Correspondence.

pointed style of architecture , the ruins of which are still standing , is simply nonsene—that style of building not being in existence until long after . Had Kilwinning Abbey really been built in 1140 , the ruins Avould have been of the Norman type . Such , however , is not the case . As Billings says , it is a fine

specimen of the Pointed st yle ; it , therefore , belongs to the thirteenth century at the soonest . And in regard to Billings , it must be observed that a distinction is to be drawn between what he says from his technical knowledge as an architect and Avhat he merely quotes from historical writers—the age of the

stone and lime building being one thing , the founding of a monastery another . In the Magazine of April 20 th , page 303 , Bro . D . Murray Lyon alludes to the magnificent Abbeys of Melrose and Kelso being erected before 1140 . If he supposes that the present ruins were in existence

before 1140 , it is simply a mistake—Melrose Abbey , as it now stands , not being in existence before the fourteenth century , the original buildings being probably insignificant . Bro . Lyon also says : " Pont fixes the date of Kilwinning Abbey in the time of

Malcolm IV . " Another mistake . Pont really says : "Here it is remarkable that this abbey was founded in 1191 , and destroyed in 1591 . " Pont also says it was founded by a noble Englishman , fugitive for the murder of Thomas a Becket , which happened A . D . 1170 , in the reign of King

Henry II . of England , who , fleeing to Scotland , was by the then Scots King Avelcomed . There is some confusion with Pont , however , about the name of the murderer . Pont calls him Sir Richard Morwell ; whereas it was another relation of his , called Hugh de Morville—the same name as Richard ' s fatherwho

, was also called Hugh , and Avho died about 1162 , which similarity of names may have misled Pont somehow . Richard , founded this abbey , or , perhaps , when near his death leaving funds to assist in doing so , on purpose to Avipe off the stain of Thomas a Becket ' s blood from the famil . Thin Richard was

y Constable to both Malcolm IV . and William the Lion . Another historical point against the Kilwinning 1140 date is , that there is no notice of an Abbot of Kilwinning before the thirteenth century — viz ., Ah ' gellus , " first known Abbot of Kilwinning , whose name appears in 1201 and 120 S . "

The charter , however , the Kilwinning brethren stick to , is the ruins of the old abbey , Avhich Bro . Lyon says Avere built about 1140 , and he gives a view of the inside of the south gable on page 304 , April 20 th . f therefore went down to try to read this old charter and see what it said . I saw some of the brethren of Mother Kilwinning and was kindly shown the ruins by Bro . Wylie , P . M . No . 0 , but ' l could not manage to believe that said ruins " were built in

the reign of David the First , " Avho died in 1153 , because on looking at the said south gable , and turning up "Bloxam ' s Gothic Architecture , " page 173 . The following exactly described the south "able : — " Single Avindoivs when placed at a distance from each other are often connected by a dripstone * Avhich

, passing over the head of each Avindow , returns at the spring of the arch or somewhat lower , horizontall y along the wall . " At Kilwinning the "three lancet windows inserted siDgly at regular intervals are connected by a dripstone moulding thus disposed . " These

are also , by their wide internal splaying , combined into a single window in the inside . " At Kilwinning the three lancets are of unequal lengths and depth ; the top of the middle one is also hi gher than the other two , Avhich are the same in height . The westmost lancet is the shortest . At ri ght angles ,.

nortliAvard , to east end of gable is a very fine early English pointed arch with the dog tooth ornament finely cut , and deeply hollowed mouldings ; the tooth ornament also runs up side of window . A dripstone moulding runs horizontally along Avail from centre of large round window in south gable on the outside .

There is a magnificent specimen of an Earl y English pointed doorway close to the west of south transept , which is most beautifully ornamented to the outside the dog tooth again seen on face * of arch ; the bottle inside with a succession of round mouldings and deep hollows . The capitals of the shafts and of a corbel , remind me much of the character of the work of

Glasgow Cathedral crypt . There is also a striking resemblance in the large pillars . Bro . Lyon speaks of a Saxon gateway close to the right of the gable . I could not see it , nor anything Norman either ( which is , I suppose what he means ) . There is a fine semicircular headed doorway , about 20 ft . south from south-Avest corner of said gablewith a smaller circular

, headed arch on each side ( with dripstone moulding starting from spring of arch , and going up and downround each arch connects all three ) , but , as is well known , the circular arch did not cease to exist in Scotland , though the pointed arch predominated in the Pointed Styleand as the mouldings and capitals

, show this arch though circular is not Norman any more thau Romau , and no older than , if even so old as , the pointed doorway I mentioned above . The corbel J spoke of is on the south-east corner of gable high up . The Norman and semi-Norman belong to the 12 th

century , the Early English , first pointed to the 13 th centuiy , and the Decorated to the 14 th century , and it must be remembered that in Scotland it will be found that Ave are later of changing from the one

style into the next than the English . In short , to sum up the present buildings ( of Kil-Avinning Abbey ) are not older than the first half of the 13 th century , but to save argument , suppose we accept Pout ' s date 1191 , does Bro . Lyon admit that , or contesting it , how does he prove his assertions ?'

The ruin will speak for itself if he can make it . As to the evidence of Kilwinning ' s priority to be derived from the statutes of SchaAv , as published in " Memorials of the Montgomeries , " and alluded to by Bro . Lyon at page 182 , March 7 th , I consider that it is no evidence at all . It is all one-sidedand

seems-, to have been got up to please the then Master of Kihvinning , and possibly done upon refreshment , for Avithout something to back up Schaw ' s ideas of the papers or "auld (?) antient writtis" he judged from , we are inclined to consider that Schaw ' s classification was wrong . He might use his power ( as he threatens

in the last paragraph ) to punish any one Avho should dare to disbelieve Avhat he says , or act contrary to his opinion , but that only shoAVS proof of a possibility of his opinions being wrong . He says Stirling is to be the third lodge ; why is Stirling not that now if