in finishing the Cathedral of Glasgow. The spire of that minster was destroyed by a conflagration in the time of Bishop Mathew, 1387, 1408; and preparations were made for its restoration by that prelate, which were carried out by his successor, Bishop William.

The position of the high altar in the church of St Bride is marked by two recesses which must have been used as aumbries or credence tables. There still exists in the south wall of the chancel a most elegant double piscina.

We have, however, unquestionable historical evidence that the site was occupied by a church much older than the existing remains, and a small piece of its wall is still in existence at the base of the tower.

The altars of the chantries of St Thomas and St Mary stood respectively on the south and north sides of the church, most probably at the end of the aisles. The chancel contains some most interesting monuments of the great Lords of Douglas, and the coffins of a number of the other members of the family are deposited in a vault below the high altar. These monuments will be more particularly described when, in relating the civil affairs of the parish, we have occasion to refer to those in whose honour they were erected. They, and the remains of the church, are now carefully preserved, but have suffered much from previous violence and neglect. It is commonly said that the injury was occasioned by a detachment of Cromwell's troops, who used the church as a stable for their horses; but in the New Statistical Account it is admitted that we have unfortunately a less remote cause to which we may trace much of the mischief; for, during the many years when Douglas Castle was deserted as a residence, the aisle (chancel) was left open and unprotected, and the boys of the place, with the destructive propensity characteristic of the Scots, made it a favourite amusement to aim with stones at the figures and chisel work.

In addition to the mother church, the parish possessed several subordinate chapels. At Parrockholm, or Parisholm, near the western boundary of the parish, there was, on the Monk's burn, a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which appears to have