measures 4 feet 8 inches from heel to cap; that of the lady is 1 inch shorter; while the youth is only 1 foot 5 inches in height. The knight and lady are both represented with folded hands, their faces turned upward towards the figure of St Andrew on the cross, which is placed in the centre of the upper part of the slab. Plate armour is shown on both knight and squire; and so carefully has the sculptor executed the minute details that the leather straps and buckles by which the plates are held together at the joints are plainly delineated. As usual in such memorials, the knight is shown with his mail-clad feet resting on his "talbot" or hunting dog; but in this case the artist has departed from the conventional form, and has brought the dog's head up on the outside of the knight's right leg, thereby filling in a blank space in a most ingenious manner. In the similar sculptured stone in Creich Church, Fifeshire, referred to further on, the dog is shown crouching with his head between the knight's feet. It has been suggested that the position of the dog in the Longforgan stone is a mark of illegitimacy, and though this theory is not well supported by evidence, it is probable, as shall be shown, that the Longforgan knight was of illegitimate Royal descent. The minor details of the sculpture are very ingenious and artistic. A rich double canopy appears over the heads of the figures; that over the knight being quite different in design from the portion over the lady. Much ingenuity has been displayed in the introduction of a floriated background in the form of conventionalised foliage filling up all the interstices between the figures. Across the top of the stone there is an ornamented border consisting of a series of small blocks or pateræ, with varied designs, carefully cut with the chisel. The figure of St Andrewprobably the earliest instance of the introduction of the Saint's effigy on a tombstone-is executed with similar precision. It measures 15 inches from point to point of the cross, the human figure measuring 12 inches in length from over the halo to the plane of the feet. The features of the Saint are unfortunately obliterated, but the outstretched hands show the thumbs extended at right angles to the palms. Longforgan was in the diocese of St Andrews, hence the effigy. On the right side of the VOL, XXXIV. 26 knight's head a small shield bears his arms-a lion rampant-while on the lady's left there is a similar shield. A very minute examination has failed to disclose the armorial bearings on her shield, and it is possible that the figures incised, which look like three monograms of the letters C. C. set back to back and tied in the centre, are not truly heraldic, but either fanciful letters or merely decorative ornaments. The surcingle of the knight shows a succession of varied designs cut with minute accuracy. The sword of the knight passes behind his figure on the left side, and only the pommel is visible at the thigh, and part of the scabbard between the lower parts of the legs. His dagger is shown on the right side. The squire's sword is plainly displayed. It is in the form of the period, the cross-guard being slightly curved and finished with ball-points. Around the outer edge of the stone a ribbon is carried, skilfully folded at the corners, and returned upon itself at the base. It bears the following inscription cut in Gothic letters, incised: HIC JACET JOHANES DE GALYCHTLY QUONDAM DÑS DE There are smaller ribbons gracefully enrolled around the heads of the knight and the lady, which were probably intended as labels for armorial mottoes or for pious phrases. On one side the ribbon appears to proceed from the knight's mouth; but a portion of the drapery from the lady's head-dress intervenes between her mouth and the ribbon on her side. The whole of the sculpture on this stone is wrought by delicate V-shaped incision, not deeply cut; and no part of the work is in relief. Before considering the history of this stone, it will be interesting to notice its points of similarity with an incised tombstone of the same date in the ruined church of Creich, Fifeshire. This stone is figured and described, from actual inspection made by me, in my work entitled Fife, Pictorial and Historical, vol. ii. p. 334. A monumental recess in the north wall of the church, formed by a moulded arch bearing the www Barclay arms on the keystone, contains a beautiful incised stone slab (fig. 2), with the figures of a knight in armour and his lady, sur Fig. 2. Incised Sepulchral Slab at Creich, Fifeshire. (1.) mounted by a rich canopy. The faces have probably had brass plates with the features engraved, but these have disappeared, and only the shield-like apertures remain.1 The style of decoration is similar to that on the Longforgan stone, though not so elaborate. The inscription on the edge of the stone is as follows :— HIC JACET DAVID DE BERCLAY DE LUTER, DNS DE PRESGYL QUI OBIIT . . . DIE ... HIC JACET HELENA DE DOUGLAS UXOR PREDICTI, QUI OBIIT XXIX DIE MENSIS JANUARII, ANNO DNI M°CCCC XXI. An examination of the Creich stone shows that it has been erected by David de Barclay of Luthrie at the time of the death of his wife, on 29th January 1421; and the laird had then caused his own obituary inscription to be carved, leaving blanks for the month and for the last figures of the year. The inscription on the Longforgan stone has similar blanks for the months and final figures of the years when the knight and lady died, thus showing that it was a pre-obit monument which has never been completed. As the date of the death of Helena de Douglas on the Creich stone seems to be all in the same lettering, it is almost certain that it was finished in that year. At least it could not be near the end of the 1 Mr Alexander Neilson, sculptor, Dundee, has made a thorough examination of the Creich tombstone. He finds that the portions of the stone corresponding to the faces and hands of the figures are sunk below the surface nearly an inch, which, of course, is much deeper than would be necessary for brass plates. These cuttings have been carefully "cleaned out," and the edges are cut square. Mr Neilson suggests that these apertures have been made for the purpose of inserting sculptured marble or alabaster blocks in high relief to give the features and the hands of the knight and the lady. This method was followed in several notable Italian monuments, and the Creich stone appears to be the work of a Continental sculptor. If Mr Neilson's theory be correct, this monument must be ranked as unique in Scotland. It is on record that the tomb of Robert the Bruce was of marble, and was brought from Paris to Dunfermline, by way of Bruges; so that the connection of Scotland with the Continental art-workmen existed a century before the date of the Creich and Longforgan stones. The Creich stone has never been intended to lie flat on the ground, for the splayed edge on which the inscription is lettered has evidently been the front of a recumbent stone placed within a niche or canopy. It was not unusual to cut incised stone slabs so as to inlay the head and hands of an effigy in plates of brass or different coloured stone such as marble or alabaster, sometimes flat, sometimes raised and in relief. (See Haines' Manual of Monumental Brasses, Oxford, 1848, p. 7.) fifteenth century, or the letters MCCCC. would not have been cut. The similarity in the style of incision, the decorative canopy-work, and the lettering makes it extremely probable that both stones were the work of one artist. It is reasonable to suppose that when that unknown artist had finished the Creich stone, he was employed (in 1421) to make the Longforgan stone in anticipation of the deaths of John de Galychtly and his lady. The identity of John de Galychtly has not been disclosed, despite a very extended research. The rampant lion in his heraldic bearings seems to imply that he was descended from Patrick Galythly, who swore fealty to Edward I. at Perth on 24th July 1291 (Cal. of Doc. Scot., ii. p. 124), and who was a competitor for the crown of Scotland in 1292, claiming as the son of Henry Galythly, alleged to be the lawful son of William the Lion. His propinquity, however, has not been proved, though the fact that he bore the Royal Arms, and was in armour and attended by a squire, as a knight should be, though only described as a simple "laird," makes it strongly probable that he was one of the quasi-Royal descendants. If the position of the dog's head implies illegitimacy, John de Galychtly must have abandoned his claim, though he retained the Royal cognizance. It is a further indirect proof of his connection to find him located so near Perth, where Patrick Galythly resided; and to discover that he held lands immediately contiguous to those which three other competitors for the Crown-Baliol, Bruce, and Hastings-had inherited by descent from David, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of William the Lion. The name of Galychtly or Galythly still survives in Perth, the Carse of Gowrie, and Dundee, in the corrupted forms of Galletly, Gellatly, and Golightly. The lands of Ebrokis cannot now be identified, as the name has disappeared from the locality centuries ago. The name seems to be the original of the variants of Ebrux in Roxburghshire, and Ibrox near Glasgow. Through the courtesy of George Paterson, Esq., of Castle Huntly, I have had the privilege of examining many of the old deeds and charters connected with the barony of Longforgan, some of which are included in the printed volumes of the Register of the Great Seal. The |