44 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 10, 1900.

II.

THE SCULPTURES IN ST MIRREN'S OHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY, REPRE- SENTIN ACT E MIRACLED GTH SAN MIRINT S F SO ; ALSO INCISED SEPULCHRAL SLABS, RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE ABBEY CHURCH, PAISLEY THOMAY B . S ROSS, ARCHITECT, F.S.A. SCOT.

The acts or miracles of St Mirin, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, arc sculptured 011 the inside of the east wall of the chapel dedicated to St Mirin, adjoining the south transept of the Abbey Church of Paisley. The chapel, which originally opened into the tran- sept by two wide arches, is a building of considerable importance, being 48 fee 3 inchet s2 fee 2 lon inche2 ty b g s wide, vaulted wit a hston e roof, imitative of groining, in the manner so frequent in Scottish buildings of the fifteenth century. It is lighted by two tracer!ed windows of four lights each, one in the east gable and the other in weste th . Beneat e easth ht windo shows w(a fign ni e heigh .th 1)t a , t of abou 6 feet t e abovsculpture th e floor e e th edescribedb ar , o t s . act e representee sTh ar paneln te scenesr n di o s bottod ,an framep mto t da with continuous mouldings running from e chapelsid th o sidt ef o e . The scenes are thus all of one height, but they vary in width, and they t coved ono e whol th r e space. Beginnin norte th ht lefe ga sideth t r o , hand, there are three scenes occupying a space of 3 feet 11 inches, the nblana fee8 inchesf 2 kto , after whic e remaininth h g 0 spac1 f o e feet 1 inch is occupied with seven scenes. blane th kn I spac masonr e courseo eth tw polishef f mads o o si y p u e d f singlo t sculpturee estonesou th stonet height e t th cu bu ,e n si sar . What these sculptures might represent was for long a subject of un- certainty. Charles Mackie, in his History of Paisley, says of them: comparinn "O g these figures with other Catholi f opinioco relicsm a n I , that they represent the works of Charity and Mercy, which not un- frequently ornament the altar-pieces of Catholic chapels." 1 He further 1 Historical Description Ableye o(h Townd f an of Paisley, Charley b s Mackie. 69 . ,p *f£LOF_S1MIRlN Fig . Chape1 . t MirinS f o l , Paisley Abbey, showing positio Sculpturese th f no . 46 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 10, 1900.

quotes a detailed description of each scene from Crawford, the Renfrew- shir n ethei historianmw sa sceneo wh , s fro e confessionalmth , priests administering extreme unction a pries, t pardonin a gtransgressor a , holdin n altare horne th ma th hole f th y ,so g yb family, etc. The writer of the notice of the abbey in the Baronial Antiquities failed to discover what they represented, even although he refers to the miracles of St Mirin as recorded in the Aberdeen Breviary. He characterises them e wor ath f s"ancienn o ka d rudan te age,d an " '' probably," he says, " they existed before the chapel itself, and were fragments of an earlier edifice." Vere Toth y Rev r CameroD . n Lees belong credie sth f firso t t detect- ing the real meaning of these sculptures by showing that they illustrate the legend of St Mirin as narrated in the Aberdeen Breviary,1 compiled by Bishop Elphinston about 1484. The history of St Mirin (Merinus or Meadhran) has grown very dim, but from what is known, mostly wrapped up in fable, from the lives of some of his better-known contemporaries, and from the topography of Scotland, some idea can be obtained of the man; but we need not dwell much on this, as, beyond what is told by Dr Lees2 and Cosmo Innes,3 ther s nothini e addo gt . Suffic y tha t Mirit sa heri S et o t en wa f noblo s e birth. While still mothe s atakes hi yout wa y nb o e t r h h e Monasterth f Bangoryo Countn i , y Down d placean , d unde care th re of St Congal, its abbot and founder. In course of time St Mirin became prior, and the date of this is approximately fixed by the follow- ing circumstance t FiniaS . f Movilleno , County Down, visited Bangor, and in the absence of St Congal was received by St Mirin, then prior. St Finian die n 578i d thao s ,t MiriS t prio s nwa r before thiss i date t I . supposed that he came to this country about the end of the sixth century, and there are six places bearing his name in Scotland—viz. (1) Inch-

murrin islann a , n Locdo h Lomond t Mirin'S ) (2 ;s Well, Kilsyth) (3 ; 1 The Abbey of Paisley, by J. Cameron Lees, D.D., p. 211. Appendid an 2, IMd.,26 . xp IV. 3 Begistrum Monasterii De Passelet, p. iv. SCULPTURES IN ST MIRREN'S CHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY. 47

Knock Mirren, Coylton Parish, Ayrshire ) Kir(4 ; k Mirren, Kelton Parish, Kirkcudbright; (5) The Burn of Mirran, in the Parish of Edzell; ) Paisley(6 ; where, accordin e Breviaryth o t t glength "A , , fulf o l sanctity and miracles, he slept in the Lord at Paisley, in whose honour the church there is dedicated to God." His day is the 15th September. Coming now to the sculptures and beginning at the left hand, and identifying r Lee theD s pointe s ha msa d oute e havth w , en i (fig) 2 . e panecentrth t Mirin'f S lo e s mother presentint S o t r littl n ghe eso Congal; her rank and importance are indicated by a crown or coronet on her head, a richly embroidered cloak and some four attendants behind. t CongaS onls attendante ha ly on . The e subjecseconth f o dt t paneCongaS s i l l puttin e religiougth s t habiMiriS t Miriin S o tn (figrepresente. s i 3) . s kneehi n dso before mitree habith e th d t abous ti saint ovepu o shoulderss o t rhi wh , . Behind St Congal is a monk bearing a crazier and another reading the office from a book; behind Mirin is a monk as if in the attitude of saying t CongaAmenS d d betweean an ,l ther m a reliquarhi n s ei r ambro y y divided into small compartments. Three other figuree th s p filu l background. e thirth t MiridS n I scene nse takine w (fig ) 4 g, oversighe th f o t Monastery of Bangor. He is represented with a nimbus, standing beside the west front of a handsome Gothic church, with a lofty canopied door- way, on which the iron straps of the hinges and the large lock are wrought with minute care. In the gable, which is surmounted with a carved finial a larg s i , e traceried window carveA . d finial terminates the line of buttresses on the one side, and on the other side in e correspondinth g plac a heae d crowned wit a hmitr e look t froou sm the church. Above the clouds over St Mirin are two angels, and behind hi mmona t MirinS k o stretchint . m ar Betwee s ghi n thes thero tw e e is a most curious figure—the grotesque bust of a man standing on a pedestal. May this be the representation of a heathen god, or of the heathendom whic e Churc overthroo hth t s hwa w1 e blanTh k space occurs here d the e havan ,nw e certain sculptures Fig. 2. The Mother of St Mirin presenting her little Son to St Congal. Fig. 3. St Goiigal putting the religious habit on St Mirin.

VOL. XXXV. Fig. 4. St Mirin taking oversight of the Monastery of Bangor. SCULPTURES IN ST MIRREN*S CHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY. 51 relating to St Mirin's encounter with an Irish king, which forms the fourth Ereviarye lessoth thu s i f no d s an translate, Dy db r Lees :— " Mirin afterwards proceeded to the camp of a certain king of Ireland for the purpose of establishing the Catholic faith upon a firmer footing, where the e tiiukinge th th wif e t f a , beino e g nea r confinementhe r sorels wa , y distressed variouy b s pain d sufferingsan s e kinTh g . having hear f Mirin'o d s arrival, would not permit him to enter his camp ; but (011 the contrary) treated him with utter contempt; which the blessed Mirin perceiving, he prayed God that that accursed king might feel the pains and pangs of the suffering wife, which immediately happened, as he had besought the Lord ; so that for three days mans a d y an night shouceaseo o t h st t dno kingdoms chiefbefore hi th f l so e al . But the king, seeing himself so ignominiously humbled by God, and that no remedy was of any avail, sought Mirin's lodging, and most willingly granted all that he had previously desired. Then blessed Mirin by his holy prayers freed the king entirely from his pains." In the first scene of this grotesque and laughable incident (fig. 5) we have a youth stepping briskly out of the palace door with a birch in his hand to beat St Mirin away, who is kneeling in front of him. There mutilateo tw e ar d figures behind; over wha s beeha t n f tho ee heaon f do them there appears something lik crown& e . In the next scene (fig. 6) we have the king crowned and arrayed in a splendid s robecontortei e h ; d with "paid dancinan n g with despair, so that e mattetherdoubo o what th n s s s ei i a ttr withs himhi n O . lef n t withanma h a dgrav e face administers what comfor e canh t , and on the other a robust figure with rounded face, from which the features are gone, seems tickled with the absurdity of the incident. whole Th f thio e s scen s representei e d withi d beneatan n e palachth e gate, a really fine piece of architecture, most beautifully wrought out iu all its details. This panel is separated from those on either side with pilasters of a renaissance character, and most carefully and minutely execute mouldingse foliage th th d n di ean . e seriee sixtth Th f so h (fig) contain7 . e loweo scenesth tw sn rI . part we have first the queen lying in bed occupying the whole length of the panel, with a nurse bending over her administering comfort, and in e uppe th mothee th r d par have r an chile t w givin eth co d s glyinit n gi r breast.guardiao he Tw n angels with outstretched wings occupe th y upper portio f tlino 3 panel. Fig. 5. St Jlivin being driven from the door of the Palace. J/ig. ,6. The King suffering the pains transferred to him by St Mirin's Prayer. Queee Th Fig . n 7 .r MotheChildhe d .an r SCULPTURES IN ST MIKEEN'S CHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY. 55

This picture recall o othetw s r Scottish mediaeval sculptures—thaf o t Birtle th f ChrisRooe o i th n do t Scree f Lincludeno n (fig , wher8) . e Mary shows i witd Infanne be h separatlyinth a a n n i tg o besidt eco e e herTh . draper bedclothee th f yo carefulls i s y wrough botn i t h cases disposed an , d in very muc same hth e manner othee sculpturea Th s i r. de stonth n i e Museum (fig , foun9) . n excavatindi g the foundatio e a hous th f o nt a e foo f Maro t y King's Clos Edinburgn ei h when Cockburn Stree beins wa t g

Fig. 8. The Nativity, on the Rood Screen, Lincludon Abbey.

made. t whoo I representt 1 lase d mlyinth n tbe sacramenn ma gi sa s i t being administered e hav W n thii e. s fine sculptur e n ambra eth n yi background from which the mediciner is taking out something. This suggested tha large th t eambrn a objec s r reliquary yo figwa n i t 3 . . In the seventh scene (fig. 10) we see the king, with the crown on his knees headhi 1 s befor01 , t MirieS n imploring beins reliefi e gH .assiste n di s movementbehindn hi ma a . y b sThern ecclesiasti a s i e c besidt S e 1 Proceedings, vol. viii. p. 48. Fig. 9. Deatli-bed Scene—Sculptured Panel from a house in Mary King's Close, Edinburgh, Jig. 10. The King supplicating St Mirin.;. 58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 10, 1900.

Mirin, wit hcloaa k having clasps acros e e seeme breasth b sth d o t s an , holdin gbooka ; other figuree king' th e background f th o s n parti e yar . On the right is St Mirin's lodging, a richly-battlemented building of two storeys, with three traceried windows above, and an arcade of four arches below, wit hvera y massive projecting base pilasteA . r separates this fro nexe mth t scene. eighte Th h scene (fig) represent11 . e reconcilementh s l partiesal f o t . We have the king seated beside his palace; a projection of its cornice forms a canopy over his head; St Mirin kneels in front of him; both stretc t theihou r arm sign si mutuaf no l forgiveness overshadod an , e wth queen, who is seated on the ground between them with her infant on her lap. Ther three ear e other conspicuou s probablsha figures e d On ha y . a' book on his knees. e nintTh h scene form e fiftth s h lessoe Breviarth f no follows:s ya —

certaia n "O n occasio e blessenth t MirinS d , remainin s celhi l n pasgi e th t usual time, the brother who waited upon him went to ascertain the cause of e delay approachinth n O . cel e instantle gth h l y stoo n rapdi t amazementr fo , throug chinke h th fissured an s e behelh s da celestia l splendour. That night the blessed St Mirin did not join the brethren at the psalmody in the church accordin theio t g r wontt understandinBu . Diviny b g e inspiration thae th t brothe beed rha n witnes suco t s h stupendous wonders tooe aparm h , khi n i t the morning, and charged him to tell no one during his life what he had seen previoue onth s nighte meantim th thad n an ,i t shoule eh t presumdno o et approac s cell.hhi "

This subjec s i renderet d with unmistakablee th fidelity n I . panel shown as fig. 12, a monk stands with bowed head in front of n archea f whico d p doorwayhto there a chin th s i et o whic t ka , e h is applying his eye. On the other side of the door we find St Mirin (unfortunately very much mutilated), seated behind a huge open book which rests on a richly-carved arched stool. He is seated in an oratory, the roof of which is indicated in a distinctly architectural manner. Over the monk there is a conventional representation of a cloud with rays of light proceeding froe celestiamth l regions, which penetrat e wallth e s of the oratory and rest on the head of St Mirin. Behind the monk ther s anotheei r representatio churca f no h front. Fig. 11. The reconcilement of the King and Queen with St Mirin. Fig. 12. The Monk spying on St Mirin. SCULPTUKES T MlRKEN'LS \ S CHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY1 6 .

e e subjectent th d Th las f an ho t t sculptur e sixtth e h s i (fig ) .13 lesson of the Breviary, which tells us that 011 another occasion, whilst the brethren of St Mirin wore at work near the valley of Colpdasch, f theo e m on ignite overpowere y fatigub d d thirstan e , falling down upon the ground ,y lifelesla expire d san d from noon till none. But blesse t S Miris dver wa ny much grieved thae brotheth t r should have been remove y suc b dn untowar a h d suddean d n death. besoughe H Lorde d immediatelth t an , y s restorethewa dean o t d ma d life. Here we have the dead man apparently resuscitated and lying in a comfortable attitude. Behind him is a monk on his knees with outstretched hands thanking and praising St Mirin, who stands bending over e himsain th e hea f Th t. o d has, unfortunately, been quite obliterated. Four monks n lookini wonde 1 e 01 th gr p filu l background. There can be little doubt but it was the intention to fill up the whol ee walth spac lf t o e witS Mirin e act f th hs o s thera e , ar e more incidents recorde e Breviaryth n i d , bus thea t y hav t beeno e n illustrate t dconcer no the . o d yus n e chapet Miri S s foundeTh f wa o n l d buil an y Jamedb t s Crawfurd of Kylwynet a burges, f s Paisleywifo shi ed Elizabetan , h Galbraith. The foundation deed provides an endowment for a chaplain who was to s house chapelresidhi th d en i ean stil, l existstorea n i sy above e chapelth , consistin curioua f o g s long, narrow, stone arched apartment provided with a fireplace; and a window in the east and west walls wit a hstai r leadin ge chapel th e dowcharte Th o t n.f endowo r - men s datei t d 1499, but s pointeD,y a b r t Lees,ou d e buildinth 1 s gwa probably finished before this year. As to the date of the sculptures, there is no reason for supposing with Billings that they existed long before the chapel was built; indeed, it may be asserted with confidence that they belonsame th eo t gperiod e Th . dres f abbotso monkd san s remained very muc e sam hr th centuries fo e ,

so that little guidanc obtaines ei d fros quitmwa e t thesei differen t bu , t 1 The Alley of Paisley (1878).

SCULPTUKES IN ST MIEEEN's CHAPEL, PAISLEY ABBEY. 63 with architectural details, which changed from age to age, and we hav a considerable e amoun thif o t s kin f evidencdo e e churchereTh . h represente e thirth dn di scen s uppeeit (fign i r ) par.reminiscenc4 a s i t e of what is to be seen in the west front of the Abbey Church, which was certainly built in part, about the middle of the fifteenth century. Also the church shown in. the ninth scene (tig. 12) is of quite a late type. The interesting gateway introduced into the fifth scene, and beneath whic t i takeh s place, cannoe fifteentth e earlief b o t hd r en tha e th n century palace Th .thn ei e eighth scene (fig. 11), wit s smalhit l window divided with astragals, must also belon thio gt s period. Takin l thosgal e indications into consideration, ther s gooi e d groun r attributindfo g these works to Thomas Hector, sculptor to the abbot of Paisley—of whom there are two notices in the Rental Book of the Abbey,1 and to whom certain sculpture e Abbeth n i sy Churc e attributed.ar h e Th 2 firs e plac tlanth d notic f f Crossean o d o f Hectom ea o leas -hi n i o et s i r flat adjoining Paisley, which he received "with the subjoined condition, tha saie th td Thomas will hold himself read d prepare an ye sai th d o t d abbot and convent in all that concerns his art as a sculptor, and shall receive 110 other work pertaining to his art without obtaining leave of the abbot and convent, and while he is required by the abbot and conven o perfort t e wora sculpto mth e f monastery o kth t a r e shalh , l entirel asidy la y e n hanwhatevei d coms an d ha e e bach r k withia n month to the work at the monastery, under pain of forfeiting this, his lease, and, besides penalta , hundrea f yo d shillings." This lease between Abbot Henry Crichton and Hector is dated in 1460. And the next notice that we have of him, forty-two years later, is in the lease to his successor of the same land, probably sometime after his decease. It begins: " Crossflat, that Aid Hector brakyt," and proceeds with detail o someont s e else. From the precise terms of the first lease, and the affectionate " Aid Hector brukyt" of the second, it is evident that his ability as a sculptor was fully appreciated by the abbot and convent of Paisley, and it Ibid., Appendix, ]>p. Ixi., cxx. . 160p , . Ibid., . 209p . 1 2 64 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 10, 1900.

is not likely that between these years any sculpture at the abbey was undertaken withou s assistanchi t r advice leasto eth t .a e

Sepulchral Slabs with Crosses at Paisley Abbey. The work connected with the restoration of the tower, the transepts e choi th f Paisleo d r an y Abbe e s begubeginninth wa y e t a nth f o g year 1900. S~ew foundations were put in for the four piers of the crossing to support the new central tower, and in the course of this operatiosepulchrao tw e e describedth b n lo t slabsw ,no , were found forming part of the lowest course of masonry of the old south-west pier. They were lyin a deptfee2 1 t inche6 ga tf ho s belo e e levewth th f o l f sano nav d ebe fac floora e n downwardso , . The smaller stons wa e first lifted, and no special care was taken with it, nothing being expected s broke wa thao s t i nt, foune it b int n piecesx o o t dsi t fivr o bu e, when it was found to be carved, the larger stone was carefully taken up, but notwithstanding it was broken in two about.the middle. The larger slab (fig. 14) measures 5 feet 5i inches long by 22-]- inches at the head, and 19J inches at the foot, by 12 inches thick. e smalleTh r e slasamth b s ei (fig 0 e lengtother) 2 th . 15 y s b a h, foote incheinchehea1 e th 16 1 d t ,th a fdt an s a s thick. The large one is bevelled along its four sides, the smaller on three sides only ; the cross heads, enclosed in a circle, occupy the full space of the flat surface; and are exactly alike in design. Their stems differ; a narro s ha we larg e th taperinon e g stem, slightly roundee th n o d surface, enclosed by incised lines, with three steps at the base; the smaller one has a broad tapering stem flat on the surface, enclosed with basee incisestepo th tw t . sa s d ha lines d an , The design of these crosses is in no way remarkable. They are chaste d beautifulan d resemblan , e many example e thirteentth f o sd an h fourteenth centuries to be found figured in the Proceedings of the Society, and elsewhere. Nor is there anything singular in the use to which they were put s examplea , f sepulchrao s l slabs being taked nan use s buildina d g material arf frequeno e t occurrence. This donwa se .T-

X2-

Figs. 14, 15. Sepulchral Slabs at Paisley Abbey.

VOL. xxxv. 66 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 10, 1900.

with several stonee foundationth n si t Andrew'S f o s s Cathedrae th n i l twelfth century t Torphicheia d an , i Church, probabl e fifteentth n i y h century a cros, s s slausewa bd (ann stil e a seenwindoca b dl s a ) w lintel In eac .thes of h e case appropriatethe s d stonemucof hare s earlier date tha buildine nth whicn gi h manne a the n e foundi yar d ran , it may be said that they had served their purpose. But here at Paisley it seems to me to be somewhat different: having seen the stones shortly after they were found, I formed the opinion that they must have been placed, fac f esano downwards d d be shortl e th n yo , after being wrought, as over the whole surface there was the freshness which recently- wrought stone has. The stones themselves are typical examples of grave slabs. n conclusioI nI hav o thanet e architectkth s employe restorae th n do - Abbee th tio r f givinno yfo evere gm y facilit preparinn yi g this noted an , the drawings of the cross slabs.

III.

NOTIC ARCHAIF EO C SCULPTURINGS 01' CUPRINGSD SAN , ETC.K O , KOCK SURFACES ON" THE STRONACH RIDGE, NEAR BRODICK, ARRAN. By REV. J. E. SOMERVILLE, F.S.A. SOOT.

[This paper is postponed to a subsequent part of the volume.]