Dr. Johnston's Journal of a visit to Jardine Hall. 411 



improved in interest ; the land and the style of farming good. 

 We were not long in arriving at New Abbey, where we 

 rested an hour, in order to examine its beautiful remains. 

 Within its walls there lie the bodies of many Maxwells, 

 the prevalent families in this neighbourhood ; and as the 

 head of them is a Roman Catholic, there appear to be many 

 of that religion hereabouts. Near the Abbey there is a 

 Chapel and manse for the priest and his charge. Leaving 

 the Abbey, we had a pleasant walk through the churchyard ; 

 around the old garden, with its fern-clad wall ; and up the 

 road a little, where it is lined with a double row of limes, 

 that meet overhead and form an avenue, where monks may 

 have mused, or conned their sermons, in days of yore. 

 There is a monument in the Abbey, erected to the memory 

 of two young gentlemen — brothers, — who were drowned 

 together hard by ; and I now feel sorry that I did not take 

 a copy of the inscription on their tombstone. I gathered 

 some memorials of the place from its damp walls, which the 

 ivy strives in vain to decorate. It is trite to make contrasts, 

 for, in this world everything must suffer change and decay ; 

 nor doth it seem of use to revive a picture of the Celebra- 

 tion of High Mass, with all the gorgeous pageantry, in an 

 Abbey that now shelters a herd of cows from the inclemency 

 of the weather. What may be the thoughts of the spirit of 

 the Lady Foundress, I know not ! How vain it is to attempt 

 to immortalize our affections, which are, and must be, part 

 of our perishable organization ! The Abbey was founded 

 by Devorgilla, daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway, and wife 

 of John Baliol, Lord of Castle Bernard, who died and was 

 buried here; his lady embalmed his heart and placed it in 

 a case of ivory bound with silver, near the high altar ; on 

 which account the Abbey is often called Sweet Heart, and 

 Suavi-cordium.* Again we are on the road, and attention 

 is kept awake by the novelty of every scene and object we 

 pass. But the first place we note is the neat and pretty 

 hamlet of Kirkbean ; whose ornate character tells as plainly 



[" She foundit intil Galoway 



Of Cistertians order an Abby, 



Dulce Cor sbe gart tharne all 



That is Sweet Heart the Abby call, 



But now the men of Galloway 



Call that Steid New- Abby." Wyntown. 



It is named by Lesly "Monasterium novum, seu Sauvi-cordium." — De 

 Origine, &c, Scotorum, p. 9.] 



