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.
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