<c The principal of the College of Edinburgh — with the prefbyterian clergy; aided 
tc by barons of the realm and military officers j held a committee at Old Aberdeen, 
“ Auguft 5, 1640. And ” (as a nearly cotemporary writer tells, in a fimple and artlefs 
narrative*)— “ Thereafter came to the Cathedral church with wrights and mafons, 
“ and caufed our Bleffed Lord Jefus’s arms j to be hewn out of the front of the pulpit, 
“ and from other parts of the church, where they were carved on ftone ; — and to take 
" down the ftatue of the bleffed Virgin Mary, and her dear Son Jefus in her arms; 
“ which ftood in curious work at the weft end, unmoved till then. And ga ve 
" orders to Colonel Forbes to fee thefe things done j which he with all diligence obeyed, 
“ and caufed to chifel out the name of Jesus, drawn cypher- ways, IHS, i. e. J e J uS 
“ Hominum Salvator , on the front of the ifle, oppofite to the confiftory door. 
“ And on the ancient Town Crofs, there were fculptures of the Bleffed Virgin M&J* 
* c which they defaced j and the crucifix on the top was broken down ; and where 
“ there were any crucifixes in the glafs windows of honeft men’s houfes, they demolilh' 
“ ed them. — And brake down the high altar, the carved crowns and ornaments thereof, 
“ curioufly wrought of fine wainfcot ; for within Scotland there was not a more excellent 
“ piece of workmanlhip. — And the workmen would not put to their hand to take it 
“ down, until the faid minifters put theirs firft, and then the work was done.” 
This memoir is fufficient to ffiew the progrefs of the defolating tranfattions of that 
gloomy period, and how little the fpirit breathed in them, that animates the Proteftanf 
language now ; fuch as gives energy to the pious contemplations of Dr. Blair : — “ Th e 
“ Cross, from the death of Christ, became the fymbol of every thing holy and clivin e 
“ to all fucceeding generations. Inftead of being a reproach to his followers, it was, 
<c indeed, their boaft and glory, it was the enfign of renown to the Lord Jesus j and 
<c was therefore, thenceforth, to ffiine on churches and on palaces, throughout all th 6 
“ earth:— ’T was to be emblazoned on the ffiields, and affumed as a mark of difti nC ' 
“ tion by the moft powerful monarchs, and to wave in the banners of viftorioc 5 
“ armies.” 
Religion, of all things in the world, merits the utmoft pomp and fplendor to be gi ven 
to the celebration of its rites: and, where they do not withdraw the mind from the g reat 
objedt of devotion, have been encouraged in every enlightened age. 
Without any great predileftion, therefore, for the myfterious grandeur of fymboj 5 ’ 
admiration of thofe fubjedls which have engaged the abilities of the firft artifts of 
world, would caufe lome regret of thofe defolations, which configned to oblivion fo mafff 
monuments of venerable antiquity. And fome mournful reflections on the inftabiW 
or human good, are fcarce to be avoided by the fenfible fpeflator, wlio views the 1° 
many magnificent ruins of Cathedrals, and ftately churches, which once adorned tb lS 
country. 
It is indeed true, that inftitutions for diffufing knowledge, and for training y° ut ^ 
to fill tlie various departments of the liberal profeffions, muft be feen equally hffP° r ' 
tant, whatever the form that religious rites and ceremonies affume j — the feini nar ^ 
of learning, tlierefore, and the endowments for the purpofes of erudition, connected wtf 
die Cathedral and Canonry at Aberdeen ■, had happily influence fufficient to prevent 
from that total defolation, which fo many other ecclefiaftical eftablifhments 
perienced. ******** 
The greater part of the figures on the feals are of evident allufion. 
1 he Virgin and child, with the ftatues of faints fupporting their throne, need no c0[Tl 
ment. And the cherubs kneeling to the fame perfonages crowned, on that ofK Yrl1,0 1 
exemplify the oracle, « Let all the angels of God worffiip him.” e 
Some of the concomitant fymbols — and the figures on the other feal — are off* 10 
obfeure origin j or the facred reference is drawn from confiderations more rem ot: 
which may be refumed on fome future occafion. 
* Orbms. MS. printed alfo in Bibl. Topo. Britan. N° III. 
t Shields containing the fymbols of the Paffion— a fpecimen of which was given in the former 
