THE TWEED — MELROSE. 7.3 



Eildons, and predominating over the broad river, Mel- 

 rose has been a suitable site for the magnificent Abbey 

 which still, after the fierce ravages of English invaders 

 and Scotch puritans, and the gnawing of time's cease- 

 less tooth for two centuries and a half, commands the 

 wonder and admiration of visitors from every part of 

 the world. Dilapidated as it is, it is doubtful if this 

 island has any other specimen of Gothic architecture so 

 grand in conception and yet so delicate in execution. 

 " The slender shafts of shapely stone, by foliaged 

 tracery combined," suggested to Sir Walter Scott the 

 idea that magic art alone could have wrought stone 

 into such forms, or rather that some fairy had twined 

 ozier wands through poplars — 



" Then framed a spell when the work was done. 

 And changed the willow wreath to stone." 



But everybody has the beautiful and weird scene at 

 Melrose in the " Lay of the Last Minstrel" by heart. 

 Melrose Abbey w^as founded by King David in 1136, 

 and it seems to have been built in ten years by a cer- 

 tain John Murvo or Morow, w^ho in a quaint scroll 

 claims to have " had in keping al mason-wark" of 

 numerous other churches in Scotland. It took the 

 place of an older monastic establishment, situated a 

 little further dow^n the river at Old Melrose, whither 

 Christianity was first transplanted to the South of 

 Scotland from lona, and wdiere St. Cuthbert erew^hile 

 led his holy life. Within its precincts lie the ashes of 

 Scottish monarchs, nobles, and holy dignitaries of the 

 old church. The heart of King Robert Bruce, after 

 its singularly romantic conveyance to Spain, on its 

 way to be buried at Jerusalem, was brought back by 



