I I. E CORONATIOTH N STONE WILLIAY B . M. SKENBF , ESQ., LL.D., VlCE-PKKSIDEN . SCOTA . TS . The Legene Coronatioth f o d n Ston f Scotlandeo , formerl t Sconeya , Westminsten i anw dno r Abhey intimatels i , y connected wit fabuloue hth s histor Scotlandf y o wandering s it tale f eo Th . s from Egyp Sconeo t d an , of its various resting-places by the way, is, in fact, closely interwoven with that spurious history which, first emerging in the controversy with England regarding the independence of Scotland, was wrought into a consistent narrative by Fordun, and finally elaborated by Hector Boece into that formidable lisf mythio t c monarchs swayeo wh ,e sceptrdth e over the Scottish race from " the Marble Chair" in Dunstaffnage. The mists cast aroun e trudth e histor f Scotlanyo thiy b ds fictitious narrative havbeen greaw a en no i , t measure, dispelled. Modern criticism s demolisheha e fortth d y kings whose portraits adore e wallth nth f o s gallery in Holyrood, and whose speeches are given at such wearisome lengte page e legenStonth e th th f Boecen h i s f o Destinyt f eo do Bu . , or Fatal Chair, has taken such hold of the Scottish mind, that it is less easily dislodged from its place in the received history of the country; and there it still stands, in all its naked improbability, a solitary waif from f myt o d fable a an h se , e witth h which modern criticis s hardlmha y venture o meddlet d d whican , h modern scepticis t caveno o ds t mha question s stili t lI believe. d tha e stons peculiarlth t wa e y connected with the fortunes of the Scottish race, that it was preserved for many generations at Dunstaffnage, and that it was transferred from Argyllshire e nintScono t th hn i e century, whe e Scot th ne sai havo ar st d e con- quere Pictise dth h nation. THE COEONATION STONE. 69 Buhistore th t y with which this legen s connectedi d havin beew gnno rejected as unquestionably spurious, it is surely an inquiry of some interest to what exten pary f thio an t s legen s realli d t i y r historicalfa w ho r o , must shar same eth ee popularly-receivefateTh . d accoun e stonth f eo t may be shortly stated in the words of Pennant:—" In the church of the abbey (of Scone) was preserved the famous chair, whose bottom was the fatal stone e palladiuth , e Scottisth f mo h monarchy e stoneth ; , which had first served Jacob for his pillow, was afterwards transported into Spain, where it was used as a seat of justice by Gethalus, contemporary with Moses t afterwardI . Dunstafihago t sy founwa s dit Argyllshiren i e , continued e Coronatiotherth s a e n Chair e reigtilth lf Kennetno h II., who securo t , empires ehi , remove Sconeo t t di . Ther t i remainede d an , t i ever n i y Scottish monarc inaugurates hwa d e yeatilth l r 1296, when Edward I., to the mortification of North Britain, translated it to "West- minster Abbey witd , an accordin,h it ancieno gt t prophecy empire th , f eo Scotland." ' The latter part of this account is unquestionably true. It is true that such a stone was preserved at Scone; it is true that Scottish monarchs were crowned upon it; and it is true that in 1296 Edward I. removed it Westminsteo t seee b nn undeca r e Abbeysead th ran t , is , wherw no t ei Coronatioe oth f n Chair. Fordun has left us a detailed account of the coronation of Alexander III. at Scone, in the year 1249. He did not live to continue his histo- rical narrative beyond the reign of David I, but in the MS. preserved at Trinity College, Cambridge, are the materials collected by him for the remainder of his history, in which this account is contained, and it has been introduced, with some variations, by Bower, in his continuation of Fordun's s beehistoryha n t I littl. e notice Scottisy db h historiansd an , , ver bit refeo y d yo thos t ro inaccuratel ewh y represented, r excepM y b t Eobertson in his " Scotland under her Early Kings," who is always accu- rate; but he has taken his account from. Bower's altered version, instead of fro oldee mth r t forcontainei f me Cambridgo th n di . IneMS order to follow the description, it will be necessary that I should first produce to you ancient Scone. remaine Th ancienf so t Scone, suc thes ha l containeyal aree ar , d within 1 Pennant's Tour in Scotland, vol. iii. p. 116. 0 7 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , MAEC , 1869H8 . the present park of the-Palace of Scone, which extends along the east bank of the river Tay from about a mile north of Perth for a considerable dis- tance. Fro rivee mpare th rth k extends wit hgentla e ascent towarde sth north and east, till it reaches the road from Perth to Bridge of Isla. Throug soute hth h par tpare oth fksmal a l strea burr mo n flows inte oth Tay throug hravina e calle e Friars e nortdTh th n h' o Den sidd f o ean , this ravine were situated the old abbey and the royal city of Scone. The present approach from Perth, now called the Queen's Drive, crosses this ravin bridgea y entered b an , broasa d terrace throug hgata e termee th d Terrace Gate, till it reaches the north-east front of the present Palace of Scone, situated about 300 yards from the Den. The present palace faces rivere th , which here runsouth-easterla n si y direction. Abou yard0 10 t s from the south-east corner of the palace is an old burying-ground, and in 1841, in altering one of the terraces, the foundation of a small room or cell was found between the burying-ground and the palace, and within 20 yards of the former. It was surrounded by stone seats about 15 inches broad, and might be from 10 to 12 feet in dimension. It was probably abbee parth f yo t buildings. Abou yarde nort0 7 th tn f a thio ho s t s i s oval-shaped rising groun r hillocko d , called popularl Mooe yth t Hilf o l Scone, and having on the top a flat area of about 100 yards by 60; this was the ancient Mons PlacMi of the Begiam Majestatem, and the Collis Credulitatis Mounr o Belief e Chronicleso tth f o f . Abou yard0 e 20 t du s east of the north-east front of the present palace is an ancient gateway still preserved, and 30 yards east of it stood an ancient cross, now removed to another site. From this gateway proceeded walls, built on the foundation of other walls, which seem to have enclosed these posses- abbee sion Mooth e f wels th yso a s ta l e sout HillTh lina h. n ewalo s i l wit ease hth tburying-grounde walth f o l . The ancient palace of the abbots, with the abbey and abbey church, was entirel t fire the o se t 1559n y burnd i o mdestroyeb an wh ,t mo a y db e groundtheth m o t thert bu ;littl s ei e reaso doubo nt t thae presenth t t palace is built on the site of the old palace. The rebuilding of the palace was commence firse th t y Commendatodb r afte Eeformatione th r Eare th , l of Gowrie d extendean , d completean d r DaviSi y db Murray, whon o , forfeiture th Eare th Gowrif o f l o e 1600n ei , receive lande dgrana th f so t abbee oth f f Sconeyo , which were erected inte lordshioth f Sconpo n i e . THE CORONATION STONE. 71 1605. This building was replaced by the present palace in 1803. In 1624 Sir David .Murray took down the few remaining fragments of the e abbee wallth th f f o yso churchp to d erecte e churcw an ,th ne n da o h Moot Hill. The old gateway appears also to belong to his period. We know from the old descriptions that the cimiterium lay on the north side e e abbeyMooo th th fbetweed d tan , Hill an d thae abbe t an i nth ,t y churc immediatels hwa ycimiterium.e westh f e burying-grouno t th f I d founcimiterium,d w whicol no de s e sami hth ther th s a es t wouli e i d determine the site of the buildings; but it contains no gravestones as old Reformatione asth sits it inconsistens ei d an , descriptionsd tol wit e th h , whil e remain e stonth e th f eo s wal d seatan l s seem evidentl havo yt e forme abbee d th par f yo t buildings e abbe situateds Th .y wa , therefore, l probabilityal n i , betwee presene walnth d ol l te sout palacth f d ho an e e ancienth e nort almosd th t an gaten h , O it sidt . f undeeo e Moorth t Hill, was the cimiterium or burying-ground, and, at the west end of cimiterium,e th e abbeth y church.