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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1932-09-08, Page 3• THURSDAY ` SEPTEMBER 8, 1932, THE SEAFORTH NEWS. PAGE THREE. �e Land of Berns THE 'LAND OF . SIR IWALTEIR ,boards' of the pulpit alf the c'hurch at Dunfermline, where 'Ralph Erskine; one of the'founders of the Secession Church, had preatchetd. The floor 'upon which we were "statiding;.w'as laid with 'black andwhite marble. The .Arlm- oury is entered from the vestibule. lit runs to the furthest end of the .house, and to the righit and. left of thehouse. we •noticed'openings :into the .dining and 'drawing rooms. On the walls of the Armoury we n'oiticed 'Highland targets, D'ocda;ber axes, 'broad '.swords, : whingers, daggers, coldmuskets, !bugle horns and other ,insltremenits o'f war, ,conspicuous amongst the decorations )being stag horns, as in the case with ,nearly all the apartments. iA'm,onget. the numerous articles of interest to the anti'qu'arian as ,well as the ,histor- ian, we may Intention a great two- handed Swiss sword; which was pre •senited• to Scott by 'his !Swiss admirers! ITlhis one is similar to that ,d'es'crilbe'd iii'"Anne of 'Geierstein.? !Here also we saw 4h 'b'ottle that once- belonged, to King James, the s'w'ord of the sword ,od the great Marquis of Mont- rose, Andrew 'Hofer's- gun, Bena- nparte's pistol, with a. portfolio and golden bees, which also ,b:elonged, to '"'Bonny," 'and were, picked up at 'Wat- erlbo. IIn another place were pointed out the pistols of °'Royal 'Charley," a case of dirks and a 'gun. which once belonged. to the famous "Rob Roy" and no doubt were used by him too, when , . 'SCOTT'. Albibabsfordt-4BbibM'e ,of Mleltrose=4The ' IArritoury.~ I3'o'nlapanb&s Pistol' - Ie King Tames' I t' IBlottle-Montrose'. Sword-Roya1•.iOhanley - Clover- hop,se- Brolb IRioy-IPlane tNicDlon- ald-tBallfour :Of ]Butil'ey'-,Heent orf • Mlidliotlh'i:aliti-lO'lliver Cvomiwe1 Sir (Waiter's (Waiter':s'Great IGrandfat'her- ILaect !Byron,-iGleo, !IjT'I'.-Bresent- estion Illy the 'Pope --Mary Queen of iSlclotts-Death of 'Sir 'Walter - IConcludin'g .!Reflec'ti'ons on. His Life •anal !Death, etc, • IW'e now 'came in 'si'gh't ,of Abb'o'ts - fond' with its ornate grounds. ',This is !the, 'famous nvansioln, of !Sir ',Walter 'Scott, his residence be many years .and 'the place olf this death. It stands the ;west !bank Of the ,beautiful fitteed, olpiposilte !Ablb:oltslford Ferry Station, on the !Selkirk railway. The ,house is situated 'close to the 'read nfrote :'Melrose to Selkirk, is sur - mounded by 'plantations and overlooks !the grassy 'banks of :the 'Tweed just ibefore the 'Gala Walter joins it. The iutbme 'Abbotsford" was given to it pn''alccount of Ithbre Ibeiin:g a ,Nord or (ferry at this place, the Abbdt o'f Ioounse being the presiding ,father 'o'f Melrose !Abbey, to -whom the proper- ty originally 'belonged. There Was en ea Ronan road whi:oh led from the Bilden Hills to 'this ford. The groun!d. , "¢s !historical in another respect, 'for it was on the rising ground on the north bank ,of the river that 'traces of . ,the British barrier, the iCatrail were dis- covered ,and are still to Ibe seen. Last, but not least, and ,this is :said to have had More influence in inducing :Sc!ett house; and perhaps the one with to 'build his mansion on this 'ground ;whi'ch he shot John Brown, '"the than any thing else, it was there that chris't:iam'carrier." Here. again 'was a the battle of ,Melrose ,was' fought, he- gun that belonged to that sturdy soh 'ween 'the, Earls of Angus and Home of the Covenant, Balfour of Burley, and the /Duke of .:Buccleuch. The and which was said to have 'been used *hole .ground :belonged to Sir Walter by him while defending the religious ,from Skirmish 'Field to Turn Again, liberty ''of 'Scotlanld against the ' un- �ribo� Thomas the IRhymer''s Glen.''The circumcised Philistines," as the eipis- btriThi'n'g was begun in '1'811 •and was .capaiian panty was called :by those gradually extended from year to year (brave, sincere, etnthusiastnc sons of at the convenience of the owner, and the ""Solennn League and !Cotenant," at last 'attained dimension far :beyond :Certain we are that both Balfour and what the owner at' ,first 'contenvplat- .•Hackstawn smote them "with the ed. 8 was told that at least £50,00.0 sword of the (Lord and Of !Gideon," as were expended en tAbbots'ford and .its opipontunity offered, having determin'- grounds, The 'hoarse is built in the ed to contend to the death ;Nor the pri- gothic style of architecture so that vilege of worshipping God according additions could he made fronn time to to the dictates of their own con - time without marring the fair pro- sciences, on the hills, in the glens, porti'ons of the edifice. In 'fact we he- and on the mountain homes of their Bern there was no architectural .plan native land. A noble resolve! ,"There 'previously designed. Upon entrance at were giants in those ,days;" and brave the gate 'we took a good view of the Burley was one of therm. Here again ' grounds, Which are laid out in ter- were, the 'famous thumb :screws that races and winding paths, while rustic ,had been used, on the "mountain seats and lounges are placed where- folk" to make them :confess to the ever the view is ,particularly interest- holding of ionventicies, :the hiding ins; oir s'tniking. 'The walls Of the gar- places of their ministers, tete. These �en and also of the house are set were troublesome times for the peo-. about with curious old sculptured ple',p1 the mountain land. The subject "The eagle he was lord :above And Rob was lord below." • A purse that had.' 'been used zmid owned 'by Flora McDonald was shown. A pistol of Graham of'C'lever- stones ; ,gathered• -from ancient !build- ings and ruins in all parts of lScot- land. Alter viewing the outside we paid one shilling and entered by the east side through a 'torch :copied from 'Linlithgow Palace. !Stags' horns adorn the entrance, :white the walls of the ;vestibule arcpanelled with oarved oak 'front Dunfermline 'Palace, the andhed roof being of the same mater- ial. The guide, who .'hewed us the changes - another chapter in Scot- tish history 'loom's up -here .a lock of hair of Prince Charley .and another of ,Flora 'McDonald, his :deliverer, and We arc reminded that the ,persecuting house of ,Stewart, that attempted to make all their subjects thunk as they themselves- did in -religious, matters, has passed away, that the rast repre- sentative of the race wa's-.ohased. like a partridge on ' the mountains 01 the curiosities of the place, . spoke in a land where This ancestors orae reign - strong 'English accent and told his ed, and that :his life was saved by the story in a very rapid manner, -dike a school boy rec'i'ting his 'lesson, but our company were- not to be 'pushed (through the place' at this, rate, we iw,ent en slowly, examining things to our own satisfaction, a coolness which seemed to annoy our English frielnd not• a little. I suuproose he put .us all dowan ; •tor coal pensisiteni't Yankees, who like a well-known 'animal, have a Way of their !own. Ali the rooms in the house with the ekception of the drawing room which 'was left to Lady 'Scott, are of 'antique carved oak dwibhcoats of. 'arum placed here and there at the - intersections of the , `teams, resting en heads, 'copied, from tthe • architectures of !Melrose and ,I 'Roslyn Round the cornice we olb- sisted of cabinets, chairs; piano, etc, served the aranorial bearings of the This is a lofty and. spacious apart - Scotts, ,Kerins, Armstrongs, and alf nient,; the wood wank being of ,cedar. the mighty ,D!ou:gla'sses, which clans Ilii the dining .room are full length !according to the inscription, "Kee'pdt' p'or'bnaits of Charles XIII of Sweden; the'M,archys sof 'S'eet,t, i,d .in on'd 'tyme G1'averhou's,e, 'Charles '17 and Oliver for the IC'ynge," On .one 'side of the ,CroMwell, with. a ,very curious one of Sir Walter Scott's great,gran:dfather, nick -named "Bleaddie," because he !never shaved, alter the execution. of Charles 'I, whom he called a "blessed martyr." His beard was a portent- ous protest against that aot`o'f the '"Protector." It' is a wonder that Oliv- er did not make tern shave, however thisfreak pleased the old man and, did Cromwell no'` harm, !The' library, ,whi'c'h is the largest arid most magni,i Ificeint of a 'll the rooms, is sixty feet long ,by fifty broad, an'd' contains near ly 20,000 volumes. -A uparble' bust of Sir Walter, taken, by C'hantrey in 111820, stands' in a ,niche at 'elle ' tipper heroism of the • brave girl, whose golden- locks' I saw before Inc.. •Per- haps a just. retribution too, if we con- sider their tyrannical aots and t'he,per- ,secutiii,g nature of the race. We can - ,not help, however, dropping 'a tear over the; mislfortnnes of the last repre= sentative of a once loved ,and h,en- ored family.., We were also shown the various antiquarian relics,'sitcln as the pulpit of Erslkiee, the prea,che'r, iron 'bound gates of, the "Heart o'f 'Midlothian,"' or Edinburgh, Tolbooth, .which the mob attempted to burn in the Porter riots, In the ,drawing room, we observed ;beautifully Carved eib'ony furniture, which was the gift: of George IV to the Poet. These con hall'_ we observed stained glass win- ddws with the spaces 'between them •decoatated witli 'pieces of armour, onos:sed swords; stag horns and other curiosities, 'At the bottomi df the hall, are' two figures in complete armour, one -with a'haige two handed sword another, ,with a • ;spear, standing in a gothic niche with a canopy above., '[be`Ifibeplace was designed from a niche in !Melrose 'IAIb'bey; and is a :fine specimen of carving. On. the o'ppo'site •side! ,tro'nm, this 'fireplace we observed a sort of side tiihle, which, the,,gunde told .tis w.asconstructed, fnonn: 'ohne cf !end of the room. During the great novelist's lli:fe a bust of :S4makes- pe.are occupied this place of honor. From a recess 011 the north side of this apartment we had an extensive prospect pe and dowjn' the "`Silver Tweed." 'Across from 'Abbotsford,` below the junction Of o!f the Cala, in the vale of 'toe A'l'len .is G1'en'dearg, the scene of "The Monastery." Ira this morn' we e5a'w a silver urn, whichhiad, bee:n presented to ,Sir ,Walter by Lord 'Byron, an ebony writing desk pre- sented 'by George 11I'L and two carved chairs presented' by , the :Pope of Ronne, who it seems was one of IS'cpbt's friends and admirers. Leaving the library we entered a Small room ,wh'ic'h is .inure intimately connected with the renown. ,o,f the Great Magic- ian, then any of those we have been examining: This small room was used as Sir Waiter's ,priv'ate sitta'dy. I,t - is lighted by -a single window. The other theee sides are fitted upwith shelivinig for books and higher. up, is an open' gallery of iron work 'for :enalhbin:g a person to reach: books which other- wise would /have been 'inaccessible. Here we s'alw Scott's writing table, the 'black leather arm chair he com- monly used, and one other chair which we ,suppose was used by his private serectary. This was all the furniture which that wonderful little room contained, yet the influence which ,pro!ceeded from that room is felt hr. all lands to -day,• that influence is gr'a'dually extending and 'strength- ening, and will go on increasing until time shall be no more. 'W'e passed through ,the study to the closet, where we were sh:olwn some of -th'e body clothes worn by Sir Walter immed- iately before his :dea't'h. Tilley were carefully preserved in a glass case. The suit ,consists of a blue coat with large hra'ss buttons, plaid trousers, a broad brimmed hat and a pair of stout .'hoes. His walking stick was ly- ing :beside thein. We ,now prepared to leave Abbotsford. We saw a good deal to remind us of what Sir Wal- ter's principles were, both in politics and religion, one curious thing being a .picture of Mary Queen of. Scats' head on a charger. This was un- doubtedly to remind hien of the man- ner : in which that beautiful and un-. fortunate Queen had been treated by the Reformers ,of those times. Scott, sympathized with the House of Ste- wart and admired; Graham Clever - house. He Was a High Churolmian in religion, and a Tory of the Tories in politics, and in soave of his wri'ti'ngs did but meagre justice, if justice at; all, to the 'Covenanters, as for in- stance, in his novel, '"Odd Mortality," and his tales of a grandfather, but with all his :faults, "I love him still." 'His writings, on the whole, have a good influence, and are calculated .to have a' fine Moral effect upon the reader. He was a wonderful, if not a great man, the chief of story tellers, an interesting, if not at all times an exact .historian, and a poet of no mean order. His versatility ./vas most ex- traordin'ary. Hispowersof description were unsurpassed by any writer who ever handled a pen. He has immortal- ized almost every hill and glen,,loc'h (plc of-S'cotland,, no, matter of ,whet class in politics, or what ' their re- ligious ,belief may be, are ;proud of Sir Walter Scott . today and they have a right, to be. Scott died here iia 1832, utterly !broken down by the wonderful exertio.ns: he had made to play Off' the immense incu'in'beances in,, which his connection with the 13a1 lavltynes'`hsd,• iivellved him, As they brought him in':helpiess.with palSy; on his return ft -thin Italy, he mur- mured, mured, "Now T 'know I am at Alli- b'ots'tord." About three months after- wards the minstrel o4• Scotland, tine greatest novelist, and the most dis-. 'tingu'is'hed literary man of hi d'ay,, (breathed his last, aged '61 years, one 'month and aix days, Sir Walter loved Abbotsford. After returning from 1ltaly he got :his friends to wheel hint about through the rooms., and as they ,did s,e he kept saying, "I have seen much, but nothing like my air house." dt is ..very intere'stin:g to know how celebrated • men die, However; one .famous !mann has Said, "Tell me how a man lives, and I will, tell you !tow he dies," The living is still more inn- porfanit than the dying. Sir Walter had been a kind husband and a loving father, in fact he was beloved by all those' with whom he came in 'contact. He was an ardent lover of his "ain ;fireside," and his own family, and Burns tells us that , To make a happy fireside clime 'To weans an:d wide, That's the true ,pathos and sub- lime ''Of human life." ,Scott did this. He did More than this. 'While teaching others the way to live, he himself ha'd learned the,.way to die. Flom days before he died he sent for his son-in-law. ,His 'eye was clear and cailm when he thus ad,dress- ed him: "'Lockhart, I may have but a minute to speak to you. My dear, be a good man, be virtuous, be relig- lees; be a go,:d man. Nothing else will give you more comfort when you come to lie here." We stood in the large room where Sir ;Walter Stott died, It commands a beautifu'l view of the Tweed below, and the Vale of Ettrick and Yarrow beyond, and the walls are hung round 'by many exquisite drawings by Turner and [lho ,pson. It was a lovely place in which to die, though with such surroundings one would rather live after all. "It was a.beautifel day," says his biographer, "so warns that every window was thrown open and so perfectly still, that the sound of all others, most delicious to the ear, the gentle ripple of the Tweed over its pebbles was distinctly audible, as we knelt around the bed, and his eld- est son kissed and closed his eyes." He quip had charmed the world, could' not charm away death. From the banks of Tweed's silver stream }ie had passed to the green fields be- y'and. Humbly the great 'ni'an died. Leaving Abbotsford was 'passed down the 'hanks of the river to the ferry, Where a boy was waiting to take pas- sengers across. All four jumped into the boat and we were soon on, the other side. We then 'walked ' on to 'Galashiels through a 'beauti'ful coun- •try and OD a fine stone road. We were accosted o0casi nal]y by beggars . whom we found were more numerous than in Canada, 'This is not to be wondered at when it 'is considered that competition Here is keen, wages low and the struggle for existence a ,hard 'one in, many instances, here it is snot yery easy to lay by something for a rainy day and the poor man has often to choose between the work, house or the beggar's ,wallet, Reach- ing. Galasheils we had a plc-niic.' df our jowl as. We were httngry once more, . our walk having given ;tis , a, good appetite. We then, .examined the town. Galashiels is. a town of about 10,400 Inhabitants and the people are engaged in the Manufacture of Tar- tan and Tweed cloths, which are said to be the best in the world, It has quite a number Of .' large factories, twentyin all, several .hotels, a large public hal,1, a' corn .exc'han,ge, ornate Episcop'a'lian and Roman .Catholic c'hurdmes and nine other 'places of worship. The town is long and nar- row and. lies chiefly at th'c • 'bottom of a vale, immediately flanked• by con- sidetable,heighits, It has a brewery, large, tan yards; library, grammar eche is and near to the hunting tow- er, o'f, the Sleettish Kings. `Mugget Hill, Larder, Cowden- Kn'owes with its vitrified fort and Ashes.tiel where !Scott wrote lids "M'armion," The 'Gala water" which flows through Galashiels like most• of the- streams of Scotland is ren'owne'd in song It is a beautiful little stream threading its way through a lovely country like a thread "df gold in cloth of silver. B'ult our train arrived punctually and we took our seats and were span balk. in Edinburgh again, arriving at the 'Waverly station at 8:30 p,m,, after having walked on foot fifteen miles, besides the delightful railway jonrn- ey through the garden of Sc:otda'n'd. We had seen a great malty sights never to be forgotten and treasured up some glorious reminis'cen'ces of the land elf .Hogg, Leyden, Pringle, and of the i'mm'ortal Scott. In fact we had passed one day o'f our lives in the atmosphere, so to speak, of the great magician of the north, and now we had arrived under the shadow of his monument in Princess street, one of the finest in -the British Empire, and the city of his ' nativity where his .name is on everytongue and his vol- uminous works in: every book -seller's window Here also, "Scott in peer- less splendor reigned," but where can •we go in the "land of brown heath and shaggy wood," where his name is not a household word, He 'lives in the hearts of the people of Caledonia, stern and wild, an'd,tlie longer he oc- cupies a spot in their hearts the greener that spot becomes, for "Time 'but the impression strong. er makes, •As, streams their channels deeper wear." Walking slowly up to our lodgings we resolved as we had .'pent the day, to spend the night with Scott so we 'began by reeding the poem composed by James Ballantyne for the Scott centenary ,which was sung at the Ed- and river in his native land, The peo- tinlburgh banquet on that oceas'lon and. with. this we will bid Scott Farewell. 'Come, let ` us raise a grateful' song IOn 'this,, our min'strel's natal day, And all the world shall round ,tis throng; Heart-horn'age, to lois name to pay One hundredX ears have iiiassed away Since ,fi'cst awoke that watchful ,eye Whose sparkling glane and genial ray (Have kindled'li .ht that neer can die. g !See his glory 'brightly ,shinning, ,Over ,palace, hall and cot, 'See the myriad nations twining Laurel -wreaths round 'Walter S'cott. 'Immortal 'Strains of Auld 'I: ang Syne Are floating on the ambient air, While 'fame and time strew flow- ers divine Around the ,wirard minstrel's chair, Who in his hundredth year sats there With songs and stories as of yore 51111 charming all the brave and fair, Still 'hulking hearts fare vermore. Oho. -See his glory, etc. (Statesmen and. warriors gather round 'And prince and peasant swell the train The sky -cleft hills, the glens .pro- foun:dl 'Prolong the universal strain. !O'er aI4 the 'werld the loud re- 1fnain Of grateful joy spreads wide and far, And Scotland's radiance ne'er tan wane Tflunned by such a lustrous star- lCho.--!See his glory, etc.. FALL FADR DATES. Ailsa Graig Sept. 22, 2F Arthur Sept. 27, 28• !Atwood Sept, 16, 17 iBoyifield 'Sept. 28, 29 (Blyth !Sept, 30, 'Oct, 1. (Brussels . Sept. 29, 30 Drenthe Sept. 27, 28 Dungannon ............. Oct. 12 Ombro Oct. G Exeter Sept, 20, 21 Forest Sept. 27, 28 Fordwich Sept. 30, Oct, 1 IGoderich Sept. '20, 21 'Harriston Sept, 29, 30 IIldertoit 'Sept. 28 !Kincardine Sept. 415, 16 IKirleton Oct, 4, 5 Listowel Sept. 21, 22 .'Lucknow iSelrt, 29, 30 Sept, 20, 21 Sept, 15, 16 Sept. 27, 28: Oct, 4 - Mildmay Milverton Mitchell Mount Bridges New Hamburg . , Sept16, 87 'Parkhill Oct 4, 5 Port Elgin Oct.' 7, 8 !Ripley ,Sept. 27, 28 St, Marys Oct. 7, 8 ,Sarnia Sept, 19, 21 Seaforth :Sept, 22, 23. (Stratford Sept, 11:9, 21 Strathroy !Sept. 29, 00a' Tavistock Sept. 0, 10+ Tee'swater Oct. 4, 5u Wingham Oct 7, S Zurich Oct, 3, 4 Coun f :• r heckBooks • We Are Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next Order. • Seaforth News SEAFORTH, . ONTARIO..