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and its people, ' the men of the Mearns.' In the old Irish 

 Annals they are called ^Viri na Moerne.' There are many- 

 interesting particulars connected with the parish of Fordun. 

 John de Fordun, author of the Scotichronicon, was either a 

 native of it, or resided there, when he wrote his History of 

 Scotland. It was the native parish of George Wishart the 

 Scottish martyr ; of the eccentric Lord Monboddo ; and of 

 Beattie, author of ' the Minstrel.' Further, it was the locale 

 of the famous shrine of St. Palladius. The remains of Paldy 

 Chapel are still standing ; there is still Paldy, or Pady Fair ; 

 and there is a well in the minister's garden, called St. Palla- 

 dius' Well. Some will have it, that the famous Saint actually 

 lived, died, and was buried here. I am not sufficiently ac- 

 quainted with our early ecclesiastical history to give any 

 opinion on the subject ; but I am disposed to agree with those 

 who think that Pady Chapel was built, not by the Saint, but 

 by some of his Irish disciples, who came to this part of Scot- 

 land, probably with some of his relics. His mission certainly 

 was to Ireland, ' ad Scotos in Christum credentesJ The 

 earlier Christian churches in this quarter were certainly Co- 

 lumhan ; but some may have been of Ninian, or Palladian 

 origin. Even at the early period referred to, the spirit of ec- 

 clesiastical rivalry seems to have been at work. At all events 

 the chapel of St. Palladius was always accounted the mother 

 church of the Mearns. 



" But to come to the matter in hand : the ancient monument 

 to which I refer (some account of which was first given by the 

 late Professor Stuart, of Marischal College, Aberdeen), was 

 first observed upon taking down the old church of Fordun, 

 some sixty years ago. ' It had been placed horizontally as a 

 base for the pulpit to rest on, and was considered of so little 

 consequence, as to be thrown aside for many years into the old 

 chapel of St. Palladius, hard by.' This old church of Fordun 

 was so old, that it was new roofed about 360 years ago. After 

 lying neglected for a long time, the old stone attracted the 



