Part 2

[We are indebted for the foregoing interesting paper to Mr Train, Castle Douglas, who copied it from a manuscript in the possession of Dr Thomson of Appin. Part of the MS. was communicated by Mr Train to the late Sir Walter Scott, who supplied from it the story of “Donald the Hammerer,” printed in the Introduction to Jamieson’s edition of Burt’s “Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland to his Friend in London,” published in 1822. Sir Walter made various alterations on the MS., in the narrative as well as in the style; but, the object of our _Journal_ being the preservation of what is original, rare, or curious, rather than the cultivation of fine writing, we have preferred adhering to the copy, which is more complete than when in the hands of the _Author of Waverley_, several additions having been made to it by Mr Stewart, Excise Officer, Kirkcudbright, who claims kindred with the Stewarts of Appin. It will be interesting to the reader to compare our pages with the story as related by the “Great Magician.”]

HOLY ISLAND PRIORY.

BY HENRY CLARKE, M.D.[15]

I have been induced to draw up the following sketch of the Priory of Holy Island, from its being the most beautiful fragment of antiquity in the district to which our researches are confined, as well as from its presenting one of the most remarkable architectural remains of the period to which it belongs in the kingdom.

It need scarcely be mentioned that, in the earlier periods of Christian history, the choice of so unattractive a site was in obedience to the idea which indicated the remote and scarcely accessible island, and the lone and unfrequented desert, as spots peculiarly fitted for that contemplative life, and withdrawal from the world, in which the perfection of religion was supposed to consist.

When the monastic system was introduced into the West, this was its leading and characteristic feature, and the same spirit which had selected the inhospitable island of Iona, induced the monk who issued thence for the conversion of Northumberland, to prefer the bleak sands of Lindesfarne to the present valleys of the adjacent continent.

It would be needless also to dwell upon the advantages derived from monastic establishments during the darker periods of history—their preservation of literature and religion—the solace they afforded to the way-farer and the pilgrim—the asylum they furnished to the poor, the sick, the impotent, and the aged—the influence which they exerted in alleviating, where they could not prevent, the various evils incident to a barbarous age—the peaceful arts which they cultivated, and especially that which enabled them to raise those august and sumptuous edifices, which still remain the grandest examples of architectural skill, and defy all approaches of the moderns to a parity of excellence.

The exercise of these and kindred virtues ought to redeem the monastic institution, when reviewed in a candid and equitable spirit, from the unmeasured obloquy and censure which the license and misrule of some of its branches in later times have drawn down upon it.

There is no doubt, however, that the very virtues, which originally inspired awe and attracted esteem, tended, by a natural process, frequently renewed, and always with similar results, to the gradual corruption and final overthrow of the monastic system.

Long before the Reformation the elements of discontent had been at work, and the clamour against the monasteries had been gradually acquiring force and fixedness, when in the person of

“the majestic lord Who broke the bonds of Rome,”

was found a fitting instrument for the expression of the popular will.

In the year 1536, the lesser monasteries were doomed to destruction by the execrable tyrant who wielded the sceptre of England, and the Priory of Holy Island was included in the general wreck.

From that hour it dates its gradual decay and present state of irretrievable ruin. Sir Walter Scott has thus described it in “Marmion:”

“In Saxon strength that abbey frown’d, With massive arches broad and round That rose alternate row on row, On ponderous columns short and low, Built ere the art was known, By pointed aisle and shafted stalk, The arcades of an alley’d walk, To emulate in stone.”

The latter part of the stanza is a complimentary allusion to the fanciful theory of Sir James Hall concerning the origin of the pointed arch. The application of the term _Saxon_, it would be impossible to verify or substantiate.

There are no buildings in this country with the characteristic forms of this church, or the distribution into nave and aisles, that belong to so early a period. A few rude structures there certainly are which may have been erected by Saxon architects, one of which occurs in our own district—the tower of Whittingham Church, Northumberland—characterised by a peculiar sort of quoining—consisting of long and short stones, placed alternately over each other—small round-headed apertures divided by a rude balastre, and the absence of buttresses. The term Norman may be safely used, if it be understood simply to designate a style which appeared in this country at the conquest, and prevailed for 125 years, during the Norman rule; but it is in reality Roman, and was derived from the imperial city by the architects who diffused it over Europe, with the religion to which these structures were consecrated. It flourished during the first thousand years of the Christian era, with long interruptions during the dark ages, but its rudiments maybe discerned at this day in the Temple of Peace at Rome, erected during the first century, and in the Halls of the Baths—those colossal structures in which the grandeur of thought and magnificent aims of the Roman people are most conspicuously combined. In these edifices we perceive the general arrangement of our Norman and Gothic churches—a wide central space arched over at top, with the vaults resting on pillars corresponding to our nave; between these pillars lofty arches open into as many vaulted apartments on either side intercommunicating by similar archways and constituting side-aisles. The roof of the side-aisles being considerably lower than that of the central vault, admits the insertion of lights in the main wall looking into the cave, which correspond with our clerestory windows.

The general character of Holy Island Priory is Norman, or to speak more correctly, Romanesque. The West front is almost perfect—remarkably so when we consider that, in buildings of that period, this part has generally undergone a change, by the insertion of windows of a later style, leaving only the Norman door below to point to the real date of the structure. Here, we have a door of great depth and richness of effect from the number and boldness of the ornaments. On either side are plain semicircular blank arches—but not intersecting—and the whole were flanked by towers, one of which still exists. Of the nave, the southern portion as well as the south aisle, is entirely gone, but that on the north is tolerably complete. The piers, with their capitals, which bore up the arches, are of various patterns, channelled, lozenged, shafted, and shewing in their sculptured surfaces, and the various fretwork of the arches, that is, in the only decoration which the style admitted—the germ of that inexhaustible variety and multiplicity of ornament which was in the sequel to characterize the Gothic.

The nave, as well as aisles, has been vaulted in stone, as is evidenced from the vaulting shafts, and commencing springers still seen at the junction of the nave and transepts, and from the curve of the vault itself, yet traceable at the west end, but denuded of its ribs. This is a remarkable and almost singular instance of the centre aisle of a Norman building receiving a vault of stone. Both in England and on the Continent, the nave was covered simply by a flat boarded roof, to which were in a great degree owing the frequent and destructive fires of our early churches.

There are six arches in the nave, but the last is of smaller dimensions than the rest. This peculiarity is not unfrequent in Norman and Gothic churches, as if the architect had not previously calculated the space to be occupied by his arcade. The effect here has been to produce a horse-shoe instead of a semicircular arch, from its being of the same height, but lesser span, than the others. This arch is very rare, even in Norman buildings.

Above the pier-arches there has existed a triforium, of which the only remains are a single shaft at either end of the nave, the beginning and termination of the arcade. The Norman triforium is in England simply a row of openings or pannels in the wall, to fill up, ornamentally, what would otherwise have been a blank space. In Germany it is a real gallery, and appropriated to the young men, and called the Männer-chor.

Of the vaulting of the north aisle one arch still remains, but flattened at top, and only retained in its position by the wedge-form of the stones which compose it. This will soon fall, and yet might be easily preserved. The vaulting was quadripartite—the piers, with their cushioned capitals, and transverse ribs, are yet seen. In one or two places, the vaulting from pier to pier yet remains, though the ribs which would have appeared to support it are gone. This is a proof that the ribs used in vaulting were introduced merely to satisfy the mind by _appearing_ to support the arches above, and that the eye, which had been accustomed to strong lines in every other part of the building, should not here rest in a blank surface.

We now reach the intersection of the nave and transepts. Here in the strong and massive piers, we have slender circular shafts set in square recesses—a style of transition from the short and heavy Norman to the loftiness and exility of the Gothic, by which the weights above being distributed to different and independent props, an air of lightness and grace is produced without any diminution of security or strength.

Above, arose the tower which crowned the whole structure, but of its existence the only remaining evidence is the most singular and beautiful feature of the ruin. It is the great cross rib traversing the vault diagonally from N.W. to S.E., and spanning the mid-air free and unconnected with the building but at its spring. Had this been a pointed arch, it would have fallen with its superstructure, but the pressure of the round arch being only at the sides, it is likely to endure as long as the parts which buttress it up.

The chancel beyond the transepts had originally a semicircular termination, as is still discernible on the floor—a feature retained in all the Norman churches abroad. In this part of the edifice, it is to be regretted, is a departure from the unity of style which pervades the rest of the fabric—the circular apse has given place to a rectangular, lighted by pointed windows, in compliance with the fashion of the day, and in violation of the grave simplicity of the rest of the structure.

Buttresses of slight projection run all round the building. They were scarcely needed by the Norman architects, from the enormous thickness of their walls, and their inferior height; but in them we may trace the rudiments of what became, in the hands of the Gothic builders, so beautiful and necessary a member, shooting up into airy pinnacles and spires, and impressing a lofty and majestic character upon the whole.

Of the conventual buildings the traces are few and indistinct. The most important to their comforts—the vast kitchen chimney yet remains in all its original strength and completeness. The large walled space adjoining was probably the Refectory, with which the kitchen would communicate by the buttery-hatch.

The building is now secured from violence and wanton dilapidation, and as it has only to contend against the silent erosion of lichen and wallflower, we may hope that it will long continue to adorn our district—a monument of a far distant age and far different state of society, and a beautiful and affecting link between the past and the present.

CENTENARY OF THE “ABERDEEN JOURNAL.”

ON Wednesday evening, January 5, 1848, the gentlemen connected with the city and county of Aberdeen gave a splendid entertainment to Mr David Chalmers, the present proprietor of the “Aberdeen Journal,” in celebration of the centenary of that newspaper, it being exactly one hundred years that day since its first number was published.

The art of printing was introduced into Aberdeen in the year 1622, by Edward Raban, the “Laird of Letters,” as he styled himself, who printed the first Aberdeen Almanack, “long the only work of its kind in Scotland, and, as such, acquiring a sort of proverbial celebrity. The password of pious Mr Turnbull, in the novel of _Red Gauntlet_—‘a plague on all Aberdeen Almanacks’—will readily occur to the reader.”

Raban commenced business in Aberdeen under the auspices of the magistracy and University, and one of his successors in trade and patronage was Mr James Chalmers, son of the then Professor of Divinity in Marischal College, the projector of the “Aberdeen Journal,” and grandfather of its present proprietor. “Early in life,” said Mr David Chalmers, at the centenary celebration above alluded to, “my grandfather commenced business, as Printer to the City of Aberdeen, and was but a young man when our country became convulsed by the bold and chivalrous attempt of the last of the Stuarts to regain the throne of his ancestors. My grandfather, himself a Protestant, warmly embraced the cause of the House of Hanover, and through his press and his pen, gave wide circulation to principles of attachment to the reigning sovereign. This made him rather a marked man; so that his life was sometimes in danger; and he had on one occasion to fly from his own house, and seek refuge in that of a friend in Old Aberdeen, a Professor in King’s College. In the memorable spring of ’46, the town of Aberdeen had a visit from the royal army, on its way to the field of Culloden. My grandfather joined the king’s standard, and took part in this battle, which forever crushed the hopes of Prince Charles and his gallant and devoted followers. The services of my ancestors were for a time rewarded by an official appointment, namely, that of receivers of the rents of some of the forfeited estates in this county; but these were soon after restored; and are now happily in the hands of their rightful owners. At this period, there were in Edinburgh but two papers, the ‘Evening Courant’ and the ‘Caledonian Mercury’: and one in Glasgow, which has long ceased to exist. It is known that, at this period, the Government of the day had much to do in order to efface the painful recollections, and to appease the angry feelings of the people, justly irritated and incensed by the needless cruelties which followed that fatal fight. They, therefore, felt anxious to see the principles of loyalty and good order widely diffused among the population of the North. My grandfather, impressed with the same views, engaged in the undertaking which has given birth to the present meeting. During the progress of, and subsequent to, the rebellion of ’45, he had published occasional reports, or what would be now called bulletins, of the state of public affairs; but it was not until the beginning of 1748 that the ‘Aberdeen Journal’ took the form of a regular newspaper. From that period, it was published by him, with varying success, until the year 1764, when he died, and was succeeded by my venerated and respected father, who conducted it until his death, in 1810. It then fell into my unworthy hands; but with this consoling reflection, that during the last twelve years of his life, I had had the privilege and the happiness of aiding and assisting him in the laborious duties and distracting cares of an Editor. Such has been the birth and parentage of the ‘Aberdeen Journal,’ whose life now presents the somewhat singular feature of having reached its hundredth year during the lives of three successive generations of the same family.

The few following extracts from No. 1. of the ‘Journal’ will give some idea of newspaper writing one hundred years ago, and also indicate the state of public feeling at that day towards our Gallic neighbours:

“As the publick may be alarmed with the report that ran so currently yesterday upon the Exchange, that a contract is negociating for the delivery of 400,000 quarters of wheat to our mortal enemy the French, we hope every Englishman will judge so tenderly of his neighbour, as not to believe it possible any merchant can entertain so pernicious a thought, or be such a traitor to his country, at a time when our allies the Dutch have totally prohibited all commerce with that perfidious nation under the severest penalties.”

“However the report yesterday might arise, of a particular contract for sending 400,000 quarters of wheat to France, it is certain that an article from Bourdeaux, in a late Dutch Mail, mentions that a large number of English ships, laden with corn, had put in there, and caused a sudden plenty in the midst of scarcity; adding, that these ships had sailed under a pretence of being bound for the Mediterranean. If these were private traders only, who ventured thus to risk their fortunes, in contempt of their duty and allegiance, the affair deserves to be particularly enquired into, that the delinquents, if taken, may be punished. But if their voyage was in virtue of a contract, that is a _jobb_; the business is the more iniquitous, as it must be a transaction among persons of no small distinction. We shall not pretend to guess who the jobbers may be; but it was very imprudent of the French who were to be essentially served, to blab a secret that may prevent their friends here from making a little more profit of our present plenty.

“We hear that it having been affirmed, in a certain H—— Assembly, that a practice of sm——g would never have arisen to its late pitch but for the encouragement of some R—— H—— persons, one, who seemed to be severely wrung, exclaimed loudly on the occasion, and affected to clear himself and friends, by calling for such proof as he knew it was impossible at that time to adduce.”

While the initials and dashes in the last quotation form a striking contrast to the out-spoken manner of the press now-a-days, the following _jeu d’esprit_ denotes the unchangeable and everlasting grumble against taxation:

“NO MORE GAMBOLS.

’Twas merry at Christmas, when money was plenty, And taxes took off not above five in twenty: But how is it possible mirth should arise? Now all that can make it is under Excise. When light is not free in the worst of dull weather; Wheels pay, if we ride; if we foot it, shoe-leather.”

Such was the “Aberdeen’s Journal” a hundred years ago. Its first number contained 39,560 separate pieces of type; its 5217th No. extends to above 750,000, or in other words 3 of the 48 columns of the present paper contains an entire reprint of the first No.

CHARTER,

Granted in the Reign of Malcolm the III., King of Scotch, at Fordie,[16] 5th October 1051, to the Masons in Glasgow.

Malcom the III., by the Grace of God, King of Scots, wishes health and safety to the Bishops, Princes, Earls, Barons, Ministers, and Administrators of our Law, and all good men of the nation, both Clergy, Laicks, or Common people, and to all whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas our trusty and well-beloved friends, the Operative Masons in the City of Glasgow, Hath, by their Petition, humbly represented to us, that the inhabitants of this City has been imposed upon by a number of unskilled and unsufficient workmen, that has come to work at our Cathedral, and other parts of the City; and, also, has erected lodges, contrary to the rules of Masonry: And being desirous of putting a stop to such unskilled and irregular Brothers, most humbly prays us to grant them our Royal Licence and protection for stopping such unregular disorders: And we being willing to give all due encouragement to so reasonable a Petition, are graciously pleased to condescend to their request: And we do, by these presents, ordain and grant to our Petitioners to Incorporate themselves together in an Incorporation: And we strictly discharge any Mason within the foresaid City, to work in it until he serve his time as an apprentice, for the space of Seven years, or be married to a freeman’s daughter: And he or they shall be Examined anent their Skill and Knowledge of the Mason Craft by three of the Ablest of the Mason trade; and if he or they be found of cunning and knowledge to be received into the Incorporation, each shall pay Twenty Pounds Scots to the common funds, and three pounds to the Altar, and clerk’s and officer’s dues, which the foresaid Incorporation shall always be allowed to be judges of that and other laws made for the behoof of the foresaid Incorporation. _Item_, that the free Incorporate Masons of Glasgow shall have a lodge forever at the City of Glasgow; none in my dominions shall erect a lodge until they make application to the St John’s Lodge, Glasgow: And they considering their Petition, and examining their character and behaviour, grant them a charter conform to their regulations. _Item_, that all the members of said Incorporation shall have liberty to quarry stone, lime, sand, and other materials from the ground of persons, for paying the damages of what they occupy, or damage, for building of the foresaid Cathedral. But if the owners of the said Lands and the foresaid workmen do not agree, each party is to chuse an honest man to value the expence of the foresaid damages. _Item_, and that any having power from me, maintain my peace firm and stable against all other pretenders and usurpers, who encroach on me or my subjects to disturb our peace. _Item_, and that you and all my subjects in this obey the Magistrates in all things relating to my peace and the good of the City. _Item_, and that you instruct and teach apprentices; and that none take, or employ, any man’s apprentice when their time of apprenticeship is not completed, under the pain of paying Twenty Pounds, the one-half to the Incorporation, one-fourth to the Lodge, and one-fourth to Saint Thomas’s Altar, to say mass to their Soul. _Item_, and I strictly charge and command, that none take in hand any way to disturb the free operative masons from being incorporated freemen, or to have a free lodge, to take away their good name or possession, or harrass or do any injury to my free masons and Petitioners, under the peril of my highest displeasure. And we order that notice be taken, that due obedience may be rendered to our pleasure herein declared. Given at our Court at Fordie, the 5th day of October 1051[17] years, before these Witnesses, Earl David, my Brother, Earl Duncan, Earl Gilbert of Monteith,[18] Sir Robert of Velen, Adam of Stenhouse, and Andrew Hamilton,[19] Bishop of Glasgow.[20]

Extracted from the Records.[21]

ORIGIN OF THE GUIDE-BOOKS OF SCOTLAND.