42 Transactions. 



for St. Mary's Church, the foundation showed that the chapel 

 was small. By the kindness of Mr Mitchell I have been 

 supplied with extracts from the Dumfries Courier of 1837. 

 It is there stated that " Traces of the rough foundation of a 

 " building were lighted upon by the workmen, but from what 

 " was seen it only proves that the chapel or oratory must 

 " have been a very small one indeed." 



Mr Gibson has procured a lithograph of Dumfries from 

 the copy of an old print. The view is tasteful and felicitous, 

 with the chapel in the foreground ; but it here appears of 

 larger dimensions than would have been anticipated, and 

 there is also more of the edifice exhibited than is perhaps 

 warranted by the perspective. The object, no doubt, was to 

 bring into view as much of the chapel as could conveniently 

 be done, and the print may thus be deemed more valuable 

 than if it had been more artistically correct. 



I sent it to a distinguished antiquarian in England, 

 author of a learned work on church architecture, and he 

 considers the stepped gables an unusual feature. He says 

 he had found such in houses at Ghent and some other of 

 the old cities in Flanders, but did not remember any gable 

 of this character applied to churches. But on looking at 

 this print we perceive the same description of gable at St. 

 Michael's Church ; and this peculiarity should invite the 

 attention of our arch^ologists. 



At each comer of the edifice is a tall pointed buttress, 

 and another of like character in the centre between them 

 supporting the main wall, very elegant ; and the fine east 

 window, as well as the two side windows, and the general 

 appearance of the building, beautiful and appropriate, con- 

 firms the traditionary accounts of the excellent taste and 

 workmanship displayed in its original construction. 



Sir Christopher Seton was brother-in-law to Bruce, hav- 

 ing married Bruce's sister, the Lady Christian Bruce, third 

 daughter of Robert, Earl of Canrick, and widow of Gratney, 

 Earl of Mar, whose elder sister Isaoel was the wife of Bruce. 



He was an associate and one of the principal supporters 



