Anniversary Address, 43 



In the roof of the turret stair to the north of the west entrance a 

 stone is imbedded, on which lettering, believed to be Eoman, 

 occurs. We were informed that the words " Julius Csesar " are 

 found in the inscription, but no member succeeded in deciphering 

 the name of " great Csesar." Monograms and coats of arms of 

 several bishops have been found on pillars of the central tower ; 

 and three fragments of crosses, which had been found inserted as 

 lintels, attracted much interest. They display old Celtic orna- 

 mentation. One of them is especially rich — from a central stem 

 spring three branches on each side, which curve into circles, sup- 

 porting within their circumference figures of animals. A ram, 

 a dog, two eagles, and two more obscure winged figures occupy 

 the compartments, which are also ornamented by foliage of vari- 

 ous kinds, and what seem intended for bunches of grapes. The 

 fragment presents an unusually rich appearance, and makes us 

 regret that the rudeness of a former age has left us but a frag- 

 ment of what must have been a splendid monument. 



The party then proceeded through one of the side doors to the 

 Abbey Gardens, which occupy the site of the old Manse and 

 Manse Garden, and what was at a more remote date the site of 

 the monastic buildings and cloisters. Here a profusion of her- 

 baceous plants were displaying their beauty, and manifestly 

 revelling in the rich soil and sunny shelter of this choice spot. 

 The keeper of the Abbey and Gardens, Mr TurnbuU, is an 

 enthusiastic florist, and it was with difficulty we tore our- 

 selves away from the treasures it was his delight to show. We 

 certainly did not leave without violation of the tenth command- 

 ment, although I believe we kept within the bounds of the 

 eighth. 



Queen Mary's House, with its chambers so narrow and com- 

 fortless, and to our modern eyes so unworthy of royalty, and with 

 its tapestry, said to have been worked by her Court ladies while 

 they waited for the recovery of their sovereign from the fever 

 brought on by her rapid ride to visit Bothwell at Hermitage 

 Castle, received a brief visit ; as did also the Museum with its 

 numerous interesting but not well assorted contents. On one of 

 the walls of the Museum hung a banner bearing an inscription in 

 letters stitched on the silk, which asserted that it was taken from 

 the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. I notice this article 

 because I observed attached to the old silk a piece of cloth in the 

 form of a shuttle, very similar to the shuttle-shaped patches on 



