fite fhore, Spinie Caftle, the ancient feat of the Bishops of Moray, makes a magnificent appearance.

The walls of Duffus Caftle are of amazing thickness, and have small chambers, galleries of communication, and staircases, within the body of the wall; these chambers, above, open into a fpacious hall, of about forty-five feet long and thirty wide: the roof being fallen in, it is not easy to ascertain its height. From these circumstances, it is probable, that the castle was built in the eleventh century; for fuch, from concurring teftimonies, was the ftyle of building places of strength, in the neighbouring provinces, at that time.

It is remarkable of this maffy ruin, that one large divifion of the end wall has funk obliquely into the fide of the mount, and by that means is confiderably removed from its place; and ftands detached, impending over the hill, as if every moment about to fall down: but the mass is so thoroughly concreted, that the front of the wall is ftill preserved entire, though inclined to a pretty acute angle with the level.

This castle was inhabited in the beginning of this century; but after the year 1715 was neglected, and gradually went to ruin.

MONUMENTS in ROSS-SHIRE.

Ommunications in the fame channel by which the knowledge of Chriftianity

was conveyed, probably gave rife to the various emblematical figures on thefe obelisks. The miffionaries from the church of Rome, bringing their miffals and other books along with them, artists would have access to fee them.-By the taste of the times, these books from the continent were in general illuminated with various paintings. The piety of the new converts adopted these as the chief embellishments for their monumental ftones.-The figures in praying poftures on the fragment at A, and thofe at a, a, feem to have been fimilar ones, or angels bending at the Crofs.-The Cross itself, highly embellished, as the chofen symbol of the Divine mercy, communicated by the knowledge of Chriftianity-the figure of St. Andrew on the cross, twice repeated, as at B. B-and, above all, the facred emblem of the Dove, feemingly fufpending the confecrated wafer-bear evident. testimony in favour of the above opinion.

But there is on this monument a ftill more fingular expreffion of that line of communication, in the ornamental knots at each fide, near the croffes of St. Andrew. Their diftinguished appearance there, is no mean proof of their being fomething. more than an adventitious ornament. Its ftriking resemblance to the knots, that were among the first badges of knighthood, is very obfervable. It was established. as the enfign of renown in arms in the thirteenth century, and its honours were revived with additional fplendor by Henry III. of France, in 1574.

Narrations of the honours of that Order, who, infpired with holy zeal, had ledthe Crufades for the recovery of Jerufalem out of the hands of infidels, would be a favourite there with the Coledei's, who wished to spread the triumphs of the Cross, which aggrandized their banners; and, while they pointed at the knot as a badge of honour, would connect the idea of it with that of facred efteem. It enriched the garments of faints and heroes; and thence became a confpicuous ornament on their tombs and portraits, and of course would find a place even in facred volumes. When thus celebrated as an emblem of pious renown, it is not to be doubted but the Caledonian hero, equally devout in his ambition, would be fond to adorn hismonument with fuch a device. Here it is variously repeated, oppofite to e.

Several of the monuments under confideration have a Boar, at leaft an animal. more refembling that than any other, figured as the capital trophy on others, it is reprefented as devouring fmaller animals like lambs, and fometimes as tearing human figures. The daring fportfman, who was fortunate enough to deftroy fome of these formidable animals, would be proud of having fuch a memorial

of

of his prowess perpetuated by fculpture. Hence it became a creft, when armorial enfigns came into vogue.

But whether the figuring of that animal on thefe ftones originated from the ftate of Caledonia itfelf, and the circumftances alluded to above; or was borrowed from delineations brought from the continent, in the channel already specified, may not perhaps be positively determined; but the custom of placing the effigies of ferocious animals, as well as domeftic and emblematical ones, at the feet of faints and heroes, was prevalent, at the æra of thefe, on the continent. Refemblances of the lion and wolf, the dog and lamb, are often fo placed on monuments carved in France, in the 11th and 12th centuries. Examples of these may be seen in the LVth and other plates of the English tranflation of Montfaucon's Antiquities.

We need not therefore be furprised at the awkward and feemingly unfuitable appearance of the two strange animals at the feet of the figures on the fragment marked A. They may be placed there as animals of ufe, or as an emblem of plenty in fome countries a herd of swine was considered as fubftantial wealth. It is not probable that they can here have any religious allufion; for, whatever might have been the cafe in the system of Druidism, they can have no reference to the rites of Christianity, to which the central emblems of this piece of fculpture evidently apply.

Thefe obelisks feem to have been fometimes raised by the vanity of the living, as a monument of their fame and power, and perhaps more frequently fo than as any memorial of the dead; for there never is any emblem of mortality on them. The principal ftone figured in this plate, marked II, is ftill in great prefervation, firmly fixed on a rifing ground, furrounded with steps: it is but a few hundred yards distant from the fea-fhore *; and on the adjacent rocks there are remains of a caftellated houfe, called Sandwick. Within the circle of a few miles, in that district, are many fimilar monuments; but most of the others are either fallen down or broken, however many curious fragments of them are ftill to be feen.

That as at d, expreffes the nature of feveral of the circular ornaments, which on others are much obliterated, as at D. The animals devouring others, at C, &c. give scope for animadverfion-but this article has already exceeded its due

bounds.

See the Reverse of this Monument, Antiquities and Scenery of Scotland, plate xii. page 65.