42 REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1903 



from the fact that it has been four times used as a temporary 

 royal residence, Charles I., George IV., Queen Victoria, and 

 Edward VII., having each in turn accepted the hospitality of 

 its princely possessors. The interior is rich in art treasures, 

 including six family portraits by Gainsborough and Sir Joshua 

 Reynolds, a portrait of George IV. by Wilkie, presented by 

 His Majesty to His Grace after his visit to Scotland in 

 1822, three landscapes by Claude, and examples of Holbein, 

 Kembrandt, Vandyck, etc., which adorn the walls of the 

 staircase and reception-rooms. Particular attention was 

 directed to two exquisitely designed cabinets in the drawing- 

 room, originally presented by Louis XIV. to Charles II., and 

 afterwards bequeathed by him as a wedding-gift to the Duke 

 of Monmouth. After a hasty lunch on the carriage-drive, 

 the members proceeded along the banks of the river in the 

 direction of an ancient forest of oak, in which the deer were 

 disporting themselves undisturbed by the presence of strangers. 

 No accurate account of its age is now possible ; but from the 

 appearance of the roots of many of the trees exposed along 

 the line of march, it was easy to conjecture that they were 

 of great antiquity, and the survivors of many an unrecorded 

 storm. Wandering along the banks to the point at which the 

 waters of the North and South Esk commingle, the party at 

 length reached the confines of the Park, which contains 

 about eight hundred acres Scots, and is surrounded by a 

 high wall ; and passing through a well cultivated market- 

 garden, in which a late variety of dwarf-pea was in bloom 

 and pod, entered by the great gateway the adjoining 

 property of Newbattle Abbey. 



Through the kind offices of Mr John Caverhill, Jedneuk, 



factor on the estate, and the courtesy of Lord 

 Newbattle. Playfair, the tenant of the house and shootings, 



permission had been obtained to view the house 

 and grounds; and so, furnished with a passport, and guided 

 by Mr John Ramsay, Clerk of works on the estate, the 

 members gained admission to view the ancient monastic 

 building, which, after passing into the hands of lay proprietors, 

 had long ago been transformed into a mansion. Before leaving 

 the gateway, through the courtesy of Mr James A. Hood, 

 roaaager of tk^ I^othian Coal Co^., Ltd., they were showo 



