VI.

NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED SLABS (II).

BY F. A. GREENHILL, M.A.(OxoN.), F.S.A.ScoT. Read October 1945.27,

KINKELL (ABERDBENSHIBE). Gilbert Grenlau, Esq. (1411). Two sketches of this slab have already appeared: one, by Andrew Gibb, F.S.A.Scot., in the Proceedings for 1876-77,1 the other, by James Logan, in the second volume of his Collectanea Ecclesiastica in Provincia Abredonensi (1819), whic includee har e volumth n di e (Lagan's Collections) issue Thire 194n dth i y d1b Spalding Club. apology M 2 r devotinyfo g part of this communicatio face t th liei t n nsthao i t t neithe thesf o r e sketches si satisfactory. Both omit certain details and delineate others inaccurately, while Logan, by greatly exaggerating the width, produces a figure of almost Falstaffian proportions, and in neither case was any attempt made to supplement the drawing by an adequate description. The only accurate reproduction I have yet seen is a small photograph at page xxviii of the introduction to the Third Spalding Club volume just referred to, but it was evidently takeunsuitabln a n ni e stone shadown lighti e th s r th ei fo ,d an , incisions do not stand out with the requisite sharpness. slae bbrownisTh f o (fig , 1) . h sandstone, is placed pedesta uprighw lo a n lo t withi pre-Reformatioe nth n churc f Kiiikell ho ruinsn i w , no ,whic h stands near the left bank of the Don about two miles below Inverurie. The lower portio lef w losts ni whad tno measurean ,s i t fees4 t 10^- inche fee2 y t sb

1 Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot.,.vol. xii., Part 1, pi. viii. "- P. 88. PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , 1945-46.

6|r inches. It bears the boldly though somewhat crudely engraved effigy of an armed man, with a marginal inscriptiod nan two shields. This figure is of excep- tional interest as an all too rare example of Scot- tish armou opene th n -i r fifteente yearg th in f so h century. Onl otheo ytw r slabs showing Scottish armou f thio r s period are known to me; the first is in the churchyard of Foveran, near New- burgh, Aberdeenshire, and is illustrated and described in the 1908-9 volume of the Proceed- ings; t hasi 1 , unfortun- ately, been somewhat marre recuttingy b d . The second a lie n i s mausoleum in the policies of Duff House, Banff; here the original figure is obscured, and partially obliterated, by a barbar- ousl t effigyy cu wor e th , k of an ignoramus, which s beeha n superimposed upon it. The armour portrayed on the Kinkell slab is of mixed mail and plate. On the head is an acutely pointed bascinet, on the front of which are two Fig. 1. Gilbert Grenlau, Esq. (1411) (obverse). curious objects whicI h Kinkell, Aberdeenshire. have not found on any 1 Pp. 309-11. NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED 5 SLAB4 S (II).

other military monument of the period; from their position, they seem designed for the attachment of a visor. Mr Charles ffoulkes, F.S.A., the eminent authorit n armouro y , suggests that thehavy yma e a bee r nfo removable visor which could be hooked on and off, as distinct from the more normal hinge r pivoteo d d types which wer e helmet th fixe o t d . Coverin e facd comine sideth an g th ef o s g well down ove e shoulderth r s is the mail cape or camail, with invecked lower edge. There is no sign of its attachment to the bascinet, to the rim of which it was usually laced cordy b s passed throug hseriea staplesf so . Ove jupone bode th th r s y i tight-fittina , g sleeveless coa somf o t e stout material faced with silk or velvet, on which are embroidered the wearer's s showarmsi t I n. somewhat shorter than usual s loweit , r edge being hidden unde bawdrice th r . From beneat t happeari bottoe sth m portion of the mail shirt or hawberk, with invecked lower edge. The outline of the body seems to suggest that a cuirass of plate may have been worn over the hawberk beneat e juponhth . Excepe insidee uppeth th r f o rfo st arms, wher e hawbereth k sleeves appear e arm th wholle , ar s y encase platen di , with rerebrace r demi(o s - brassarts) covering the outer sides of the upper arms, articulated coudes elbowse th vambraced t a an , s enclosin notee b e forearmsy dgth ma t I . that while the securing straps of the vambraces are shown, those of the rerebrace lefe sar thandse outTh . , whic baree hplacear e ar ,behine don d attitudothee n a th n ri devotionf eo . Chaussons of mail are worn on the thighs, and over them, covering the front portion, cuisse platef o s e strapth , s holding the mplacn i e being well genouilleree shownth f O . s onl uppee yth r part remains t thebu , y appear to have been pointed in profile, like those worn by the two figures on the Foveran slab. The posture of the thighs seems to indicate that the feet wer degreeseffec 0 e angln eth a 18 turnef t d t ea o mus an ,t dou t have been most ungainly. The bawdric, passing aroun loine buckled th san frontn di divides i , d into narrow vertical sections, probabl denoto yt e alternate band differenf so t coloured material, but the engraver has omitted to complete this ornament on the left-hand side. A plain and much narrower belt, also buckled in front, crosses diagonally fro righe mundep th hi te bawdri th e lefr th t o ct thigh, where it supports the sword, a ponderous weapon having a pear- shaped pommel, long grip ornamented in a lozenge pattern, and guard with drooping quillons broadening into leaf-like terminations. Attached to the bawdric on the right-hand side by a small strap is the misericorde, with bound grip and trefoil-shaped pommel. On eithe e heara larg th sid s df i eo e shieldw e dexteno th ,e on r blank (perhaps originally painted); the sinister bears A chevron between 2 water-bougets in chief and a hunting-horn in base. These charges are 46 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

repeated on the jupon, the chevron being concealed by the hands and forearms. Roun edge marginaa dth s ei l strip containin gblack-lettea r inscription, with roundels, now blank, at the corners; these may possibly have been painted with symbol e evangelistth f o s r contracteo s d word f prayero s . The surviving portio inscriptioe th f no n reads : "Hie iacet nobilis armiger gilbertus de gre------anno d(omi)ni M.CCCC.XI." The portion of a fourth letter of the surname is almost certainly the firs t e surname strokth "n"n a r f fo ,eo , fortunately doubt,n i t e no th s i , arms on the slab being identical with those of Gilbert Grenlau, the contem- porary bisho f Aberdeeo p n (1390-1422) s counter-seal.s givehi a , n o n 1 The fact same tha squire th th ted Christiaeha n bishoe namth s ea p would sugges probabls t thawa e th ynephea thaf wo t dignitary. montd an Althouglonge o f deaty n ho recorde da n o rhar e hth , owing to the mutilation of the stone, they can be inferred with practical certainty, 24tn foo r h July 141 e blood1th y battl f Harlaeo s foughwwa t withina few miles of Kinkell, and many of the slain are said to have been brought thithe burialr casualte rfo Th . y listBoece'ballan d i ol sd givee dan sth n i History e outstandin e confineth ar f o vera w o dt y fe gma leaderse w t bu , be certain that no Lowland gentleman in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, a nea l leasral f kinsmao t e bishopth f no , could have been backwarn di battlee t falleanswerin th mighno e n ne i on , h t d cale ha armsgo th t l d an , expect that Gilbert Grenla e squiruth e would have foun lass hi dt resting- plact Machar'S n ei s Cathedral face tTh tha. liee t h Kinkeltsa l seemo st imply that he fell early in the action and that his body, when recovered (probably several days afterwards) conditioa n i s wa , n that would effectually preclud removas eit intermenr lfo Aberdeen.n i t The armour worn by Grenlau shows the penultimate stage in the transition from full mail to complete plate, which seems to have been finally achieved ove r Lowlande mosth f o t y abousb t slabe 1420th Davi f s o a , d Bercla Luthrif yo e (1421 t Creicha ) Johf ,o Fifend an Galychtl, abouf y(o t e samth e date possibld same an , th ey yb engraver t Longforgana ) , Perth- shire, both show figures completely armed in plate, save for a few very minor accessories of, mail. In the Highlands and Isles mail survived for another couple of centuries, the only example of complete plate I have seen in that area being the early sixteenth-century effigy of lain Maclain of Ardnamurcha slaa n lonn bni o a Cathedral.

somewha1A t imperfect impressio f thino s seal f dato , e 1398 s illustratei , d in Reg. . Aberdon.Ep (Maitland Club, 1845, vol. ii., pi. ii., fig. 4); the cast of a better one, dated 1422, is preserved in H.M. General Register House; this is the one mentioned in Laing's Scottish Seals (Maitland Club, 1850, p. 174), where the arms are erroneously given as A chevron between 3 water-bougets; they are, however, accurately describe Stevensodn i Wood nan d (Scottish Heraldic Seals, B.Me th vol. 122p d . . Catalogu.i )an e Seals, . 67) p vol . . .iv NOTE SCOTTISN SO H INCISED SLABS (II). 47

It might have been hoped that so long as the church stood entire a monumen, t suc s thia h s would have been safe from the spoiler, but in 1592 the slab was turned over, engraven o d e backd th laian d, down £ £ ~4 fcjja $ again over the tomb of a %sg p^^fc^^^^ M *f local laird, John Forbef o s Ardmurdoe a scioon , f o n of the greatest houses of the North-East. Whethet i r wa dowt scu thin i s process or had previously been crackee d th acros d an s lower portion re-used or thrown away e havw ,o n e means of knowing, but the purloinin e slath o t b f o g form another man's monu- ment in a land where stone is plentiful was a mean act of vandalis d commoman n theft for which it is difficult o fint d adequate wordf o s reprobation. The reverse (or Ard- murdo) side (fig., 2) bears a marginal inscription i n black-letter with a few Roman capitals: "Hie iacet honore illus- tri sancts& a morum pietate ornat(us) Joan(n)es forbes de ardmurdi" (error for ' ardmurd o) "ei(us' ) cogno- (min)is i haereannqu o4 s Eetatis suse. 66. 8 Julii. A..D. 1592. obiit." Pig. 2, John Forbes of Ardmurdo (1592) Within the margin is a (reverse). large shield of the some- Kinkel], Aberdeenshire. 48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

what fantastic shap timee th generan ei t , a chargee lus d wit bear'h3 s heads couped and muzzled (Porbes) with a bird's (? hawk's) head couped for difference. Therotheo n s i re recor f theso d ee ful th armsl t blazobu , n would probably have been Azure bear'3 , s heads couped argent, muzzled guleshawk'? a , s head coupe de fess th ..e t a .poin r differencefo t . The initial . F, "I scapitaln "i eacn placee o sar he e shield sidth on d f eo , beneatd an , withihit na quadrilatera l taperin e gbaseo t th fro s p i ,m to Greek text of Philippians i. 21: XPI2TON ZH O "T S EMO N KA AIIO0ANEIO T ME I N KEPAOS." Four small springs of foliage in the corners complete the design. The famil f Ardmurdo y y havoma e hoped tha layinn i t g down their new memorial all knowledge of their sacrilege would be hidden for ever. Such hopes f entertainedi , , were doome o disappointmentdt y 173b r 2 fo , the Grenlau side was uppermost again. The "Yiew of the Diocese" of that yea this rsha interestin verd gan y curious note: "Here (in the church) is a large gravestone, supposed to be one of the chaplains (sic) battle slaith Harlawt f nea o , becaus inscriptioe th n ei e nth year agrees, being A.D. M.COC.XI. (sic). But this inscription cannot be read compleatly, standing thus: ' Hie jacet Robertus (sic) Armiger- - - dominus (sic) de Stri - - -' (sic). The arms are, between a cheveron (sic). two water budgets a huntin chefn i d , an , g horne stonth basen i n e, O . ther farthes ei r carved (sic t largea ) ruda n i ,e Gothic way figure a th , f o e partln ma y (sic) armourn i , prayin vera n gi y devout manner." 1 This passage, for its length, must surely contain almost a record number of blunders. It is difficult to account for such a gross misreading of the inscription. But we may turn an indulgent eye ori the writer for the sake informatioe oth f slae state give s th t tha th ba f ha e n o n e to n h t time No . a word of Ardmurdo, who had evidently gone underground, the very existence of his monument unsuspected!—a rare and most gratifying instance of poetic justice. Our next information comes from Logan, who visited Kinkell about 1818. During the interval, the church had been unroofed and dismantled 2 and presented a scene of utter desolation. In Logan's vivid words: "Since tha ts gon timha e t ei rapidl ruino yt , more perhaps fro e ravagemth f o s man, tha e weathere effectth nth f o e polishes th ; d quoins d evean ,n sepulchral tablets, offering a temptation so strong as to overcome the drea f sacrilego d . silenc . reign w e. no e s ami e desolatth d e ruins—the rose bush, and the ash grow in the once hallowed precinct, and entwine

Coll. Shires Aberdeen and Banff, pp. 573-4.

1 2 Logau gives the date of this as 1771 (Lagan's Collections, p. 89); Mr Cruickshauk, his editor, 1774 (ibid., Introduction, p. xxxi.). NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 49

themselves around those mouldering walls, whic lono hs g re-echoee th o dt prayers of the devout." 1 He found the slab with the Grenlau side still uppermost, and as his note silene sar Forbe n o t Ardmurdof so evidens i t i , t tha lik, writee he teth r of 1732, suspected nothing of what was on the other side. The slab was then, apparently, lying "before the high altar and opposite one of the entrances" proceedse H . s bee: ha e "Parlowe nth d brokef en ro t n off, otherwiss i t i t bu goon ei d preservation mase th rubbisf r so fo , h with which coveres i t i d effectually protect t frosi injure mth y whic t hwouli d sustain from being trod upon." 1 . While reproducin e inscriptiogth s sketchi n ni h with some approach accuracyo t , Logan faile decipheo t d e t i correctly rth s not hi n o e d an , slaa singula s bi r piec f confusiono e e contradicth r fo , s himsel y firsb f t attributin r JamesSi o t t gScrimgeouri , constable th f Dundeed eo le o wh , van of Mar's army at Harlaw, after which he proceeds to give the inscription thus: "Hie iacet nobilis armiger Robertus (sic) de Scri- - - (sic) ----- anno domini MCCCC II" (sic), unded sketcan s title hi r th es h i "Sir Robert Scrimgeou Dudhope"f o r e On . wonders whether he eve;r read over his own notes! To have obtained such a reading of the name must surely have puzzled even the eye of faith, and one is tempted to wonder whether it did not originate in wishful thinking. But all else apart, the word "armiger" should alone have suffice securo t d fro m errore mehi th s into s whicha e hh fallen, not to mention the heraldic evidence, which he does not seem to have though investigating.f o t 1 t remainI s somethin mystera f go y how, during this perio neglectf do , the slab escaped being carried off and converted to more mundane uses, for Logan records that '' the farmer of Ardmurdo'' had at one time carried of muraa f l tablewifformee a f th eo o t r parish minister, date recentlo ds y as 1712 ,s ver "buwa y e properlh t y caused brin t gi back". 2 Sacrilege seem havo st e bee endemin na c diseas t Ardmurdoea ! t somA e time before September 1871, when Jervise contributee th o dt Montrose Standard article th Kinkeln eo l subsequently include f voln do i . i . the Epitaphs and Inscriptions,3 the slab had been erected in its present position, exhibiting both sides. Jervise gives a good brief description of , whicit hI nee t dweldno l e onluponth ys a error, vere ar s y slight ones in the rendering of the inscriptions. He notes that the ruins and burial- ground wer mose stilth tn i l deplorable state, from which they have since been t intrescuepu o d excellendan t conditio Anciene th y nb t Monuments Section of H.M. Office of Works. 1 Lagan's Collections, pp. 89-90. 2 Ibid., p. 90. 3 1875, pp. 304-307. VOL. LXXX. 4 50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

I visite place dth Augus n ei t 1935, when these rubbings were taken, and althoug slae thed hth b ha n opee beemorr th nfo n n i e tha ncentura y and a half, it was still in good preservation—a tribute, if such were needed, to the durability of Scottish sandstone.

indebtem a Charler I M o dt s ffoulkes, F.S.A. Lore th ;d Lyon r WD .; Douglas Simpson; Mr H. M. Paton, Curator of Historical Documents, H.M. General Register House; and Miss Mary Smith, interim County Librarian, Montrose, for their kind and much appreciated help.

THE CROSS -KIRK, PEEBLES. Fragments bishopa of (? 'fromrestoredthe shrine Nicholas)St of . (1550)?c . During the course of excavations in the Cross Kirk in May 1923 a grave- like cavity aligned roughly south-west and north-east was discovered in the south wall below the basement level. In it were found six fragments obrowa f n sandstone slab engraved wit hecclesiastieffige n para th f f o yo t c wordw a margina fe f o sa d l an inscription. These were removeo t d e Chamberth s Institute Museum, wher I e foun d rubbean d d themn i September 1936 cas A church e thef i.p no t th bees u m t ha nse , adjoining the spot where they were found, accompanied by the description, "Shrine t NicholasoS f , 1260". Of these fragments the first, which appears to be a bit of the top dexter corner, bears part of the crocketed head of a crosier, and above it the hand tha oftes i t n placebeginnine th t da marginaf go l inscription sixteenthn so - century slabs. Of the remainder, three fit together to form part of a figure word rica w n hfe marginai f so a cope d an , l inscriptio quainn i t capitals: "M°. CC°. LX . OCTAVO". The other two bear small portions of the marginal inscription, reading "ANO . D(?)N d "DVSan " " respectively lettere flan i tTh e .reliear s f o nrecessea d background, with quatrefoil stops separatin wordse gth . Takin e figurgth e first e coppiece havth e th ,fina e f w e o s ee i fragment, and gives some idea of the handsome appearance it must have made when intactslae s embroideres i th bwa t I . d lozengy, each lozenge containinga n orphrea quatrefoil s f zigzaha o y d gan , pattern e vestmenTh . t worn cassocka e b beneat y r perhap o , e crosiema stafth e t alb e hi f sth o Th f r . lies transversely acros body e Richardson'r sth M . s drawing (PI. XIII) gives what is probably a pretty accurate reconstruction of the figure as it originally appeared. Copes occur but rarely on incised slabs of priests—I have found no

NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 51

example Englandn si onld othero an ,ytw Scotlandn si : Abbot Schanwel's t Coupar-Angusa , Perthshire, with whic hI hav e already dealt, Priod 1an r Donald MacDuffie's (c. 1550) at Oronsay Priory, Argyllshire, which I hope o describt a late n i er communication n contras I e Peeble. th o t t s cope, Abbot Schanwel's is plain, save for the orphrey; Prior MacDuffie's is ornamented wit ha serie f diagonao s l bands (probabl denoto yt e stripf o s different coloured material d soman ) e embroidery n additioi e , th o t n orphrey. Coming now to the inscription, there seems little doubt that, despite date th e given, thi mid-sixteenth-centurs si y e queeworkth r r fo ,letterin g used is of a type found on monuments of c. 1550, and the hand placed at the commencement does not, so far as I am aware, occur on monuments of the thirteenth century. I have not found it earlier than 1480, and it does not become common until the second half of the sixteenth century. what thirteenth-centura Bu s ti y date doin slaa n bgo seemingly engraved nearly three hundred year sattemp o lateT r ? answern ta muse w , t pasn si brief review the history of the Cross Kirk. The church was founded by Alexander III, apparently in the seventh decadthirteente th f eo h century. t becomAlthougno d di e t hconventuai l till about 1473, when domestic buildings were added for a community of Trinitarians, t seem2i havo st e been serve membery db thaf so t Order from the beginning. According to Fordtm, the founding of the church arose out of the dis- cover t Peebleya a statel" f venerabld o s yan e cross" lyinstona n gn i e o which was inscribed "Locus Sancti Nicholai Episcopi"; a little later anothe pacesw r fe mads fina ' wa ddistance—at ea containinn nur g human ashe bonesd san . Miracles were repute performee b spoto e dt d th an t , da the place rapidly began to attract pilgrims. On account of this the King, after consulting the diocesan, had a handsome church erected there to the honour of God and the Holy Cross. Of "Saint Nicholas the Bishop" nothing appears to be known: quite apart fro e conclusionmth s induce e cavitystuda th y f db opinioe yo th , n current in Fordun's time that the human remains were those of a martyr put to death during the persecutions under Maximian at the close of the third century A.D. woul opee db seriouo nt s doubt defauln i , f evidenco t e that these persecutions ever extende province th o dt e Britainf th eo t Bu . existenc sucf eo opinion ha mediaevan i l time somf o s si e importancet i r fo , entaile e acceptancth d t NicholaS e protomartyf o th e s a s f Scotlando r ,

whose grave would be regarded as a place of peculiar sanctity. It seems Proc-1 Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. Ixxviii. pp. 81-5. Though sometimes referre "Trinits a o dt y Friars "Rer "o d Friars" Trinitariane ,th s were, strictly speaking2 , neither friar r monksno s t canonbu , s regula followeo wh rt Augustine e S rul f dth eo . One- third of their revenues was by their constitution devoted to the ransoming of Christians held in captivity amon heathen.e gth 52 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1945-46.

that this hallowe e cavitsoute dth th spos hn yi wa walt whicn i l h these fragments were discovered d ovean , r whic e e sainshrins hth th wa f t o e erected. When Grrose visite £rose dth 1790y s KirMa ,n k i onl yearx ysi s aftet i r parise cease d usee th b ha s dha o d t church, ther cleas ewa r evidencn a f eo arch having been made in the south wall at the first building of the church, ove spoe rth t wher cavite e th brough s ywa ligho t 1923n ti thif O s. feature nothing now remains, but during the excavations a portion of the wall on the inside was removed to a height of 1 foot 7 inches from ground-level, leaving most of the cavity exposed to view. Mr Richardson gives a detailed descriptio arc e cavityd th conjectura a hf an n o d ,an l restoratio shrine th f no e (fig. 4), in the Note he has kindly contributed to this paper. s contentit d an Althoug sn werur e e hth someho w associated wite hth cross in the medieval mind, the fact that they were not buried with it seems afforo t d strong presumptio discoverieo n tw tha e tth s were quite unconnected and their juxtaposition purely fortuitous. It is worth noting that Fordun, writing in the fourteenth century, seems to have had his doubts about the bonesspeakinn i r fo , thef go cautiousle mh y remarks: "Whose relics these known ma areyets sa o n , . Some, however, think tha relice t th the e s yar of him whose name was found written in the very stone wherein that holy cros lying.s swa " Fro Richardson'r mM s descriptio gravee th f nt o seemi , s probable that these bones, suppose mediaevan di l thostimee a b f o o et s Christian martyr doubo n d t an ,venerate suchs da , were actually thosa f eo heathen of the Bronze Age! The architectural treatment adopted at the erection of the shrine (see fig. 4) was designed to enable pilgrims to approach it from outside and touch gravsainte e althougth th d f eo ,an crose hth s foun Kinn di g Alexander'y sda know d Hole an th ys n a Cros Peeblef so s seems t leas,a laten ti r pre-Reforma- tion times havo t , e bee principae nth l objec devotionf o t protomartyr'e th , s tomb would at least provide an added attraction, and its accessibility at any hour must have given it a great advantage over others less conveniently placed, such as St Waltheof's at Melrose, which stood in the chapter-house, to which pilgrims could only be admitted at certain times. It is hard to repress a suspicion that the existence of St Waltheof's shrine at Melrose may have had something to do with the erection of the Cross Kirk t Peeblesa . Waltheof, second abbo Melrosef o t , die 1159n di , havins hi n gi lifetime acquired a high reputation for holiness, and pilgrims seem almost at once to have been attracted to his tomb. In 1171, twelve years after Waltheof's death, Jocelin fourte ,th h grav e abbotth d e openedha , , whee nth body, with all its vestments, was found to be still intact, thus establishing his saintliness according to contemporary standards. Three years later Jocelin became bishop of Glasgow, and is said to have encouraged pilgrimages to Waltheof's Peebletombw pate No righy personth .f sla ho n ti s journeying NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 53

from Clydesdal Melroseo et latee th rn i Middl; e Ages hostilaga ther s ewa e of Melrose Abbey in the Old Town, though at what time it was erected seems to be unknown, but it may well have been there by the middle of the thirteenth century, when the St Waltheof cult was probably reaching its height. The existence of a regular pilgrim route through the town would offer the Trinitarians (some of whom must have been at hand when the cross boned an s were unearthed heaven-sen)a t opportunity exploitinf o greadya - made source of income for the benefit of their own meritorious work, and we nee t wondedno r that miracles wer t oncea findew imputene , whice th o hdt doubtless succeede absorbinn di g offeringe somth f eo s that would otherwise have foun tome t Waltheof.S th f dsomewhabs o o i t thei y t I rwa t remark-

able that the Chronicl1 e of Melrose, which records the foundation of a number of churche housed san religiof so Scotlann ni Englandd dan eved a an f , no few abroad ,wor a say t dsno abou discovere th t relice foundind th f san yo g of the Cross Kirk at Peebles, only twenty-one miles distant: the omission jealousyo t e madu e y.b But the prosperity of the new foundation did not rest on what might be diverted from St Waltheof, for in course of time the pilgrimage to the Holy Crosmose th Peeblef f so to populae on s e greScotlandn b i r wo t t leasA . t two hostels for the accommodation of pilgrims were in existence in the fifteenth century before the addition of the conventual buildings, one in the town at the west end of the North Row, the other at Eshiels, near the ford of Twee t Cardronada t unti.no s lWhil 153wa t i e0 tha festivaa t s wa l established specificall commemorato yt findin e Crose eth th t f Peeblessa go , sacree th d relidoubtless cwa s exhibite adoratior dfo earlien i r years e onth anniversary of its finding, as well as on feast days or other special occasions, anmose dth t appropriate displas poinit r e fo tomte y th th woul f t bo a e db reputed saint near whose remain founds wa t si . The pilgrimage outlaste e pre-Reformatio th e falf dth o l n Churca y hb Genera, goo e th d f lforto Assembl t y Ac years n n A 158i y. 0 provided (Article 5) "that anepunishment may be made for sick as passes in pilgrimage kiro t "wellsr kthao d an t;tan e ordoub ey witrma h them that past latelio et uthePeeblef c o si custoHalie d d d th rol places"esRu an e m th diet bu d; hard, witness the following extracts from the Presbytery records:— " 1599, May 10. Anent the ordinance that was given to William Sanderson (Innerleithen) minister, and some of the brethren, to await with certain gentleme bailied nan Peeblesf so appreheno ,t d them that com pilgrimagen ei s to the Croce Kirk, together with our brother, John, Fausyde (Newlands), according to a commission given him direct from the provincial assembly of

t Willia casS e f eo Th Perthf mo erectioe th , whosf no e shrin Rochesten ei r Cathedra doubo n s tlwa designe1 divero dt t offerings fro t ThomamS Canterburyf so , afford interestinn a s g parallel "Saine Se . t William of Perth and His Memorials in England", by Mr James S. Richardson, in Scot, Eccles. Soc. Trans., vol. ii. p. 122. 54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

Lothian, balde t Prestouna n Kirk 1599y , Ma o, ff theo dat e firsy yeth da t reported that they apprehende dd women certaian n , nme whos e names they gave up in writing as follows: William Douglas in Ha wick; James Wauche and Janet Diksoun, his spouse, there; Cuthbert Gledstaines and Marioun Greiff, servant laire th Gledstainesf do o st ; Walter Johnstond ean Adam Hopkirk Mynton i , Jamed an ; s Kar, dwellin Auldwarke th n gi n i , e paristh • f Selkirkho e PresbyterTh . y ordai e clernth o direckt a lettet r to the Presbytery in whose bounds these persons reside to take order with them.1 "1601, April 30, The Presbytery appoint that every brother desire some gentlemen of their parish to be present on Saturday at even, and on the Lord's day thereafter, to prevent and stay the superstition of the people comin e Crosth o gst Kir Peebles.f ko " 2 reporteds i e ministe t I th y . bailied b "160114 an r f Peebley o s Ma , s that at this Beltane there was no resorting of people into the Croce Kirk to commit any sign of superstition there. Wherefore in the Lord the Presby- tery rejoiced, exhorting them in like manner in time coming to use the like diligence, that all abuse of the place may be avoided." 2 "1602 condescendes i t , I Apri . 29 l d that the parsou Peeblef no s shall wai sucn o t h person s superstitiousla s y e Crocrepaith o et r Kir t thika s Beltane endeavoud an , havo t r e them apprehended punished e an , th y db magistrate." 3 The available evidence, though scanty and somewhat confused, would suggest that the only relic shown at the Cross Kirk in pre-Reformation times wa Hole sth y Cros Peeblesf so doub o thid n "rellyke s san ,i th t " mentioned in connection with the installation of John Jameson as Master (or Minister) in 1456. There is nothing to show that the bones of St Nicholas were exhibited; presumably they had been buried in the shrine made in the south wall at the building of the church. A letter of James V dated 1st July 1529 would at first sight imply the existenc anothef eo rCrose relith t sca churcKirke t referi th r d o fo ,t s han conventual building e "placth s f Peblia s eo . quhai . e paire . sth an f r o t verray Croce thar Salvatouou t crucifyis s honoriwa ri n kepit".d o t an t

onle Th y other mentio nI hav e foun f sucdo Boece'hrelin a i s ci s4 History, published 1526, and here the author is clearly confusing the Holy Cross of Peebles wit hfragmena e Truth f e o ts Crossworth i t I f specia. yo l note that the document of 18th April 1530 (less than a year after the King's letter), which record e establishinth s a yearl f o g y feaso t n 15t o y t hMa celebrate the discovery of the cross at Peebles, gives not the faintest hint thes thawa n t regardei t True pars th d a ef o tCross , whil e dedicatioeth n

. BC . Gunnr D 1 , Book Cross e oth f KirJc of Peebles (A.D. 1560-1690) (Peebles, 1912) . 58-9pp , . 2 Ibid, pp. 67-8. 3 Ibid., p. 70. Beuwick, A Peebles Aisle and Monastery (Glasgow, 1897), p. 81. 4 NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 55

of the church in honour of the Holy Cross of Peebles (as distinct from the Holy Rood) seem provo st certainls e thawa t t i considere yno pare b to dt of the True Cross in the thirteenth century, and Fordun would surely have mentioned such a belief, had it existed in his day, for he faithfully records opinioe th n then current tha bonee tth s were thost NicholasS f eo . Seeing tha Hole tth y Cros Peeblef smediaevao n i s swa l times suppose havo dt e been buried there abou e yeath t r 296, thirty years befor e Truth e e Cross wa s discovere Palestinedn i difficuls i t ,i conceivo t t groundy an f eregardino r sfo g the one as part of the other. Yet some such idea may well have begun to take e populashapth n ei r e pre-Reformatiominth f do towardd en e th s n period. The evidence of the Presbytery records goes to show that the principal pilgrimag Hole th yo e t Cros Peeblef so mads s wa t Beltane ea , which was also the festival of the finding of the True' Cross, and the coincidence may easily have led to confusion; indeed, the wording of Article 5 of the Generae Acth f o t l Assembl 158f yo 0 would suggest that justhis stwa what occurred, the Holy Cross of Peebles becoming finally identified in the minds multitude oth f e wit Hole hth y r SaviourRooou f do . Boece may possibly have been responsible for giving birth to this belief, whole th n eo mors i t i e t likelbu onls y thaywa givine h t g expression a o nt idea already prevalent in the early sixteenth century. Be this as it may, it appears probable that the reference in the King's letter is to the Holy Cross of Peebles, whicn commoi , hhe n with s mansubjectshi f yo , erroneously believed to be a fragment of the Holy Rood, although it seems clear from the instrument of April 1530 that the local clergy did not share this belief, but were well aware of the true position. coursef o , is t , I just possible tha Kine tth g "was right thad addition ,an ti n Hole th yo t Cros Peeblesf so repute,a d Holpiece th f yeo Roo preserves dwa d Crose th t sa Kir laten ki r pre-Reformatio t presumabli n, daysso f I . y found its way there at some time subsequent to 1456. Durin excavatione gth 1923f so , certain foundations abuttin cavite gth y were exposed, which appear to indicate the site of an'altar. It is curious that no reference to any altar dedicated to St Nicholas has come down to us, extensive th o t e edu lose recordf b so t y thibu sma s whic believes hi havo dt e occurre e conflagratioth n di onlf 1549e no Th y . altars mentionee th n di surviving records are those of the Holy Cross (High Altar), the Holy Blood, an t SebastiandS . The first half of the sixteenth century found the Cross Kirk and its little community in the enjoyment of considerable prosperity. But towards the end of 1549 the scene changed abruptly. English invaders set fire to Peeble destroyeds mucwa d t i san f ho , including towe mosth f no t churcf ho St Andrew. The Cross Kirk, though relatively fortunate, did not escape confidently unscathedma t i inferred e yb an , d that whil e croseth s would doubtless have been remove timn placa di o esafetyf t eo e shrinth , e must 56 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F SO , 1945-46.

have suffered rough treatmen e e Protestanhandth th f t o a st t enemy, including almost certainl e smashinyth e sculptureth f go d effigy r otheo r portrayal of the saint. There is evidence that the Cross Kirk was afterwards restored, for in 1558 Gilbert Broun Ministee th ,convente th f o r , grante charterso dtw e th ; first consideration i , merk0 60 f sno pai d "for reparatio place th f eno burned by the English in the time of the last war", and an annual feu duty of 30 merks, grant Jameo st s Hom Dunban ei r certain propertie than si t town; seconde th consideration i , merk0 30 f sno contribute same th r ed fo purpose , grant Jameo st s Small formee th , r rentaller manse th ,churc d ean h landf so Kettin penc0 4 dutAngu d n sfari u f d ol eo paymenr fe y f m an fo o n s i 8 £ f o t augmentation. The fragments of this slab appear to establish that some restoration of shrine alsth s oewa attempted copee th , d bishop being presumabl yreprea - sentation of the saint. This restoration cannot have endured for more than a decade, for in 1560 the burgesses petitioned the Privy Council that the Cross Kirk might be granted to them as their parish church in place of the destroyed town kirk, which had not been rebuilt, promising to "exclude furth of the samin all maner of idolatry". The request was granted, and on llth December Broun, who was still Minister, handed over to the bailies the key of the outer door of the church, and the tomb of the saint was probably broken up almost at once, if it had not already perished at the visitation which John, Maste Maxwellf ro madd ,ha behal Lordn e eo th f f fo so Congregatioe th previoue th n no s 30t Marchf hsomewhao s i t I . t remarkable that even such slight remain thess sa e have been preserve presene th o dt t day. face tTh that this slab, apparently engrave . 1550dc , bear thirteenthsa - century dat t beyoni e t seempu do st reasonabl e doubt tha t formei t d part restoree oth f d shrinefurtheo Tw .r question arisew this no i : s date 1260 or 1268 whad s significanceit an ,s i t ? e onlTh y interpretatio r givefa o ne nlats r seemth thae eD b f o to t s Clement Bryce Gunn historiae th , Crose th f finns o Kirkhi e n serieI . f so churche bookth n l writteso al , n befor excavatione eth 1923f so adoptee h , d date 126th foundationf eo s 1a , following Fordun's narrativ findine th f eo g than i y studa t t yearMa yBu inscriptioh e croso.e 9t th fo th fn e so th n no slab must have induced a change of opinion, for in a paper on "The Church of Peebles" contributed in 1932 to the Transactions of the Scottish Ecclesio- logical Society 1 he states: "The Cross Church was founded on the 8th day of May in the year 1260." Presumably he arrived at this date in one of two ways: (a) by assuming that the words following "octavo" were "die mensis Maii"r o ,

1 Vol. x. p. 89. Dr Gunn does not mention the slab, but it appears to be the only piece of evidence tha coms t ha ligh o et t sinc publicatioe eth n book s ofhi s which could have causealteo t mind s rm hi dhi . NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED SLAB7 5 S (II).

treatiny (bb ) fragmene gth t '' DVS' formins a ' gwore parth df o t' ' idus and following immediately after "octavo", thus getting the reading "ano.dn(i).M°.CC°.Ix.octavo. (i)dus.(Maii)". There is, however, no certainty that any month was named in the inscription, and the fragment "DVS" might not have formed part of "idus", but of some other word, e.g. " reverendus": even if it did form part of "idus", ther stils ei l nothin shoo gt w tha t cami t t beforee no th after,d an year, for while there was no fixed practice, it is far commoner to find the montd an y h da placed before e yea pre-Beformatioth n o r n inscriptionsf I . "idus" did come after "octavo" and the next word was "Maii", it is not quite certain even then that the date would be 8th May 1260—it could (though with much less probability e rea b )s 15t da 1268y hMa , whilf i e "idus" preceded "ano.dn(i)", the year would be 1268. . Other modern writers have assigned dates varying from 1257 to 1262 for the founding of the church. Of these, I have relegated to a footnote all but two,1 who as the most important merit quotation. Thomas Dempster, whose Ecclesiastical Historye Scottishth f o People, written in Latin, was first published at Bologna in 1627, gives this account: "St Nicholas, a Culdee, and one of the first bishops of the Church of Scotland, suffering martyrdom while Maximian's persecutio s raginnwa g through Britain, the most holy remains of his body, cut in pieces and mutilated, laid up in a stone urn, and buried in the earth together with a certain venerable cross afterwardd , deservean , up g du sd veneratio thiy nb s inscription: 'Ot NicholasS f , bishop' whicr fo , h thereafter King Alexander III, at the request of the Bishop of Glasgow, built a magnificent church at Plebes (or rather Peebles): which, while piety endured among our countrymen illustrious wa ,glor e miracless frequentes it th f ywa y o s b d an , d by a wonderful concourse of people. This bishop suffered martyrdom in the year 296. His sacred body, known by the inscription, was found, and e Ide th f Mayyeae wito s f th crose o rh n th i ,h 1262 s 7t exalted e ; th n o , thirteente whicth s hwa f Kinho g Alexander III s appear a ,Scotie th n i s- chronicon, book 14, chapter 16."2 Grose cite a variets f date yo authoritiesd an s . "This, sayse h "s "i , Conventuae parth f o t l Church built, accordin Boeciuso gt , Majo otherd an r s by King Alexande I A.DII r . 1257 erectes e spoth wa t. n t i o dSom y sa e

1 See J. Laing, Supplemental Catalogue of Ancient Scottish Seals, p. 246 (1257); New Statistical Account, No. Ill, p. 6 (1260); Old Statistical Account, XII, p. 13 (c. 1260); Chambers, History of Peeblesshire, p. 293, Origines Parochiales Scotiae, i. 229, and Benwick, A Peebles Aisle and Monastery, p. 24 (1261); Williams, Glimpses of Selkirk and Peebles, p. 10 (c. 1261); Buchan, History of Peeblesshire, ii. p. 2 (1261—2); Glenriddel . CollectionMS l s (quote y Benwickb d PeeblesA , Aisle ) Monastery,d (1262)n. an , 19 . . p Benwick, Peebles in Early History, gives 1262 at p. 11 and 1261 at p. 29. Sir George Douglas, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles,d an . 136—7pp , mentions Fordun's accoun discovere 1261y th f e croso tMa th ,n f si yo but gives no date for the founding of the church. translationy M 2 . 58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

wher reliquee e th t NicholasS f so martyra , , were discovered t froe bu m;th accoun thif o t s discovery preserve t Peeblesda t appeari , s that this event did not happen till May 7th 1262. . . . Fordun says 1261, and the Chronicle of Melrose places this discover n 1260i y . Fordu . . . n thus relates the circumstances of finding these reliques. In the same year, i.e. 1261, 7th Id. May," etc.1 accoune Th t preserve t Peebleda whico t s h Gtrose refer s compilewa s d in December 1640 by Andrew Watson, "Vicar of Peebles", from records preserve e librar t John'th S n f di yo s College, Cambridge t I consist. f o s passage th e from Dempster whic hI hav e just quoted, followe anothey db r e Scotichronicoth f o . froMS ma n t John'stheS t n a whicf o , h more later. The whole, together with a translation made for the magistrates by John Frank printes i , Alexandedn i r Pennecuik's Description of Tweeddale (1715).2 heaw rno whas u earle t th t yLe writers hav sayo et . foundine Th e Crosth f sgo t mentione Kirno s ki e record e th th n di f o s diocese of Glasgow, neither (pace Grose) does the contemporary Chronicle of Melros earliese Th e . trefe it accoun o t r possese w t thas i s f Joho t f no Fordun, composed about a century after the event. Twenty-one MSS. of his writings are known, of which five only appear to consist of his original work, comprising the "Chroniea Gentis Scotorum" (down to 1153) and " Gesta Annalia" (coverin perioe gth d 1153—1383) thesd an , e wer onee eth s used by Skene in preparing his edition for the Historians of Scotland series. The other sixteen, containing Fordun's text as amended and added to by Bower, together with his continuation down to 1447, are known as the '' Scotichronicon''. Fordun's description is in Chapter LIV of the "Gesta Annalia" 3: thirteente 1261y th n i Ma , f o h h yea9t "OKinf o e r nth g Alexandera , statel d venerablyan e crosfouns wa st Peebleda e presenc th n i s goof eo d men, priests, clerics quits burgessesd i t an ,i e t unknowBu . whan ni t year, and by what persons, it was hidden there. It is, however, believed that it hiddes wa faithfue somy nth b f eo l abou r Lor e yeaou dth tf o r296 , while Maximian's persecution was raging in Britain. Not long after this, a stone urn was discovered there, about three or four paces from the spot where that glorious cross had been found. It contained the ashes and bones of a man's body, torn limb from limb as it were. Whose relics these are, no man knows as yet. Some, however, think they are the relics of him whose name was found written in the very stone wherein that holy cross was lying. Now there was carved in that stone, outside, ' Tomb of the Bishop, Saint Nicholas'. Moreover vere th yn i ,spo t "wher crose founds eth swa , manya wroughs i d miracl an tha y s b t people te wa th cross d e an poure; stild dan l 1 Antiquities of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 219.

Workse Se 2 of Alexander Pennecuik, 1815 edition (Leith) . 275-9pp , . Historianse Th 3 of Scotland, . W . Skened F . e (Edin., 1872), vol. . 294-5ivpp . . NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 59

pour thithe crowdsn i r , devoutly bringing their offering vowd an sGodo st . Wherefore the king, by the advice of the bishop of Glasgow, had a handsome churc hHole madth yd Cross.ean therehonoud e th Go "o f , t 1 ro The date, as given in the Latin text of Skene's edition is "Septimo idus Mail mensis anno Domini MCCLX t regne I i regis Alexandri (X)III", i.e. 9th May 1261, 13 Alex. III. We now come to the MS. of the Scotichronicon at St John's College, Cambridge, from which Watson mad s extracehi n 1640 i relativte Th . e passage—th citee Dempster—correspondey on d b s almost exactly with that in Skene's edition, except for the date "Septimo Iduum mensis Mail anno domini 1262, et Regni regis Alexandri 3"113 ", i.e. 9th May 1262,13 Alex. III.2 While there is no doubt that this MS. was in St John's College library in 1640—for the correctness of the transcript was certified by three of the Fellows—it has since disappeared, and its present whereabouts are unknown. t doe I t figursno e amon twenty-one gth e MSS. enumerate Skeney db . The difference in date between the two versions is easily accounted for. Alexander II died on 8th July 1249, and 9th May 1261 would there- thirteente th fort twelfte eno th fal d hn s successori lhan yeahi f e o r Th . copyist of the St John's College MS. evidently spotted the inconsistency and altered the year to 1262. Fordun's error may, however, have been in the calculation of the year of Alexander's reign, so that it remains uncertain whether he intended 1261 or 1262. nexe Th t account comes froBooke mTh of Pluscarden, compiled shortly afte middle fifteente th r th f eo h century (Book VII, Chapter ,XXII): "In the year 1260 Pope Urban instituted the solemn feast of Corpus followine ChristiTh . . g. . year" (i.e. 1261 a valuabl)" e cros founs swa d at Peebles buried underground, which had been buried about a thousand years before; and, with the consent of the bishop of Glasgow, the king built there the famous church of Peebles in its honour." 3 While the writer is in error regarding the feast of Corpus Christi—for Urban IV was not elected Pope until 29th August 1261, and did not publish the bull " Transiturus" till 8th September 1264—this does not necessarily invalidate his account of the finding of the cross, for the other Scottish eventperioe theio th t assignee f so dm rar propehi y db r datesyeae Th r .

comparisoA 1 f thio n s passage with Dempster's account, which purport derivee b o t s d fro, mit provide somewhaa s t ironic commentary seventeenth-centure onth y historian. Pordun, while faith- fully recordin e opiniongth s curren (fourteenthn ow ts inhi ) century, preserves towards the mmosa t praiseworthy caution. Dempster, "writing in a more scientific age, swallows them whole, and boldly narrates them as facts. 2 Both Prank and Grose incorrectly render "Septimo Iduum mensis Mail" as "7th May". It is a little surprisin f educatioo n fine o seventeentgt th dme n ni eighteentd han h centurie imperfectlo s y acquainted wit Romae hth n calendar. 3 The Book of Pluscarden, ed. W. P. Skene (The Historians of Scotland, Bdin., 1880), vol. ii. p. 67. 60 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1945-46.

intende Peeblee th r dfo s incident seems undoubtedl 1261e b o yt , following Fordun, who appearme h authoritiess hi hav o sf t o ee useon s .da John Major's History of Greater Britain, published 1521 this ha ,s passage t Chapte a Boof o I k IVXI r : * e Lor "Iyeae th nth df o r twelve hundre e fifty-sevend th d an n i d an , thirteenth yea f Alexander'o r s reign a daughter , m ther s borhi o ewa nt , Margaresame th en i yeanamey d b t rAn ther. discoveres ewa t Peebleda s a very beautifu anciend an l t cross r whicfo , h Alexander showe pious dhi s feeling by ordering that a church should there be built." This passage contains two errors; the thirteenth year of Alexander III was not 1257, but 1261-2, and the Princess Margaret was born in February twelfte 1261th n i h, reign s yeahi f ro . Major's date must therefor takee eb n as either 1261 or 1262. Lastly we have Hector Boece's version in chapter 16 of Book XIII of his History of Scotland, published in 1526. I quote from the translation into Scots made by John Bellenden, Archdean of Moray:

"About this time Paip Urbane, the fourt of that name2 , institute the feist of Corpus Cristi, to be ilk Thurisday efter Trinite Sonday. ... It is said that ane monke of Melros was admonist in the samin time, be ane visio sleips hale fan d hi pare th yan n f d;an i o t croce , Peblia nochfr r sfa t Louthianen i , samine withith cace e a nochd nfr ,an an ther : fa t y fane dan g craftelpi y ingravin n quhili , s founwa k d certane bonis woun n silki d , bot it was not knawin quhais bonis thay war. Als sone as the cace was opnit quhare the haly croce was inclusit, mony miraclis apperit. King Alexander, movi devotioue b t n thairof, biggi abbae honoue th an t n yf i o r the haly croce: in the quhilk are now monkis efter the ordour of the Trinite." This account cannot be accepted as of much value; the silence of the Melrose Chronicle would alone suffice to discredit it. Boece does not, however, as Grose alleges, give the date of founding of the Cross Kirk as 1257, but implies that the relics were found during the pontificate of Urban IV (1261-64). It can thus be asserted that none of the pre-Reformation writers places the finding of the relics earlier than 1261, and unless they all erred on this point t seemi , s unlikely tha yeae th t r recorde slae th b n couldo d have been 1260, except by an engraver's error, and it is presumably 1268. To what doe t refersi ? It will be noted that none of the early authorities gives a date for the founding e church th e discover f t th onlo r bu e cros, yfo bonesd th f san yo , Fordun'd an s language might well impl yfaia r interval between theso etw casey eventsan , n somI . e considerable time would elapse befor churce eth h

1 Scot. Hist. Soc., .1892 . 188p , . 2 Bellenden's Works (Edin., 1822) . 346, p vol . .ii . NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (II). 61

was completed. It was not a large one, but the whole, apart from, a western tower addefifteente th n earld i an hy sixteenth centuries, appear havo st e been in the First Pointed style, and was probably builb in one continuous operation. The shrine, no doubt, was erected concurrently with the church, or immediatel s completionit n yo . Having regard to the position occupied by the date, it seems that the inscriptio thn no e probablslas bwa yrecora entombmene th f do saint'se th f o t boneshrinee th n si , which event presumably occurre t dsoma e time durine gth year 1268. It is, of course, impossible to restore the missing words with any approach to certainty, but the inscription may have run. somewhat as follows:— (a) (If "DVS" formed part of "idus") "Sepultae sunt (?)--- idus - - - octavc locX L ho Ano° n oreliquiai CC Dil° M i e Sci Nicholai ep t martyris"e i r o , (6) (If "DVS" was not part of "idus") "In hoc loco sepultus est Ano octavX L ° oCC redvu° M i s Dn pat' Nichus ep t martyse r occisus Ano Dni CC°XC sexto". I cannot conclude withou tributresearchea te th lato e et th e f Roberso t Renwick and Dr C. B. Gunn, of which I have largely availed myself in preparing these notes. I have als o expresot speciay m s l acknowledgment r JameM . S o sst Richardson, Inspector of Ancient Monuments, whose help and counsel have been invaluable . Dobiegratefuy R . M M . ,r l M thank o t alse e sar odu Keeper of Manuscripts, National Library; Mr lan R. Russell, Dumfries; Mr Hugh Gatty, Librarian t John'S , s College, Cambridge; Mis . BethunesN , Chambers Institution Library ,Eware Peeblesstafe th f th o ft d Libraryan ; , Dumfries.