On examining the hillorical fragments that remain concerning the decay of foe e 
facred edifices, one cannot help being ftruck with the various fate they have b ee ^ 
deftined to undergo. For fome time after the Prefbyterian manner of worlhip 
taken place, the grand church of the abbey was the place of divine fervice. 
one *, who had purchafed the abbey lands, obferving “ that the buildings were 
t£ more extenfive than were requifite for a Kirk , and that the ftones were 
hat! 
far 
e*' 
*• cellently fquared, large, and well calculated for buildings of ftrengthj p 
« agreed to build a new place of worlhip for the parilh, with which they 
« well pleafed, and then had full liberty to pull the abbey to pieces ; with barbar^ 
“ hafte he did fo, making traffic of the ftones, many of which were bought 
“ building the caftle at Invernejs 
Remains of finely fluted columns, however, and venerable walls, which yet 
port the highly ornamental vaulted roofs of fome detached parts of the rUlflS ’ 
fragments of rich capitals, and cornices half-buried in the foil j ftill give an inviv 
air of forlorn grandeur to the confecrated ground. 
c { c * 
<c The prior’s chamber, two femicircular arches, the pillars, the couples 0 
" veral of the roofs, afford fpecimens of the moll; beautiful gothic arch i tee 
“ in all the elegance of fimplicity, without any of its fantaftic ornaments. ~ a 
“ the abbey is an orchard of apple and pear trees, at Icaft coeval with the 
“ monks : numbers lie prollrate ; their venerable branches- leem to have ta . 
“ frelh roots, and were loaden with fruit, beyond what could be expe&ed from 1 
“ antique look f.” 
It is faid J the abbey was erefted in memory of a miraculous blow of d°' A ^ 
which hallowed a royal grave § ; for it was the burying-place of many a ScO 
monarch. 
* Alexander Brodie , of Lethem. 
$ See Antiq. and Scenery, 6o. 
f Mr. Pennant. 
% Demffi ef 
