74 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



one the toll-keeper lived, and levied his duties upon 

 those who passed. The trout-fishing in the Tweed 

 here is hardly equal to the average, the weavers of 

 Galashiels being, like all borderers, addicted to " cast- 

 ing angles in the brook,' 7 and many of them are no 

 contemptible adepts. A very unwise attempt was a 

 couple of years ago made in the name of Lord Som- 

 erville, but really, we believe, by Mr. Broadwood, to 

 stop the public right of angling here ; but the Sheriff 

 of Koxburghshire, after two or three contradictory de- 

 cisions, finally gave it as his opinion that the right of 

 salmon-fishing does not carry with it any exclusive 

 right of trout-fishing. 



We are now at MELROSE, whose ancient ecclesiasti- 

 cal spendour has been rubbed up of late years by Sir 

 Walter and local antiquaries, after its former inhabit- 

 ants had been consigned to posterity as luxurious hypo- 

 crites, in a brave (but coarse) old Reformation song 



" Of Scotland wele the Freiris of Faill, 



Their lymmerie lang has lestit ; 

 The raonkis of Melross maid gude kale, 

 On Frydays quhen they fastit ;" 



with certain other particulars of monkish habits which 

 we decline here to recapitulate. Overshadowed by the 

 Eildons, and predominating over the broad river, Mel- 

 rose has been a suitable site for the magnificent Abbey 

 which still, after the fierce ravages of English invaders 

 and Scotch puritans, and the gnawing of time's cease- 

 less tooth for two centuries and a half, commands the 

 wonder and admiration of visitors from every part of 

 the world. Dilapidated as it is, it is doubtful if this 

 island has any other specimen of Gothic architecture so 



