The next letters, dated December 31, 1844, are written from St Andrews. (To his Wife.) "Mr Taylor, the Secession minister, is a very interesting and kind and well-informed man. We supped with him last night, and he walked about the place with us all this afternoon. "We got here about two o'clock, and immediately proceeded to survey the city; this we did in about two hours, when darkness and hunger induced us to retire to our inn. We had haddocks and beef-steak for dinner, the former the finest I ever tasted, the latter remarkable for being cut out of a bull that was calved before the Conquest: being in search of the antique, I could not grumble. "I cannot tell you all the objects of interest in this place; it is replete with historical associations. We have visited a cave cut out of the rock on the coast, which is said to have been formed by St Regulus, a Greek monk, A.D. 370. 66 The greatest curiosity here is a tower belonging to what they call St Regulus' Chapel, and which they say was built by the saint. It is 108 feet high; its masonry appears to me to be far too good for so early a date. From the top we had a delightful view of the sea and surrounding country. We examined the ruins of the cathedral, which are very interesting, though they are not to be compared in point of elegance with many in England, that of St Mary's at York for example. We are going to-night (the last of the year) to hear sermon at the Free Church, where there is an excellent minister, Mr Hetherington, the historian of the Scottish Church. We are both quite well. This will not reach you till next year. God grant you a happy year, and may His richest blessings descend upon you, dear wife. Give my warmest congratulations and best wishes to all your party. my "I was proceeding with a description of this place when the post hour obliged me to stop. This city for about a thousand years was the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland. "Its greatness has departed; ruin and desolation are spread around. This is a fitting place in which to spend the ebbing tide of the year. We, too, must crumble into dust; God grant that through faith in Christ we may be raised up in glory. "The colleges here are of much less importance than I had supposed. The students are not so numerous as in our school. The professor of chemistry has only twenty students; the professor of natural philosophy twenty-four. "The principal church of the city is the one in which John Knox preached before the Lords of the Convention, as represented in Wilkie's celebrated picture; of course we visited it. The pulpit in which he preached is now in one of the deserted halls of one of the colleges; we examined it and got into it. The painter has closely copied it. I was speaking to Mr Taylor about the vehemence of the reformer's manner. He showed me a passage in the diary of a contemporary which represents him as being in the MR GAINSFORD'S DEATH. 95 decline of his life so feeble as to require the support of two attendants while walking to church; but when he grew warm with his discourse in the pulpit he was fit 'to ding it in blads'—that is, to smash the pulpit to splinters. I shall feel a greater interest in the picture than ever. 66 We visited the grave of the great and good Samuel Rutherford." On the 27th of July 1845 Mr Tobias Gainsford died, after a short illness, at Gerrards Cross, to the great grief of his family and friends, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery on the 31st July. His widow went to live at Cheltenham with Mrs Beman, one of her married daughters. Dr Bruce's long and pleasant associations with Gerrards Cross endeared the place to him, and it was to him a matter of deep regret that the connection of the family with the house ceased at the death of Mr Gainsford. We conclude this chapter with a letter written to him by his mother on the occasion of his birthday, the 15th Sept. 1845. "ST MARY'S PLACE. "As I have nothing at present to offer you on this interesting occasion but my good wishes, allow me to assure you that they are more and larger than I can express. I thank God for your birth, and for all the way by which he has hitherto so graciously led you, and that he is now permitting me to see you enter this day on your fortieth year in circumstances of so much comfort and usefulness. As your years and responsibilities increase, my beloved son, may the work of the Holy Spirit be advancing in your soul to strengthen and animate you in the performance of every duty, and to comfort and support you under every trial, causing the remainder of your path thro' this earthly pilgrimage to be that of the just, which ‘shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' "That your life and health may long be spared as a blessing to your family, and to all under your influence, in the spiritual enjoyment of that peace which Jesus bequeathed to his disciples, is, my dear John, the earnest prayer of your truly AFFECTIONATE MOTHER." CHAPTER VI. 1845, LECTURE ON THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE— VISIT TO CARNARVON AND CONWAY - 1847, LECTURES ON CASTEL LATED ARCHITECTURE-HANDBOOK TO THE CASTLE OF NEWCASTLE- DR BRUCE, during the early years of his management of the school, was mainly occupied with his profession, which led him to the study of history. A letter, written in April 1884 to the editor of the 'Consett Guardian,' explains how he was led to study the various styles of Gothic architecture. "I had a class of fine intelligent boys whom I was wishful to instruct in English History. I felt that it was of little use to cram their memories with facts; my business, I thought, was to interest them in the study, and show them how to pursue it. Under these circumstances it was necessary to confine ourselves to a limited period, and to enter into it minutely, and to do it thoroughly. I chose the Saxon period. We tried to make ourselves acquainted with the Saxon tongue. We had been much occupied with the Saxon wars; but it occurred to me that the Saxons were not altogether in 1 See also 'Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle,' vol. iii. p. 265. G |