It is to no purpofe to fearch for any remains of the monaftic I
antiquities of this place; fanatic fury having in a few hours pro. I
ftrated the magnificent works of miitaken piety. Pull down tit I
nefts, and the rooks will fly away, was the maxim of the rough apoftlt I
Knox, and his difciples took effettuai care to put in execution the I
opinion of their mailer.
The Dominicans firit felt the effed of their rage. After the conB
clufion of one of his fermons,' inciting the demolition of imago I
and church ornaments, an indifcreet prieil. began the celebration I
of mafs. A boy in his zeal flung a ftone and injured a pitture; I
the populace took that as a fignal to begin the demolition, , and ii I
a very ihort time plundered the monaftery, and laid all in ruinS
This houfe was founded in 1231 by Alexander II. In 1437 isjg
walls were polluted by the execrable murther of James I. thè bell
and moft accompliihed prince of the name. He had retired till
■this convent on the rumor of a confpiracy. The attack was made;!
the heroifm of Catherine Douglas, an attendant on the Queen, mull
not be paffed -in filence. She ran and Ihut. thè door on the Ml
alarm ; but, miffing the bar which Ihould have fecured it, fubftil
tuted her tender arm in the place, which was inftantly cruihed tel
pieces by the efforts of the affaffins.
The Olfervantines, a branch of the Francifcans, had here a mol
nailery, founded by Lord Oliphant, in 1460. It underwent the!
«fame fate -with the other. In it, fay . the writers on the reforiffll
tiqn, were found eight puncheons of fait beef, wine, beer, anIj
plenty of other provifions, befides moil excellent furniture, coni
jilting of iheets, blankets, and beds ; and yet there were only eight*
perfons in the convent: from whence they drew an inference
how ill the monks o.bferved their vows of poverty and abfti-
ndnce; never confidering that the religious houfes were the fup-
port of the poor, and the inns of the rich; and that their regu-
\ix ads of charity and hofpitality obliged them to keep thefe large
Hocks of provifions, without affording the means of applying them
to" the purpofes of felfiih luxury.
if The rigid order of Carthufians founded a place here. James I. on
hii return from his Englijh captivity, eilabliihed a convent of them
in 1429, as thefe monkilh lines exprefs-:
Annus millenus vicenus ficqtie novenus
Quadringentenus Scotis fert munera p lenus:
Semina florum, germina morum, myftica mella
Cum tibi, Scotia, fit Carthujia, ijponfa novella.
The vicar of the grand chartreufe in Dauphine was the firll fupe-
rior. On the diffolution, James VI. created George Hay, o f Nether-
eliff, commendator of this priory, with the title of Lord, but findings
the-revenue too fmall to fupport the dignity,, wifely refigned it
into his majeity’s hands.
'Leave Perth, and pafs over the South-Inch, a green beautifully
planted. Keep alcending a hill for a confiderable fpace, and enjoy
a rich view of the carfe of Gowrie, and of the firth of Fay,
bounded by that fine trad on one fide, and the county of Fife on
the; other. On palling the heights of this afcent, have a full view
of \Strathern: Continue my way, for fome time, on the fine terras
that runs along the northern fide; and finilh this day’s journey at
Dupplin, the feat of my noble friend, the Earl of Kinnoull.
In