MAY 103 



cliffs. In the more northerly of these is a celebrated 

 cave, which, ever since the fourth century of our era, 

 has borne the name of Ninian, who first preached the 

 gospel of the 'White Christ' to the wild Picts of 

 Galloway. All through the subsequent interval of 

 paganism, and, stranger still, in spite of the harsh 

 repudiation of sacred legends and rites by the Scottish 

 Reformers, the Saint's name has clung to this rift in the 

 rocks, whither, in pious imitation of his famous patron, 

 St. Martin of Tours, he was wont to retire for seasons of 

 fasting and prayer. A few years ago some diligent 

 local antiquaries, having cleared the cavern of hundreds 

 of tons of debris, brought to light many carved crosses, 

 inscriptions, and other objects corroborating the legend. 

 There is a wide view seaward. The wavy outline of 

 the Isle of Man fills the horizon towards the south ; 

 opposite, in the west, the long, lean finger of the Mull 

 of Galloway, southmost point of Scotland, lies along the 

 sea ; and, farther off and to the south, Ireland may be 

 made out, if not elsewhere, at least in Slieve Donard, 

 highest of the mountains of Mourne. But the clouds 

 are heaped heaviest over that land. 



XLIII 



How often one is tempted to echo Horace Wai- 

 pole's purposely peevish snarl about English weather. 

 ' Every year,' he wrote to Mason, ' we give 

 ourselves airs of being disappointed, though shire Trout 

 it is so very seldom we have any fine 

 weather. I believe, if we did not read Virgil at 



