History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

72 LAND OP THE LINDSAYS.
savours more of Dr. Beattie's manner than of anything which we
have ever seen by Ross. Be this as it may, we have also in this
lonely churchyard, and engraved upon a stone of date 1801, this
couplet from the quaint and celebrated epitaph which is said to
have graced the tomb of Theodore, the unfortunate King of
Corsica : —
" The Grave, great Teacher, to one level brings,
Heroes, and Beggars, Galley Slaves, and Kings."*
Although the period of the erection of the old church is
matter of uncertainty, the age of the kirk bell is well authenti-
cated, for towards the close of the year 1752, the records state
" that there never was a bell upon the church of Lochlee, but an
old hand bell without a tongue,'''' and the session accordingly re-
solved to purchase one at the least possible expense. For obtain-
ing this, a collection was made throughout the parish ; but being
short of the required amount, " some of the old ash timber
that was growing about the church," and " an old stithy" which
belonged to the poor of the parish, and the tongueless bell to
boot, were sold, for the purpose of purchasing the present bell,
which, at the erection of the new kirk in 1803, was translated
thither.
The present church and manse were both erected in the same
year, and the late Rev. Mr. Inglis' mother, who died in 1808,
was the first interred in the new burial-place. Since then, with
the exception of old residenters, who still have a natural desire
to lie beside their kindred, the new kirkyard has become the
common place of sepulture, and contains some respectable monu-
ments. Perhaps the most generally interesting of these is the
neat tablet of Aberdeen granite which was erected by subscription,
some years ago, in honour of Ross the Poet. Though pleasing
to find respect paid to the memory of departed worth, it certainly
seems odd that the stone should be raised at this place, for, apart
from its being fully a mile from the real sanctuary of the bard,
scarcely one in twenty pilgrims visit this who visit the old burial
ground, and many leave the district with the impression that this
* (Frobisher's Epitaphs, Lond. p. 50,) — The oldest monument in Lochlee is a mural table
with Latin motto. It is considerably effaced, and was erected some years before the oldest above
quoted, by the Rev. Robert Garden of St. Fergus, in memory of his parents, John Garden of
Midstrath, in the parish of Birse, and Catherine Farquharson, both of whom died at Inver-
mark, the former in the year 1745, and the latter in 1735.