I. NOTICE ANCIENTH F EO T T FILLANRIGHBELE S TH F LTO v EEVB . A. P. FORBES, D.C.L., BISHOP OF BEECHIN. visia Lorn o t to Whes d Crawforwa nI t Dunechda t this autumnI , me Englisn ta h gentleman, with whom I entere d into conversatioe th n no subject of the Early Scoto-Irish Church. He stated that in the house of a relation of his in Hertfordshire there was preserved St Fillan's Bell, which .the fathe f thao r t relation, partl n froli i yd partl an c o abatyt stilea l existing f superstitionAugusto h 9t n i ,r o carried h ha , 8t d e awayth n o , yeae th r 1798 subjoie W .foo a n ti not extracn ea t fro journae mth l of this gentleman, not only as giving an account of the circumstances under whic takens bele hth wa l s valuabl,it bur fo d accuratet an e historical 266 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 10, 1870. information ! > He added, that the family was not anxious to retain posses- sion of it, to which I replied that it ought certainly to be sent back to Scotland. The result "was that the bell was handed over to the custody of the Earl of Crawford and myself, and it is to-night exhibited on the e Societytablth f eo . St Lilian's bell has been preserved by this gentleman's family up to this day—Octobe , 186924 r . In the " Old Statistical Account," vol. xvii. p. 377, there is a note to 1 " Aug. , 1798.—Arrive9 t Tyndrada o'clock4 y mb . Rode, after dinner, witha guide to the Holy Pool of Strathflllan. Here, again, is abundant cause for talking of the superstition of the Highlanders. The tradition avers that St Fillan, a human being who was made a saint, about the beginning of the eighth century, by Robert de Bruce, consecrated this pool, and endued it with a power of healing all kinds of diseases, but more especially madness. This virtue it has retained ever since, ami s resortei crowde y neighbourinb th f o t do s g peasantry eitheo wh , r expece b o t t cure reaf do l diseases r suppos,o e themselves cure imaginarf do y ones. This healing virtue is supposed to be more powerful towards the end of the first quarter of the moon; and I was told that if I had come there to-morrow night and the night after I should have seen hundred f boto s h sexex s si t fiv bathinr poolo ee me th I .n gi who were just coming away from taking their dipamongsd an , t the unfortunatmn a e r mind camhe o f o wh ,e girt froou l m thirty miles' distanc receivo et benefite eth f o s beed waterse ha th n d therefoan , r several moons together neved ha t r derive,bu e dth smallest advantage, and, indeed e appearesh , completelo s d y mad, that whatever virtue t Fillan'math S e f yeb o s surPoolm a e I ,Willi s would pronounce e herb o st a hopeless case. A rocky point projects into the pool. This pool is by no means fountaie th nwatee th head r r fo run,t e countryno th s s froi p t u mlona y ye ; gwa supposed to receive this virtue till it comes to the very place [Strathflllan derives its name from the saint—strath, in the Gaelic language, signifying a plain between two mountains. Near Strathflllan a famous battle was fought between King Robert de Bruce and the MacDouglass, which the former gained, owing to the assistance affordeprayere t th Fillan] S y f b do s , on.one n sid f whicho me e e th , e othe e th women th n r batheo d . an , Each person gather ninp sn e stonee th n si poold aftean , r bathing, walk a hil o lt s neae waterth r , where ther e threar e e cairns, round each of which he performs three turns, at each turn depositing a stone; bodily an r y fo pain s i t i , f fracturei d an d limb r soro , e that the e bathingyar , they throw f thes o upo e enon cairn s that par f theio t r clothing which covere e pardth t affected; als f thei o y hav t homa e beas y an e t tha s diseasedi t , they have onlo yt bring some of the meal which it feeds upon, and make it into paste with these waters, and afterwards give it to him to eat, which will prove an infallible cure; but they must likewise throw upon the cairn the rope or halter with which lie was NOTICE OF THE ANCIENT BELL OF ST FILLAN. 267 this effect:—" Ther bela s ei l belongin Chapee t Fillath S o f gt o ln that was in high reputation, among the votaries of that saint in old times. It somf o seem e eb mixeo st d metalabous i t I foooblon.ta n a tf higho gd an , form t a gravestonI usuall n . o e church-yardy th yla n ei . Whed nma people were brought to be dipped in the Saint's Pool, it was necessary to perform certain ceremonies whicn i , h mixturthera s ewa Druidisf eo d man Popery. After remaining all night in the chapel, bound with ropes, the bell was set on their head with great solemnity. It was the popular opinion, that f stoleni , t wouli , d extricat thief'e th ef so itsel t handsou f , and return home, ringinwaye th .l gal For some time pas bele s th t ha l been lockepreveno t , dup beins it t g use superstitiouo dt s purposes." "JSTee Th w Statistical Account" (No., Perthshire44 , 1088), gives more led. Consequentl cairne yth coveree sar d withaltersd ol h , gloves, shoes, bonnets, nightcaps, rags of all sorts, kilts, petticoats, garters, and smocks. Sometimes they throo t s wa awar fa gs yoa their halfpence. Mone s ofteyha n been calle rooe dth t disease th r whaf fo l evile o t al f bode tbu , parth f yo tthes e innocent halfpence ar e thus abused I could not learn. However, we may venture to suppose that they sel- dom remain there long without somebody catching the disorder again. When mad people are to be bathed they throw them in with a rope tied about the middle, after which the takee t Fillan'S yar o nt s Church, abou mila t e distant, where thera s ei large stone wit a hnic k caive t jusi n ti d large enoug receivo ht e them thin I s. stone, which is in the open churchyard, they are fastened down to a wooden frame- work, and remain there for a whole night, with a covering of hay over them, and St Fillan's bell is put over their heads. If in the morning the unhappy patient is found loose, the saint is supposed to be very propitious; if, on the contrary, he con- tinu bondsn ei cure th ,suppose s ei d doubtful. Thi vera s f belyo curious li s shape, n iroa s n ha tongue d t an FillaS . thio nt y s cause fl soldiea churc o d t t dan i r h; aire seeinth , , whicfiren it i t t gda i h brough t downi t occasioned an , greada t crack in it, which is still to be seen. I was told that wherever this bell was removed to t alwayi s returne a particula o t d re churchyar placth n i e d next morning. This churc bees hha n formerly twic nows i larg s t appears ea i a ,e rui s e a th whaf no y sb t s beeha n pulled down—a strikin gdecrease prooth f o f e eithe f populatioo r f o r no religio thin ni s country orden I .ascertai o t r trute n th falsehoor ho ridicue th f do - lous t storFillan'S f yo s bell I carrie, t ofmead i f an conve wito , nt posf i hme , y-it sible Englando t , . womanAd nol observeo wh , d wha I wat s about, aske whae dm I t wanted with the bell, and I told her that I had an unfortunate relation at home s mind hi thad ouf an I o ,twante , o havbut,curedt dm Oh hi e' ' say. s she, musu use.o yo n ' t f brin' e cured o t herb wili m Upoe o r ghi b t elo , n whichI told her he was too ill to be moved, and off I galloped with the bell, back to Tyndrum Inn."—Extract from a Journal of a Tour in Scotland. 8 26 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , JANUARY 10, 1870. details about the treatment of the mad people, stating that the ceremony was performed after sunset on the first day of the quarter, old style, and before sunrise next morning; thae dippeth t d persons were instructe tako dt e three stones from the bottom of the pool, and walking three times round three cairns on the bank, to throw a stone at each. They were tied to St Fillan' st Fillan' bedS n i , s chapel l nightal , f founI .