168 REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1907 



from Norway, in 1249, and of his queen, Joan; of "Waldevus," 

 the second abbot of the monastery ; of James, Earl of Douglas, 

 slain by Hotspur at the battle of Otterburn in 1388; of Sir 

 Ralph Eure, slain at the battle of Ancrum Moor; and of the 

 heart of Bruce, brought hither from Spain by Sir William 

 Keith, after an unsuccessful attempt by Douglas to carry it to 

 the Holy Land. The cloister lies to the North side of the nave, 

 an unusual position shared by Balmeriuo and Lindores Abbeys, 

 etc. What its limits were might be determined by further 

 excavation, which would also settle the question as to the exist- 

 ence of any arcade to the walks, as well as the exact locality 

 of the chapter-house. The entrance door from the cloister to the 

 Church, which is round headed, presents a piece of the finest 

 architecture on account of the delicacy and high relief 

 of its workmanship. To the West of it are carved seven 

 stalls for the church dignitaries, which are ornamented with 

 beautiful flowers and deep mouldings, while above them is 

 drawn a cornice of "spreading herbs and flow'rets bright," 

 which Lockhart regarded as "entirely unrivalled by anything 

 elsewhere extant." On the South side of the nave are situ- 

 ated eight side-chapels, three of which have been roofless for 

 generations, while the others are entire. Since the Reformation 

 the greater number have been used as places of burial by such 

 illustrious local families as the Bostons of Gattonside, the 

 Pringles of Yair, and the Scotts of Gala. In the Eastermost 

 of these, standing upright, is an ancient kneeling-stone, and 

 above it the inscription^ — " Orate pro A7iima Fratris Petri 

 AerariL" To the party were not granted the privilege of 

 conforming to the poet's dictum: — 



"If thoa would'st view fair Melrose aright, 

 Go visit it by the pale moonlight" ; 



or even the time to exhaust the treasures of "the ruins grey," 

 as other places of interest in the neighbourhood demanded 

 their attention ; but through the skilful conduct of their 

 guide they gleaned such acquaintance with its wealth of 

 mediaeval art, as well as with its peculiar comelinesss and 

 grace, as to 



" Home retarning, soothly swear, 

 Was never scene so sad and fair!" 



