbell, married TO n daugh-
ter OF the late John Laurence, of New
York. and their ten-ycar- boy, Lord
George Campbell. and his son 1var,
attached to the British embassy ut
Washington. and then the entailed es-
tates would pass to the Roman Cath
Ollie branch OF the family. namely
the Campbells OF Lochon
No less than forty-eiCht Scottish
Kings. including Shakespeare's King
Duncan and King Macbeth, four Irish
Kings. and eleven Kings OF Norway.
lie buried on the Island of Iona. as we'll
as all TIE old time Lords OF the Isles.
Indeed. In the early days of the Chris
tian IRA, and In the Middle Ages, the
soil OF Iona was regarded as so sacred.
and burial there so high an honor and
so great privilege, that the bodies
OF royal personaGes and OF powerful
mobiles, of Vikings and mighty chief
tains. were brought there for inter
ment not only from all parts Of Scot
land and ireland. but also across the
North Sea. from the remotest portions
of Scandinavia.
The cathedral dates from the
twelfth century. while st. Grams
Chapel, OF which but the bare walls
remain. was built by Queen Margaret
sister of tho Anglo Saxon King Edgar
Athelinc Attached to the cathedral
was library, so celebrated in its day
that Plus V. after presenting 1t with
many gifts. prepared to visit it, and
was only prevented from doing SO by
his premature death.
The history OF Iona goes back tifteen
centuries. TO the time when. in \. u.
$50, Saint Columbia, an Irish monk
driven ont of Erin. sought refuge there
with twelve companions. that is 10
say. lust thirtv-four wears before st
Augustine landed in Great Britain to
convert its people II is probable that
Iona was already sacred for hundreds