Transactions. 57 



houses, and they may be worth looking- for. There can be little 

 doubt that the old religious fathers who reared their abbeys with 

 such exquisite taste would also extend that taste to their dials. 

 I may say, in conclusion, that two typical old houses where what is 

 old is preserved have proved a disappointment. I refer to Kirk- 

 connell and to Maxwelton. Both have the ordinary flat dials made 

 in the beginning- of the century, but there is no evidence of old 

 dials on the buildings. Mr Witham assures me to this effect as 

 regards Kirkconnell ; and in the case of Maxwelton, by the kind- 

 ness of Mr Cecil Laurie, I had the pleasure of closely inspecting 

 the old walls, but could find no evidence of such ; but it may be 

 they have been covered over at some time in pointing or cement- 

 ing the walls. There is also a dial on the gable of a very old 

 house at Jericho, cut in stone, and old inhabitants tell that, from its 

 accuracy, it was used as a regulator over the County. I confess 

 to a feeling of regret at the smallness of the discoveries, but have 

 hopes that, attention having been called to the subject, some of 

 great interest may yet be discovered. 



II. — Scotland in the Past. By Mr Peter Gray, of Edinburgh. 



This paper was supplementary to two former ones illustrating 

 the moral and material condition of the Scottish people from an 

 early period down to about the beginning of the last century, as 

 traceable in the records of foreign visitors. The evils which fell 

 upon the country from the death of Alexander the Third were, 

 the author considered, mainly occasioned by the open or covert 

 attempts of the English kings to subvert the independence and 

 check the progress of the northern kingdom. Previous to the 

 disputed succession to the throne of Scotland that country, under 

 a series of wise monarchs, had become prosperous, while the Scots 

 were on the most friendly terms with their kinsmen and neigh- 

 bours of the North of England. After a passing notice of a con- 

 temporary account of the suppression of Baliol's futile revolt 

 against his patron, Edward the First, the description by Froissart 

 of the Scottish people in the reign of David the Second (1329 — ■ 

 1371) was referred to at some length, as illustrative of the high 

 spirit of the people, and their full confidence in their power to 

 repel single-handed the aggressions of "their auld enemy of 

 England." The next writer noticed, John Ilardyng, is the author 

 of a rhyming itinerary of Scotland, dedicated to Edward the 



