St - THOMAS'S ABBET, at ARBROATH. 
I'^IS Abbey was founded by William the Lion, in 1178, and dedicated to 
Ca rT ° Ur celebrated primate, S Thomas a Becket. The laft abbot was the famous 
dea Beaton, at the fame time archbifhop of St. Andrew' s, and before his 
txt th as great and abfolute here as Woljey was in England . It was a rich and 
a rn ^ 1VC monafter y > enjoyed uncommon privileges from the crown ; and had an 
vir f u e re venue, which, in the molt liberal manner, fupported with fplendor thofe 
es °f hofpitality for which thofe inftitutions were fo remarkably diftinguifhed. 
^' eat as wed as tbe P 00r Ikared in their munificence. In 1530, the king 
°fthe WiCe fum P tuoufl y entertained, with his retinue, in the fplendid apartments 
its f C abbe y* Its very ruins, as Mr. Pennant expreffively remarks, give an idea of 
?x tenf mer ma S nificence - ^ bes on a rifing above the Town, and prefents an 
the c lVC and ven erable front ; is moft delicioufly fituated; commands a view of 
a 0 d at ° ^ 1C ead h a Idrtile country to the weft, bounded by the Grampian Hills; 
0 the fouth, of the openings into the Firths of the Tay and Forth. • 
v er ^ e Abbey was once enclofed with a ftrong and lofty wall, which furrounded a 
t)f ^^hderable trad. On the fouth- weft corner is a tower, at prefent the fteeple 
, e parifh church : at the fouth-eaft corner was another tower, with a gate 
hav e 1 b Cabed the Darn Gate, which, from the word Darn, or private , appears to 
^ 0r th Cen redred wa 7 to the Abbey. The magnificent church Hands on the 
thre e tbe Ift uare > and w as built in form of a crofs : on the other fide are 
tb ern r ° WS arcbes ’ one above the other, which have a fine effed j and above 
j°ini arC VCr ^ b 'S b windows, with a circular one above. In 1771, a part ad- 
the ^ tQ tbe wed: end fell fuddenly down, and deftroyed much of the beauty of 
hve r Ce ‘ ^he ^ en gth of the whole church is about two hundred and twenty- 
breadth of the body and fide ifles, from wall to wall, fixty-feven : 
>Cu eet: th = 
f tv n § t h of the tranfept, one hundred and fixty-five feet ; the breadth, twenty 
**» 
It f* 
0n e 0 CemS 33 ^ tbere had been three towers : one in the center, and two others, 
adj 0 j n eacb fide of the weft end ; part of which ftill remains. On the fouth fide, 
Va U i t n ‘ ng . t0 the church, are the ruins of the Chapter-houfe : the lower part is 
§°od a f P a cious room, well liehted with Gothic windows : above is another 
a P a rtment. 
H a 
o > 
The 
