gious structures this abbey suffered severely at the Reformation. This supposition is rendered highly probable, from the species of archery in use here from time immemorial. It is of two kinds: the one is at a perpendicular mark called a pepingoe. The pepingoe is a bud known in heraldry. It is on this occasion cut out in wood, fixed on the end of a pole, and placed 120 feet high on the steeple of the monastery*. The archer who shoots down the mark, is honoured with the title of the Captain of the Pepingal. * Alexander, Earl of Glencairn, in consequence of an order from the states of Scotland, demolished the greatest part of this edifice. It is reported to have been built by a number of masons from the Continent, who brought with them an architect to superintend the work. This architect resided at Kilwinning, and being intimately acquainted with every branch of the art, was chosen Master of the Meetings all over Scotland King James I of Scotland patronized the mason lodge of Kilwinning, and presided as grand master of Scotland, till he settled an annual salery to be paid by every Master Mason in Scotland to a grand master chosen by the brethren, and approved by the crown. This grand master was to be nobly born, or a clergyman of high rank and character. He had his deputies in the different towns and counties of Scotland. King James II conferred the office of grand Master on William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, and Baron of Roslin. By another deed of the same King, this office was made hereditary in this very ancient family. Earl William and his successors, Baron Roslin, assembled their grand lodge at Kilwinning, as being the mother lodge, or the place where regular and stated lodges had first been held in Scotland. This monastery was founded as early as 1143, by Hugh de Moreville, a very opulent and powerful Baron, Lord of Cunningham, and Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. It was dedicated to St. Winning. The monks were brought from the Priory of Kelso. § TALES OF THE CRUSADERS. An error in heraldry in Ivanhoe, where a fetterlock and shacklebolt azure," are blazoned upon a sable shield, has been noticed as having a curious and remarkable parallel in Marmion, where a falcon is said to have "Soared sable in an azure field." Canto I. Stanza VI-VIII. It may be added, that an unauthorized word "wroken," which is found Canto 11, stanza XXVII, of the Bridal of Tremain," "Merlin's magic doom is spoken; Vanoe's death must now be wroken-." occurs likewise in Vanda's prophecy in the first of these stories. "How," asked Ulysses, addressing his guardian goddess, "shall I be able to recognize Proteus in the swallow that skims round our houses, whom I have been accustomed to behold as a swan of Phoebus measuring his movements to a celestial music?"— "In both alike," she replied, "thou canst recognize the god*." Much absurd errors has been wasted on the above "errors in Heraldry," because every tyro in the "art of Blazon," has been taught, that to place a colour * The " Friend," Vol. III, p. 100. Ed. Lond. 1818. upon a colour, or a metal upon a metal, in false heraldry. But though such is undoubtedly one of the Canons of Heralds, many ancient coats exhibit a deviation from it; and, hence, Sir Walter Scott's supposed mistakes may be justified by undoubted precedents of which it is sufficient to cite the following. Perhaps the oldest armorial ensigns known are those of Jerusalem, Argent a cross potent between four crosses potent, Or; and to which Cleveland thus alludes: "Metal on metal is false heraldry; And yet the known Godfrey of Boulogn's coat A Roll of arms, compiled in the early part of the reign of Edward II. circa 1310, presents among others, the subjoined instance of a colour being placed upon a colour: "Sir Richard de Rohesle, de azure a vj leoncels de argent a une fesse de goules ;" and the arms of the poorest Lord de Tabley contain a similar anomaly, they being azure a fess goules between three fleur de lis, or. But when the ermine banner itself is a violation of the rules of heraldry, such a fault in a mere novelist, even if it really existed, would scarcely justify so many remarks. It is not, however, our intention to defend that writer from the charge of being imperfectly acquainted with heraldry, for he scarcely ever alludes to it without committing himself; but the anachronisms with which Sir Walter's Novels abound, with respect to manners, costume, and events, would have been a far more useful object of criticism, since they are so calculated to mislead. VOL. I. 2 B The Jacobite intrigues which wind up the plot in this novel are best understood by a reference to Dr. King's anecdotes of his own times, pp. 36—190 et seq. The following specimen of comparative criticism may amuse our readers: it will show them how unsteady and transitory are all sublunary criticisms ; though the perusal of the novel itself, will be the best test of the judgment of either. 66 This tale is not unworthy the author of Waverley. -But Redgauntlet farther engrafts a beauty unknown even to the popular novel to which we have compared it-we allude to the masterly way in which the history of the times and the fiction are made to chime in with and hold each other. In this respect, it is not inferior to Waverley itself and the conclusion is what it ought to be at once, grand, simple, and affecting".-Literary Gazette. "We are sadly disappointed with this novel. It has none of the fine qualities which belong to its predecessors, and it is a mere fourth or fifth rate production. Take and it would do no away a few pages, credit to the Minerva Press. The story is intricate without being interesting: the personages numerous, without any thing characteristic; the dialogue diffuse, undramatic, and tedious; and the whole thing very slovenly got up. Redgauntlet is incomparably the worst of all the novels of Sir Walter Scott."Literary Museum. The case before the town-baillies of Cupar Angus, when Luckie Simpson's cow had drunk up Luckie Jameson's browst of ale, while it stood in the door to cool, is very fully and facetiously detailed in Franck's "Northern Memoirs," of which a reprint was some time ago published at Edinburgh, under the reported superintendance of Sir Walter Scott, is thus humourously narrated in the last Waverley edition, with the author's notes, to the following effect:— "An ale-wife in Forfar, had brewed her "peck o' malt," and set the liquor out of doors to cool; a neighbour's cow chanced to come by, and seeing the good beverage, was allured to taste it and finally to drink it up. When the proprietor came to taste her liquor, she found her tub empty, and from the cow's staggering and staring, so as to betray her intemperance, she easily discovered the mode in which her "browst" had disappeared. To take vengeance on crummie's ribs with a stick, was her first effort. The roaring of the cow brought her master who remonstrated with his angry neighbour, and received in reply a demand for the value of the ale which crummie had drunk up. Payment was refused, and the party was cited before the magistrate who listened patiently to the case, and then demanded of the plaintiff whether the cow had sat down to her potation, or taken it standing. The plaintiff answered she had not seen the deed committed, but she supposed the cow had drank the ale standing on her feet-adding that had she been near, she would have made her use them to some purpose. The Baillie, on this admission |