Beport of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 483 



There was always a foot bridge alongside tlie ford. The house, 

 either externally or internally, is seldom, or ever, shewn to vis- 

 itors. But on this present occasion, through the courtesy of the 

 proprietor, the Hon. H. C. Maxwell Stuart, who himself conducted 

 the party through it, the most historic rooms were shown. On 

 account of the frail state of the :0.ooring, from the great age of the 

 house, which is visible both outside and in, but a limited number 

 could be admitted. The first room entered was undergoing re- 

 pairs. In stripping the paper off the walls an old fresco, orna- 

 mented with lions or leopards, among winding branches or 

 foliage, was disclosed, which has scriptural sentences in English 

 along the top and middle of the design. Of this fresco the Earl 

 of Bute lately caused a facsimile to be produced. The room con- 

 tained some ancient relics ; among these were spinets on which 

 the ladies of bygone days must have played, and spinning wheels 

 and distaffs which they must have handled. One of the spinets 

 with the date 1718 had been made at Antwerp.*' There were 

 also old horse-trappings for state occasions. The old dais, chests, 

 etc., in the room bore marks of great age. The party were 

 shewn a secret stair-case off this room by which the officiating 

 priest could escape from the little chapel in times of persecution. 

 The chapel, which is now a bed-room, was shown, and the posi- 

 tion where the altar once stood. The visitors were then con- 

 ducted to the libraries. One of them contains a large number of 

 rare and valuable manuscripts. The walls of the other are adorned 

 with likenesses of many of the ancient Greek philosophers — 

 Cicero, Demosthenes, Plato, Aristotle, etc. It contains several 

 curious and ancient books. One of these was the Catechism in 

 the vernacular, sanctioned by John Hamilton, archbishop of St. 

 Andrews, and printed at St. Andrews, 29th August, 1552. It is 

 usually called "Archbishop Hamilton's Catechism," and consists 

 of about 440 pages, 4to. A large folio Latin Bible, in excellent 

 condition, with colourei initial letters, was printed at Nuremberg 

 in ]497. There was also a miniature Bible in MS., beautifully 

 written, which had also coloured initials. This had belonged to 

 the Abbey of Culross, a monastic establishment founded in 1218, 

 as recorded in " The Book of Melrose." The inscription on it 

 bore " Liber sancte Marie de Culros in scociaprope Monasterium 

 de Dunfermline." There was a fine copy of the "Nuremberg 

 * The inscription on it is, " Soli Deo Gloria. Andreas Euchesand F. me 

 fecit, Antverpise." 



