The
Covenanters seem to have shown some respect to this one chapel, by
refraining from drawing the gallery across its height; so that, except
for the whitewash, and the loss of the painted glass in the window, and
probably of a good deal of rich architectural detail, it looks as it did
when the ghostly saint entered beneath its arch, while the king was
kneeling there.
We stayed but a little while in the church, and then proceeded to the
palace, which, as I said, is close at hand. On entering the outer
enclosure through an ancient gateway, we were surprised to find how
entire the walls seemed to be; but the reason is, I suppose, that the
ruins have not been used as a stone-quarry, as has almost always been the
case with old abbeys and castles. The palace took fire and was consumed,
so far as consumable, in 1745, while occupied by the soldiers of General
Hawley; but even yet the walls appear so stalwart that I should imagine
it quite possible to rebuild and restore the stately rooms on their
original plan. It was a noble palace, one hundred and seventy-five feet
in length by one hundred and sixty-five in breadth, and though destitute
of much architectural beauty externally, yet its aspect from the
quadrangle which the four sides enclose is venerable and sadly beautiful.
At each of the interior angles there is a circular tower, up the whole
height of the edifice and overtopping it, and another in the centre of
one of the sides, all containing winding staircases.
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