52 Transactions. 



The church appears to have been still in existence in 

 Arthur Johnston's time. 



This learned Scotsman, and distinguished physician and 

 poet, wrote some lines on each of the principal towns of 

 Scotland. Unfortunately, like Buchanan, he wrote in Latin. 

 The following are some of the very beautiful lines he wrote 

 on Dumfries : — 



" Surgit in hac sedes, cui cedunt templa Dianse 

 Vel venerabilius Graecia si quid habet. 



Proditor hie patriae Brussii virtute Cuminus 



Concidit et sacram sanguine tinxit humum. 



Scotia Drumfrisi, reliquis altaria praefer 

 Hie tibi libertas aurea parta fuit." 



" In this town may be seen a building to which the temples 

 of Diana or whatever Greece can show more worthy of honour, 

 must give place. For here the valiant Bruce struck down 

 to the earth the traitor Comyn, whose blood soiled the holy 

 ground. O Scotland, I prefer this spot in Dumfries to all 

 others in the land : it was the birthplace of thy glorious 

 liberty." 



In this passage we find the form into which tradition 

 early moulded the story of Comyn's death. The gallant and 

 generous Bruce, who shuddered to think he had mortally 

 wounded Comyn, is here the stalwart champion of liberty, 

 striking down the traitor to the ground, which is soiled with 

 his blood. Posterity has approved the deed, idealized it, and 

 -consecrated the hero. 



This result is obviously to be ascribed to the cruel and 

 relentless way in which the English persecuted our great 

 patriots, and the glorious siiccess which Scotland at length 

 achieved. 



Let us now conclude with a short reference to the 

 locality. 



The area within which the monastery lay was perhaps 

 from Mr Lennox's premises on the north to Mr Anderson's 



