48 Report of the Meetings for 1892. 



Character." Far away over the top of the wood, in the same 

 direction, could be seen the Pentlands, Winton Hill, and the 

 woods round Gladsmuir. Monkrigg was close in front, and in 

 the same direction, over the top of Haddington, was the Garleton 

 range of hills, with its Monument conspicuous. Midway between 

 Coalstoun House and Monkrigg, the old grey turrets of Lennox- 

 love appear above the surrounding trees. It was from the top 

 of the tower that John 2nd Duke of Argyle, when a child, is said 

 to have fallen — this incident occurring on 30th June 1685, the 

 same day as his grandfather Archibald the 9 th Earl's head fell 

 beneath the stroke of the executioner's axe.* References are 

 made to the Earl of Dysart in the Bolton Kirk Session books, 

 his mother Elizabeth, Countess of Dysart, having, subsequent to 

 the death of her first husband, become the wife of John, Duke 

 of Lauderdale, upon whose decease Lethington became her 

 jointure, and was subsequently the residence of her daughter 

 Lady Lome, the mother of John 2nd Duke of Argyle. 



A few good pictures of the Blantyre family adorn the walls of 

 the rooms, and the library contains a handsome collection of old 

 tomes. A winding staircase conducts to the top of the building, 

 and from this point of vantage an exceedingly pretty view of 

 the surrounding district can be obtained, while below us is the 

 '•Politician's Walk," where Lethington is said to have strode 

 with meditative gait, when troubled with weighty affairs of state. 

 Forming part of this avenue are some specimens of the ever- 

 green oak. 



Eastward on pushing forward to Monkrigg, we saw nearly the 

 whole valley of the Tyne, from Haddington to East Linton. 

 Abbey Mains, a name sounding euphoniously with that of 

 Monkrigg, which we are approaching, has a pleasant situation ; 

 and Barney Mains, with its huge granaries or vaults, crowns the 

 ridge of the hill further eastwards. North Berwick Law was 

 towering away to the north-east ; and a little south appeared the 

 Bass Eock ; while seemingly a few field's breadth off us the trio 

 of isolated masses is completed by Traprain Law. In the valley 

 between it and Mr Balfom-'s monument, which we distinctly 

 saw, lies the village of Morham, another place besides Had- 

 dington and Gifford that claims to be the birthplace of Knox. 



We now left the Lennoxlove Park wall,* and reached Acre- 



* See Poem about it in Miller's " St. Baldred of the Bass." 

 t Croal's Guide Book describes Lennoxlove and Coalstoun. 



