Description of the Abbeys of Melrose and Old Melrose, with Their Traditions |
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abbot of Melrose adjoining Alexander altar ancient Andrew anno appears arches arms bars battle beautiful beholder belonging betwixt Bishop Boisil breadth building built buried buttress Cairncross centre Cessford chalders chapel charter church cloister Colmsly convent cross Darnick David died Douglas Dryburgh Earl east Edinburgh eight Eildon hills English erected feet finished following inscription four Galashiels Gattonside Gothic pointed granted ground head Holy Island honour hundred inches Jedburgh John John Morvo Kelso Kers King James King of Scotland King Robert land Leader water likewise Lord Melrose Abbey Melrose Parish Milne Milne's Hist Milne's History monastery monks monks of Melrose Morvo mullions nave niches Old Melrose pedestal pillars pinnacles place called Pringle quath remains Ridpath's river Tweed rose Parish ruins Sainct Scotland Scots shield small aisle souls St Cuthbert stone tomb tower town trancept Tweed village Waldevus wall William window
Popular passages
Page 29 - When buttress and buttress, alternately, Seem framed of ebon and ivory; When silver edges the imagery, And the scrolls that teach thee to live and die; When distant Tweed is heard to rave, And the owlet to hoot o'er the dead man's grave, Then go— but go alone the while — Then view St. David's ruined pile ; And, home returning, soothly swear, Was never scene so sad and fair ! n.
Page 73 - The moon on the east oriel shone, Through slender shafts of shapely stone, By foliaged tracery combined ; Thou would'st have thought some fairy's hand, 'Twixt poplars straight, the osier wand, In many a freakish knot had twined ; Then framed a spell, when the work was done, And changed the willow- wreaths to stone.
Page 70 - I do love these ancient ruins. We never tread upon them but we set Our foot upon some reverend history; And, questionless, here in this open court, Which now lies naked to the injuries Of stormy weather, some men lie...
Page 65 - The darkened roof rose high aloof On pillars, lofty, and light, and small ; The key-stone, that locked each ribbed aisle, Was a...
Page 86 - ... the empty halls, And piecemeal crumble down the tow'rs to dust. Perhaps in some lone, dreary, desert tower, That time has spar'd, forth from the window looks, Half hid in grass, the solitary fox ; While from above, the owl, musician dire ! Screams hideous, harsh, and grating to the ear. Equal in age, and sharers of its fate, A row of moss-grown trees around it stand. Scarce here and there, upon their blasted tops, A shrivell'd leaf distinguishes the year...
Page 25 - Fair maiden Lilliard lies under this stane ; Little was her stature, but great her fame ; On the English lads she laid many thumps, And when her legs were off, she fought upon her stumps...
Page 78 - The fugitives rallied — Surrounded and overwhelmed by superior numbers, Douglas fell. His few surviving companions found his body in the field, together with the casket, and reverently conveyed them to Scotland.
Page 44 - Turn your back to the building, stoop down, and look at it through your legs, when the effect is astonishingly grand, the defects of the ruin being but little perceived, as the whole assumes such a beautiful appearance as may be more easily conceived than expressed.
Page 65 - The darkened roof rose high aloof On pillars lofty and light and small; The keystone, that locked each ribbed aisle, Was a fleur-de-lys, or a quatre-feuille : The corbells were carved grotesque and grim : And the pillars, with clustered shafts so trim, With base and with capital flourished around, Seemed bundles of lances which garlands had bound.
Page 27 - Traist friendis after maist harty commendacion, we pray yow faill not to pass incontinent to the kyrk of Dunkeld, and tak doun the haill images thereof, and bring furth to the kyrk-zayrd, and burn thaym oppinly. And siclyk cast down the altaris, and purge the kyrk of all kynd of monuments of idolatrye.