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ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.-GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. 25

a fociety formed for the prosecution of literary and antiquarian researches of every description, but particularly those having a relation to Perth.

The Grammar-School Vennal leads to the South Street. In a garden, on the left hand, a chapel dedicated to St Ann, the mother of the Virgin, formerly stood. Adjoining, there was an hospital for the entertainment of the poor, but no traces of either remain. We pass by an arched way under the school,

and

small sword, or dagger of his brother, which had been suddenly drawn, was divested of human affairs." (Vol. ii. p. 323.)

The English writers say, that the Earl of Cornwall died at Perth, in October 1336; but they take no notice of his death. being occasioned by a wound which he had received from hist brother. Fordun was living in Scotland at the time, and began to write his history in 1341; and it can scarcely be supposed that national prejudice would have influenced him so far as to mention such a circumstance, if he had not been certain of it.

The king and his brother were both of them young men. The Earl had not attained the years of majority. No doubt he deserved to die, if he was really guilty of the crimes represented. But the English laws justly required, that the punishment should have been preceded by a formal trial.

The church was in good repair in the year 1400; and it is not improbable that the choir, or east part, had been then rebuilt. Masters were appointed to take care of the fabrics of the church and bridge of St John. The former altars of the saints seem to have been removed; and a multitude of new altars began to be founded. Only the great altar of John the Baptist, the tutelary saint, behoved always to be kept up, according to the notions entertained in those days, and to stand always in the same place, viz. at the east end of the choir. The first of the new altars founded was that of St Ninian, by Robert Brown, purgess of Perth, 14th August 1401.

Under

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and turn to the left along the South Street. In the Fountain Close was the residence of the bishops of Dunkeld. If we except a large room, lately occupied as the Linen Stamp-Office, which seems to have been the hall, few traces of external magnificence, or interior convenience, are to be discovered.

At the east end of this street stands the heretofore princely house of Gowrie. It was built by the Countess of Huntly in 1520, and on the confiscation of

the

Under the whole area of the church dead persons were buried; but this manner of burial was seldom allowed after the Reformation.

The north-east end of the choir, near to the door of the revestry, was the burying-ground of the family of the Earls of Gowrie. During the first half of the last century, permission was several times given for some of the relations and descendants of the family to be buried there. Its description in the registers is, "the north-east nook of the kirk ;" and James, Earl of Gowrie, who died in 1589, is particularly mentioned as having been buried in that place.

The buildings adjoining the church were,

1. The Revestry. It stood at the north side of the choir, with which it had a door of communication. The priests kept their vestments in it, where they occafionally retired to change them, according to the different parts of the service they were to perform.

After the Reformation, it was the place where the kirk session held their meetings.

It was lately taken down, and a new session-house was built at the south front of the West Church.

2. Halkerston's Tower. It is a very old structure, seemingly now much decayed, contiguous to the north wall of the West Church. It probably took its name from some remarkable perşon who had been confined in it.

After

the estate of the unfortunate Gowrie, became the property of the town. Previous to 1745, it had various proprietors; but at this period we find it again at the difpofal of the magistrates, who hastened to express their gratitude to the fortunate Duke of Cumberland, by presenting him with this valuable property. Shortly it passed into the hands of government, and the extensive buildings and gardens have ever since been appropriated to the accommodation of a detachment of artillery, seldom exceeding

After the Reformation, many of the persons who had fallen under ecclesiastical censure, were confined in its apartments by the direction of the kirk-session. It is sometimes now a place of confinement for offending soldiers, who have been put under arrest by their officers.

3. The burying vault which belongs to the family of Mercer of Aldie.

This very ancient vault has its opening from within the Middle Church, near to the north side of the north aile, and extends northward a considerable way from under the north wall.

The tradition concerning it may be seen in the following old verses, which I received many years ago from a gentleman in Aberdeen, the late Mr David Mercer, who was a descendant of the family. They appear to be a translation from the Latin.

"On the Arms of Aldie.

"Behold the arms of the Mercers are

Three mill rynds, three gold balls, with glistering star;
To let the world know that their ancient race

Possess'd three mills, for many ages space,
In pleasant Perth, near situate by Tay,
Which mills Perth keeps unto this present day.

Thres

exceeding a dozen of men! Again the town has recovered the property, and soon the whole will be razed to the ground, to make way for the new street, and the consequent improvements! Let us not repine. Attachment to this interefting old house is natural, but antiquarian predilections ought not to be for a moment indulged, when opposed by the higher considerations of public utility. Indeed, so much has this mansion been altered and dilapidated, that the identity of Gowrie-house is almost destroyed; and we will have to regret only the removal of a pile of building which large sums of money have been expended in disfiguring, without rendering of use. At the south-east corner of the garden stands the Monk's Tower, and at the south-west, towards which we walk along the Speygate, was the ancient and strong Spey Tower. Between the former and the

Three balls next shew them potent in each thing,
Therefore they gift these mills unto the King,
Who for their golden gift, and loyal mind,
With arched tomb in church did them provide,
With lands, rents, arms of privilege and fame,
Kept now by Adie's lairds, chief of the name.
Lastly, the star, clear shining as a gem,
Proves their descent out of Moravian stem.
Likewise their will and virtue doth presage,
In name and fame to last with shining age.
Therefore men may avow, with justest breath,
Mercers are, yea, older than old Perth."

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The two concluding verses, in which the Mercers are represented as older than old Perth, refer to Boece's fabulous story of Perth having originally stood two miles farther north.”

SCOTT'S STATISTICAL ACCOUNT.

GREY-FRIARS, QUAYS, AND DOCK-YARD.

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site of the latter, a wall still exists which was part of that which surrounded the city.

A convent of Grey-friars * once stood without the city at the end of the Speygate. The town's burying-place now bears their name. It has no tombstones of sufficient elegance, nor epitaphs beautiful, ludicrous, or quaint enough to attract attention †. Adjoining to the grounds of Gowrie-house is a quay for the delivery of coal-vessels. A little below

is

"The Grayfriars, or Observantines, were invited over by King James I. Their convent stood without the Speygate, or South Port, on the right-hand, which is now the public buryingplace. It was founded by Lord Oliphant in the year 1466. Buchanan says, it was destroyed the 11th May 1559. Knox informs us, that the convent was very well provided; their sheets, blankets, beds, and coverings, were such, that no Earl in. Scotland had better. Their napery was fine. There were but eight persons in the convent, yet they had eight puncheons of salt-beef, wine, beer, and ale, besides store of other victuals. Within two days, so busy were the mob in destroying idolatry, that the walls of this edifice only remained."-Cant.

There is one, however, which we shall insert here, not for any excellence of poetry, but because of its commemorating an eminent artist. We give it, with Mr Cant's explanatory remarks. "The old bridge, which was destroyed in 1621, was but lately finished before that destruction. It was built under the direction of Mr Mylne, a celebrated architect, whose progenitor was dis tinguished by James III. who was a great patron and encourager of Mafonry. Mr Mylne's tomb lies in the Grayfriars burying place, with the following inscription, without a date:

This stone entombs the dust of famous Mill,
Renowned chiefly in his time for skill

In

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