Walter Scott

The Monastery Walter Scott

The village described in the Benedictine's manuscript by the name of Kennaquhair, bears thesame Celtic termination which occurs in Traquhair, Caquhair, and other compounds. The learnedChalmers derives this word Quhair, from the winding course of a stream; a definition whichcoincides, in a remarkable degree, with the serpentine turns of the river Tweed near the village ofwhich we speak. It has been long famous for the splendid Monastery of Saint Mary, founded byDavid the First of Scotland, in whose reign were formed, in the same county, the no less splendidestablishments of Melrose, Jedburgh, and Kelso. The donations of land with which the Kingendowed these wealthy fraternities procured him from the Monkish historians the epithet of Saint, and from one of his impoverished descendants the splenetic censure, "that he had been a sore saintfor the Crown."It seems probable, notwithstanding, that David, who was a wise as well as a pious monarch, wasnot moved solely by religious motives to those great acts of munificence to the church, but annexedpolitical views to his pious generosity. His possessions in Northumberland and Cumberland becameprecarious after the loss of the Battle of the Standard; and since the comparatively fertile valley ofTeviot-dale was likely to become the frontier of his kingdom, it is probable he wished to secure atleast a part of these valuable possessions by placing them in the hands of the monks, whoseproperty was for a long time respected, even amidst the rage of a frontier war. In this manner alonehad the King some chance of ensuring protection and security to the cultivators of the soil; and, infact, for several ages the possessions of these Abbeys were each a sort of Goshen, enjoying the calmlight of peace and immunity, while the rest of the country, occupied by wild clans and maraudingbarons, was one dark scene of confusion, blood, and unremitted outrage