entire, and his garments undecayed; after the celebration of mass, the bishop and abbots, with all the monks of the convent, put a new stone of polished marble over his holy dust, all being filled with joy, and testifying, by their joint acclamation, that truly this was a man of God; The monk Joceline, of Furnes, wrote the life of this celebrated abbot; one of the stories related of him is his increasing the corn in the granaries belonging to the monastery in the neighbouring villages of Eildon and Gattonside, out of which were fed four thousaud poor people for three months, without any diminution of the first quantity; which remained till the crop was off the ground, and then begau to waste. The following lines were written by Fordun to the memory of this saint: Melros mellita siç est fellea vita Ture vocatur ita, patre potiore potita. In 1206 died William, the ninth abbot of Melrose, which was forty-eight years after the death of Waldevus; and William being considered another Waldevus in sanctity, it was L c. 66, Ford. 1. 3, resolved that their bodies should lie together in the dust. As the workmen were preparing William's grave, brother Robert, who was a mason, by the advice of some of his brethren, not without reluctance and much religious horror, raised the cover of Waldevus's tomb a little, when, lo his nose was struck with a fragrance as if the Saint's tomb had been filled with spices; this circumstance happening in the twilight, a candle was brought, and all who were present looked into the tomb, and saw the sacred body entire, with its vestments as fresh and beautiful as if they had been just put on ; there were six monks and six lay brothers who had the happiness of thus gratifying their pious, though presumptuous curiosity. In 1240, Waldevus's tomb was again opened, when his body was found to be mouldered into dust; those that were present carried off some of the small bones, leaving the rest to repose in peace. One of the company was William, son to the Earl of Dunbar, who begged and obtained one of the Saint's teeth, by which it is reported that many wonderful cures were performed. Some suppose that this marble stone lies upon King Alexander II.; but it is more probablé to be upon Waldevus. History says that King Alexander II. was buried at the high altar of Melrose abbey, with this inscription on his tomb: Ecclesiæ clypens, pax plebis, dux miserorum, Annister denis et quintis rex fuit ipse, No such tomb nor inscription is now to be seen, though, perhaps, it may have been upon the wall, but now effaced. There were also monuments erected here in remembrance of some of the family of Douglas* that were interred here; such as Wil * A heart makes part of Douglas' arms. Origin of this circumstance-Robert Bruce, on his death-bed ordered that his heart should be carried by Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land, to be buried at Jerusalem. The fate of Douglas on this expedition, is thus related by Lord Hailes :-"Mean" while Douglas, having the heart of his dear master, set sail Milne's history of Melrose parish liam Douglas, Knight of Liddisdale, called the flower of chivalry, and William Douglas, who killed the dark Knight of Liddisdale, and Archibald Douglas, and James Earl of Dou He "from Scotland with a numerous and splendid retinue. "therefore resolved to visit Spain, and combat the Saracens "in his progress to Jerusalem Douglas and his companions "were honourably entertained by Alphonsus the XI. the young king of Leon and Castile." 66 After describing the battle, the account proceeds thus :--"Douglas with his companions eagerly pursued the Saracens “Taking the casket, which contained the heart of Bruce,—he << threw it before him, and cried, Now, pass thou onward, "as thou was wont, and Douglas will follow thee, or die." " "The fugitives rallied. Surrounded and overwhelmed by "superior numbers, Douglas fell. His few surviving companions found his body in the field, together with the cas "ket, and reverently conveyed them to Scotland. The re"mains of Douglas were interred in the sepulchre of his fore"fathers; and the heart of King Robert Brace was deposited at Melrose.- ·Annals of Scotland, vol. 2. year 1330.” ACCORDING to the Abridged Scots Chronicle, or the Black Book of Paisley, page 71. .. King Robert died at Cardross, the 20th of his reign, and was buried in Dunfermlin. After this time, Sir James Doug"las, a most worthy champion, was chosen by the nobles to pass with King Robert's heart to Jerusalem: and there to cause “the same to be buried within the Temple, beside the Sepul"chre of our Lord, conform to the said King's direction; because he had avouched or vowed, to have past with a great * army în defence of the Christian faith against the Turks and 46 history glas, who fell at the battle of Otterburn. Earl Duncan's Douglas, was a heroic general, and by his valour quickly recovered the ground he lost from the enemy; he rushed into the thickest of the battle with two of his friends, and made terrible slaughter, but before his men could come to his assistance, he received three mortal wounds, and was laid on the ground, when a priest defended him valiantly from any further burt. The nobles coming up, asked him how he did? he answered, " very well; that he was dying in the field of honour, as most of his ancestors had done, and had only three things to desire of them, viz. to conceal his death till the battle was over; that they would not suffer his "Sarazens, if he had not been hindered by wars at home, and "now prvented by death. Sir James Douglass willingly "obeyed, as he had most faithfully served King Robert during his life. They inclosed his heart in a case of gold, embalm"ed with sweet spices and precious ointment, accompanied "with Sir William Sinclair, and Sir Robert Logan, with many other noble men and valiant men, passed and buried the said heart with great reverence and solemnity at the place "appointed. Therefore the Douglasses bear the bloody heart "in their coat of arms. He purposed to return home; but he "was killed, with all his nobles and valiant men. It is chroni *cled, that he was victorious against Turks and Sarazens thirteen times. And against the English fifty-seven times." |