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was built. Bede, the historian, who was born in the year 673, describes the old monastery of Melrose. This stood about two miles from the New Abbey; but the Old Abbey was a much inferior erection to the one which was afterwards built.

King David the first, king of Scotland, was remarkable for his profuse liberality in founding and supporting religious houses his descendants complained that he had unduly lessened the amount of the royal property. He must have spent a very large sum in the erection of the New Abbey of Melrose. Besides the magnificent church, there must have been an extensive pile of buildings for the resi dence of the monks. When the church was completed, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary; this was in the year 1146. The first monks who resided there, were from the Abbey of Rivaulx, in Yorkshire. It is said, that in the year 1542, there were two hundred monks resident at Melrose Abbey.

Queen Mary of Scotland, made a present of the Melrose monastery, and the estates which belonged thereto, to the earl of Bothwell. Since then the property has belonged to various families. In the last century the property was purchased by an ancestor of the present duke of Buccleugh, to whom, we believe, it now belongs.

The church was built in the form of a cross. Much of the western portion of the church has been destroyed. The abbey church was two hundred and fifty-eight feet in length, and one hundred and thirty-seven feet wide. The parts of the building, which remain, consist chiefly of the southern transept, a portion of the tower which rose over the centre of the church, part of the nave, and the chancel. The roof has nearly all fallen in. Still the ruins prove that the church was a noble and beautiful specimen of architectural skill.

In the year 1559 Popery ceased to be the established religion in Scotland, and the abbey of Melrose was afterwards neglected, and part of it was pulled down, to use the materials in building a mansion on the estate. In the year 1649, when the Scotch resisted the attempt made to force

them to submit to the introduction of bishops, the people inflicted much injury upon the abbey church. It is said that the work of demolition was stopped, by a fright which one of the mob received, from an accident which befel him, while he was aiming a blow at a figure of the Virgin Mary.

Although Melrose Abbey was erected by king David, it was afterwards greatly altered and improved. In the early part of the fourteenth century, during the reign of Robert Bruce, it is probable that it was made to possess the architectural magnificence by which it has since then been distinguished.

Sir Walter Scott, by his writings, has greatly increased the fame of Melrose Abbey. His references to it have caused it to be much visited by tourists. The admiration which it has excited in the visitors, has led to the use of means to protect what remains of the abbey from destruction. A part of the nave was fitted up and used as the parish church, but the erections which this required, greatly injured the appearance of the noble remains of the abbey. A new parish church has been built, and the unsightly modern additions have been removed, that they might no longer disfigure the abbey. There are many carved stone figures in the walls of the church which are fine specimens of artistic skill.

Melrose Abbey is at Melrose, in the county of Roxburgh, and is near to the river Tweed. A little to the south of Melrose are the three Eildon Hills. One of which is said

to be one mile and a half in height.

LETTERS TO THE

NO XII.-ON POETRY.

YOUNG.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-Allow me most sincerely and affectionately to wish you "A happy New Year." In beginning my letters to you for another year, how glad I should feel if I could grasp the hand of each of you, and say fervently and hopefully,-May God abundantly bless you this year; may He cause his face to shine upon you; may He fill your minds with divine peace and heavenly joy; may He aid you in the great work of

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