182 LOCHFERGUS. 



the height of earthquakes, but with the diurnal wave of the sun's 

 attraction. Where is absolute rest? At the earth's centre? 

 At the sun's centre ? At the centre of Vega or of the Milky 

 Way ? Physicists seem to fail to answer this query, for physical 

 matter seems always moving or liable to move. We must leave 

 it with the absolute philosophers, with the trancendentalists, who 

 may, or may not, find it in the absolute mind, the causa causans. 

 But suppose these Brunonian movements have ended and the 

 particles are at rest, we can take down the preparation and let 

 the water evaporate — move off into the air. When the particles 

 are dry they are ready to start off in a new preparation and go 

 the whole round once more with another drop of water. And 

 this recalls with some aptness the forcible and vivid lines of a 

 former colleague on the Indian press, the Poet Laureate of The 

 Things as we See Them, and gives point to his marvellous if 

 fanciful and erratic conception of eschatology and human 

 destiny : — 



" When Earth's last picture is painted, 



And the tubes are twisted and dried, 

 And the oldest colours have faded, 



And the youngest critic has died ; 

 We shall rest — and faith, we shall need it, 



Lie down for an £eon or two, 

 Till the Master of all good workmen 



Shall iDut us to work anew!" 



LocHFERGus. By Mr James Affleck. 



Date and Description. 



No one looking at the little green knoll on the right hand 

 side of the road at Lochfergus would ever dream that it was the 

 cradle of Galloway history, and the birthplace from which sprang 

 all our ancient Norman castles, abbeys, priories, and churches, 

 whose ruins are now sacred to antiquarians. Yet this is so. 

 In olden times this little green field was a loch, and the large 

 knoll in the centre was an island, partly natural and partly arti- 

 ficial. On it stood the first Norman castle or palace, built by 

 Fergus, the first Lord of Galloway. This cattle or palace was 

 built somewhere between the years 1138 and 1140. The site, 

 which is now barely visible, alone remains, and proves that it 



