South of the chapel stand the walls of a large room, which was
probably the hall, or refectory of the nunnery. This apartment is
capable of repair. Of the rest of the convent there are only
fragments.
Besides the two principal churches, there are, I think, five
chapels yet standing, and three more remembered. There are also
crosses, of which two bear the names of St. John and St. Matthew.
A large space of ground about these consecrated edifices is covered
with gravestones, few of which have any inscription. He that
surveys it, attended by an insular antiquary, may be told where the
Kings of many nations are buried, and if he loves to sooth his
imagination with the thoughts that naturally rise in places where
the great and the powerful lie mingled with the dust, let him
listen in submissive silence; for if he asks any questions, his
delight is at an end.
Iona has long enjoyed, without any very credible attestation, the
honour of being reputed the cemetery of the Scottish Kings. It is
not unlikely, that, when the opinion of local sanctity was
prevalent, the Chieftains of the Isles, and perhaps some of the
Norwegian or Irish princes were reposited in this venerable
enclosure. But by whom the subterraneous vaults are peopled is now
utterly unknown. The graves are very numerous, and some of them
undoubtedly contain the remains of men, who did not expect to be so
soon forgotten.
Not far from this awful ground, may be traced the garden of the
monastery: the fishponds are yet discernible, and the aqueduct,
which supplied them, is still in use.
There remains a broken building, which is called the Bishop's
house, I know not by what authority. It was once the residence of
some man above the common rank, for it has two stories and a
chimney. We were shewn a chimney at the other end, which was only
a nich, without perforation, but so much does antiquarian
credulity, or patriotick vanity prevail, that it was not much more
safe to trust the eye of our instructor than the memory.
There is in the Island one house more, and only one, that has a
chimney: we entered it, and found it neither wanting repair nor
inhabitants; but to the farmers, who now possess it, the chimney is
of no great value; for their fire was made on the floor, in the
middle of the room, and notwithstanding the dignity of their
mansion, they rejoiced, like their neighbours, in the comforts of
smoke.
It is observed, that ecclesiastical colleges are always in the most
pleasant and fruitful places. While the world allowed the monks
their choice, it is surely no dishonour that they chose well. This
Island is remarkably fruitful. The village near the churches is
said to contain seventy families, which, at five in a family, is
more than a hundred inhabitants to a mile.
