Fair Perth. 291 



The old Abbey of Scone, the place of coronation, is 

 about two and a half miles from the town, but little re- 

 mains of it now besides its name and its associations. 

 The ancient mound is there, but the sacred stone on 

 which the monarchs stood when crowned was carried 

 away by Edward I., and is now in Westminster Abbey, 

 an object of interest to all true Scotsmen. In those 

 royal days — rude and rough days they were too, viewed 

 through modern spectacles — Perth was the centre to- 

 w-ard which most of the clansmen looked, and almost 

 every available hill in its vicinity was crowned by a cas- 

 tle, the stronghold of some powerful chieftain. Of 

 course these autocrats were often at feud with each 

 other, and frequently even with the magistrates of the 

 town. In the latter case, if not strong enough to beard 

 the lion in his den, they would waylay provision 

 trains or vessels carrying necessaries to the city, and 

 then the citizens would rise in their wrath and sally 

 forth with sword and buckler and burn a castle or two. 

 But quarrels with the towns-people did not pay in the 

 long run, and their brands were oftener turned against 

 each other. 



It is a sad commentary on the morals of the day 

 that these neighborly feuds were rather fostered 

 than checked by the authorities, who thought to win 

 safety for themselves out of this brotherly throat- 

 cutting. Sometimes the king set a score or two of 

 them by the ears in the outskirts of the town for the 



