210 AMMOPHILA. 



the good monks as they tended them, and studied their virtues and 

 healing properties. To recall that garden of delight, and of meikle 

 care, 'tis now hard ; — harder than to retrace the hounds of the garden 

 of the deserted village, — but the Salvia, the Blessed Thistle, and the 

 "Wall-flower remain, — the only descendants of a larger tribe, and they 

 are uncared-for and vrild. 



" The Holy Ilande is scituate within the sea, and yit at every tyde 

 of lowe water men may passe into the same on horseback or foote." 

 The roads are dreary, across wet, flat, and uncertain sands. The 

 nearest from Beal is about two miles in length ; that from Gosvfick 

 may be about five ; and it is indifferent which the naturalist chooses. 

 Mr. Raine says that "with the exception of the occasional whistle of 

 a curlew, or the silver wing of a sea-mew sparkling in the sun, there 

 is nothing to amuse either the ear or eye," — of the antiquary we 

 presume ; and yet the naturalist finds not much more in the common 

 weeds and shells that strew the way, nor in the plants that grow on 

 either side of the entrance and the outlet. The island is stated to 

 contain about 1400 acres. It is nearly three miles in length, and a 

 mile and a half in breadth. It is very irregular in its outline, and 

 the surface is flat, for the only conspicuous eminence is the Beblowe, 

 on which the Castle sits like a crown. The Heugh is a rocky eleva- 

 tion overlooking the town ; and the links (about 900 acres) heave 

 with rounded knolls of sand. The Lough covers about six acres of 

 ground, and is filling up with vegetable decay. The ancient " in- 

 field lands," according to Mr. Raine, did not consist of more than 

 20 or 25 acres ; but the cultivated fields now cover upwards of 500 

 acres. The ancient culture, however, appears to have been under- 

 rated. 



In the latter end of the year 1667, the plague visited the villages 

 of Ancroft and Scremerston. The sick at Ancroft were removed to 

 an uncultivated unenclosed field which adjoins the brae on the Wooler 

 road eastward, and placed in huts made with the Broom which 

 covered it, — and hence the field is to this day called the Broomie- 

 huts. The sick at Scremerston were taken down to the links on the 

 sea-side, where huts were erected, from the Bent growing thereon, for 

 their reception. " In both instances," writes the Rev. Wm. Hevritt 

 of Ancroft, " the pestilence broke out at the East, the lowest situa- 

 tions of the villages ; and in both cases the sick were alike treated. 

 Food was carried to them from each village, and placed as near them 

 on the windward side as the parties carrying it durst approach. Few, 

 if any, returned to tell the tale of the misery and agony they had 

 endured and witnessed." — Humanity, truly, in these " good olden 

 times " was in its veriest infancy. It had been well for these visited 

 people if the Monks of Holy Island had retained their ancient 



* In the Account Roll for 1346-7, there is this entry — " Divers medi- 

 cenal spices bought for the Prior, 5*." — And in 1390-1, — " Wine, spices, 

 and wax, for the use of the Church, and the solace of strangers." — The 

 plague visited the island in 1606. 



