JULY 155 



' My wound is deep, I fain would sleep ; 

 Take thou the vanguard of the three, 

 And hide me by the bracken bush 

 That grows on yonder lilye lea. 



Oh, bury me by the bracken bush, 



Beside the blooming brier, 

 And never let living mortal ken 



That e'er a kindly Scot lies here.' 



Wholly altered as Douglas Castle and its environ- 

 ment have been into the commonplace residence of 

 a county magnate, its interest for the casual visitor 

 depends entirely on his knowledge of local lore. But 

 the village of Douglas still betrays its mediaeval origin 

 by its narrow, tortuous streets and closes. Still there 

 stands part of the ancient chapel of St. Bride of 

 Douglas, in reproachful contrast to the ghastly edifices 

 where the faithful of the Established and Free Kirks 

 conduct their praise. Little remains of the building 

 older than the fourteenth century; but among the 

 monuments in the chancel, sorely defaced by centuries 

 of neglect and brutal mischief, there may still be recog- 

 nised the recumbent figure of Marjory of Abernethy, 

 wife of Hugh de Douglas, who died in 1259. Here 

 sleeps also the comrade of Bruce, the good Sir James, 

 whose monument, with the figure fairly preserved, is 

 the chief ornament in the north wall of the aisle. His 

 heart is reputed to be preserved in one of two leaden 

 caskets, let into glazed recesses on the altar steps ; but 

 more probably these contain the hearts of the fifth and 

 eighth Earls of Angus, of whom the former ' Bell-the- 

 Cat ' lies in St. Ninian's shrine at Whithorn. 



