(31) Plate XIII/a

                                                              Plate XIII.

                                      DUNFERMLINE ABBEY.

THE town of Dunfermline, in, or rather close to, which the ruins of this Abbey remain, is in the
county of Fife, and at a short distance from Edinburgh. It became, at a very early period, a residence for
the Scottish monarchs, and Malcolm III, surnamed Canmore, resided in a tower, or castle, built on a
peninsulated hill in the glen. A palace was afterwards erected a little to the south-east of the town, in
a situation truly romantic. The walls of this are still standing, and tradition continues to point out
the chimney of the apartment, where the unfortunate Charles I. was born.

The monastery, or abbey, is said to be one of the oldest in Scotland, and was founded by Malcolm
Canmore, for the monks of St. Benedict. He left, however, the building unfinished, and it was com-
pleted by his son Alexander I. Until the reign of David I, it was governed by a prior; but he raised it
to the dignity of an abbey, and in 1124, translated thither thirteen monks from Canterbury. These were
increased to twenty-six at the time of the dissolution. The first person, who was appointed abbot, was
Gosfridus, and the last, George Ducie. The whole of these buildings were both extensive and magni-
ficent, but were almost entirely destroyed in the fourteenth century by the English. In 1303, Edward I.
took up his winter quarters at Dunfermline. "In that place," says Hailes, "there was an abbey of the
Benedictine order; a building so spacious, that three sovereign princes, with all their retinue, might have
been lodged conveniently within its walls." The ruins of the Abbey are not now very extensive, but
there is still a window belonging to what is called the Frater-hall, remarkable for its size and beauty.
The church is not quite so ruinous. It was built at the same time, and indeed forms a part of the abbey
itself, by Malcolm Canmore; and is said to have been in a similar style of architecture to Durham Cathedral.
Part of it is at present used for Divine service, but it is very small, inconvenient, and uncomfortable.

It was to this place, that Malcolm transferred the royal cemetery from the Island of Iona, or Icolmkill:
himself, his queen, and seven other monarchs were buried here.

This view, which was made in 1799, is taken from a field on the Pittencrief side, and with the ruins,
partly obscured by the smoke, arising from the drying-house of the mill in front, with the water running
from the wheel, forms a most pleasing scene.—Almost every corn-mill in Scotland has a kiln or drying-
house, attached to it, where the corn is constantly dried, previous to its being ground.