REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1902 263 



of Lauderdale, in his own absence, had kindly directed to 

 be left open for the reception of members of the Club. 

 Thirlestane Castle is a large and impressive mansion, the 

 front of which is modern, but the portion extending at right 

 angles to the back is of much earlier date, being one of the 

 most picturesque examples of Scottish baronial architecture 

 of the seventeenth century. After entering the hall, by a 

 flight of wide stone steps, we passed through the various 

 rooms, and saw the many historical relics, including portraits 

 of the Lauderdale family, and others. Of these pictures 

 perhaps the most striking was the grand head of John, Duke 

 of Lauderdale, one of the famous cabal, to which he gave 

 its last letter. On the site of Thirlestane Castle Edward I. 

 built a fort, which was long believed to have been incorporated 

 in the present mansion, but later investigation seems to throw 

 doubt upon this. The pre-Reforniation Cliurch of Lauder 

 stood near the same spot, and the Duke of Lauderdale, in 

 order to have the church removed from tlie policies, erected 

 the present church within the burgh of Lauder, in the latter 

 half of the seventeenth century. 



On leaving Thirlestane, we were conducted by the Rev. Mr 

 Martin to a spot a short distance below the castle, where he 

 pointed out the remains of one of the piers of the historic 

 bridge of Lauder, over which were hanged the favourites of 

 James III., who had incurred the envy and displeasure of 

 the Scottish nobility- It was on that occasion that the Earl 

 of Angus won the sobriquet of "Bell the Cat." The story 

 goes that when the nobles were met in Lauder Kirk, and 

 were plotting measures to remove the favourites, one of them 

 narrated the fable of the cat and mice, which raised the 

 question as to who was to bell the cat. Whereupon the 

 Earl of Angus started up and said, "I will bell the cat." 



Still under the welcome guidance of Mr Martin, the Parish 

 Kirk was visited, the history of which he briefly sketched, 

 and at the same time exhibited the Communion Flagons and 

 Cups presented by the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale in 

 1677. Of these a full description will be found in the Eev. 

 Thomas Burns's "Old Scotch Communion Plate." 



The company afterwards dined in the Black Bull Hotel, 

 Lauder, the President in the chair, 



