Antiquities. The parish of Cupar affords little to intereft or to gratify the antiquarian *.—Cairns of ftones, or tumuli, containing the remains of human bodies, are frequent in this district,

members of the fynod of Angus and Mearns, though they
amounted to no lefs a number than 80.-Mr William Miller
of Star, and Mr Alexander Melvil of Kilmaron, were born in
Cupar in the courfe of the fame year, and lately died in it, at
no great distance of time from each other, about the age of 90.

The union of the laft of thefe two with his wife had fubfifted
upwards of 60 years -David Brown weaver, and his wife, who
both lately died, had lived in the married state during the fame
uncommon length of time-There were living, about 10 years
ago, 5 men in the town of Cupar, all confiderably upwards of
90, and who all died nearly about the fame time, viz Walter
Douglas, musician, 96 years old; David Brugh, gardner, 95;
John Lorimer, weaver, 94; James Anderfon, wright, 91;
and
Lumifdain, day labourer, 92. The first of these,
Walter Douglas, who died in his 97th year, was town-drum-
mer, had ferved the corporation in that capacity 74 years,
and, at the time of his death, might perhaps have been justly
accounted the oldeft office-bearer in the kingdom. He was
of low ftature, but broad chested and well built. Through the
whole of life, he could only command coarse and fcanty fare,
and knew none of the advantages of warm and comfortable
lodging. Angling was his favourite amufement, and he con-
tinued to fish on the river till within a little of his death. He
was of a family in the town, who had long been noted for their
longevity. His brother John died nearly of the fame age with
himself, after having buried a fon upwards of 72. Some of the
fame name still refide in the town, who preferve a striking like
nefs to the family, who poffefs the fame robuft appearance and
vigorous frame, and who bid fair to equal the age of their fa-
thers.

* In levelling a piece of ground, in order to form the turnpike road that leads from Cupar to the eaft, there were lately found, in the vicinity of the Caftle-hill, feveral ftone coffins containing human skeletons. The coffins were adorned with the figures of warriors, rudely fculptured, and covered with unknown characters. English and French coins, of confiderable antiquity, have been dug up, in removing the rubbish from the ground where the Caftle once ftood.

1

diftrict, fimilar to thofe found in many different parts of the country*.

Carflogie Houfe.-The house of Carflogie, diftant about a mile from Cupar, on the road that leads to the weft, is the moft antient family feat in the parish. It had been originally intended for a place of fecurity and ftrength. Colonel Clephane, the present proprietor of Carflogie, is the 20th of that name, who, in regular defcent, has poffeffed the eftate + In a field adjoining to the house of Carflogie, and near to the public road which leads from Cupar to the weft,

the

One of these was lately opened on the heights of Middle. field, about an English mile to the north-eaft of Cupar, in which were found feveral urns, of baked clay, inclofing the athes of the warriors of a diftant age. That the urns were not Roman, appeared from the nature of the instruments of war, placed by the fide of them The heads of the battle-axes were formed of a very hard ftone, of a white colour, neatly shaped, and nicelý carved and polifhed. Thefe arms must have been employed by a rude people, ftrangers to the use of iron. Two of thefe battle-axes are in the poffeffion of a gentleman in Cupar. The spot where these tumuli had been formed, from the remains of ramparts that had furrounded it, feems to have been, in fome remote period, a military ftation of confiderable impor tance; and to have been a height well adapted for that pur pose, commanding a very extenfive profpect to the ocean on the east, and to the Ochil hills on the weft.

The CLEPHANES, who for many ages have been proprie tors of the Cattle and the furrounding grounds, in times of barbarifm, confufion, and disorder, often leagued with the neigh bouring ancient family of the Scots of Scotftarvet, who inha. bited a strong tower, (Scotftarvet Tower), which is ftill entire, fituated about two English miles fouth from Carflogie. On the appearance of an enemy, horns, from the battlements of the caftle from which the hoftile force was firft defcried, announ◄ ced its approach, and the quarter from whence it was advancing; and both families, with their dependents, were inftantly

under

the stately and venerable remains of an afh, which for feveral centuries has retained the name of the Jug Tree*, strikes eye of the traveller.

the

Garlie Bank.-The Garlie Bank, the property of James Wemyfs, Efq; of Winthank, fituated to the fouth of Cupar, and the highest ground in the parish, has been rendered famous by the treaty figned there, on the 13th of June 1559, betwixt the Duke of Chattelrault, and Monfieur D'Oyfel, commanding the army of the Queen regent, and the Earl of

Argyle,

under arms. There is a charter belonging to the family, bearing that "DUNCANUS, Comes de FYFE, confirmat JOHANNI de CLEPHANE, et haeredibus, totam terram de Clefclogie, et de Eri"therrogewale, (Uthrogyle), adeo libere, ficut DAVID de CLE

PHANE, pater ejus, et predeceffores, eas tenuerunt. Teftibus Domi"no Alexandro de Abernethy, Michael et David de Vemys, Hugone "de Lochor, Johanne de Ramfey, cum multis aliis." From the aera at which thefe witneffes lived, the charter must have been given, at the lateft, in the beginning of the reign of Robert I. The family have been in poffeffion, time immemorial, of a hand made in exact imitation of that of a man, and curiously formed of steel. This is faid to have been conferred by one of the kings of Scotland, along with other more valuable marks of his favour, on the Laird of Carflogie, who had loft his hand in the fervice of his country.

The iron jugs, in which the offenders on the domains of Carflogie fuffered the punishments, to which they were doomed by their lords, fell from the hollow body of this tree, in which they had been infixed, only about 3 years ago. During the courfe of the greater part of this century, fufpended in the view of every paffenger, they filently, but impreffively, reminded him, to rejoice that he lived in a happy and meliorated period, in which the oppreffive jurifdictions, and capricious and cruel punishments, to which his fathers were long fubjected, are en tirely annihilated, and mild, equal, and powerful law, hath extended its protecting arm to the meaneft individual, in the most diftant cot, in this free and favoured land.

Argyll, and Lord James, prior of St. Andrews, leading the forces of the Congregation *.

Mote-hill, Temple Tenements, &c-A mound of earth rifing confiderably above the adjoining grounds, extends to a great length on the north fide of Cupar, called the Mote, or, as fome write it, the Meat-hill †The Knights Templars

The hoftile camps were only feparated by the river Eden. The morning of the day had been employed by the generals of both armies, in making the neceffary arrangements for a decifive engagement. The advanced parties were now about to close, when the Duke fent a messenger to the Lords of the Congregation, to demand a conference. They, equally unwilling to risk a general action, complied with the requeft. The principal men in both armies repaired to the higheft eminence of the Garlie Bank, a fpot known by the name of the Howlet, or Owl Hill, and which commanded a full view of the whole plain wherein the troops were now drawn up in order of battle, and there adjusted and figned that truce, in confequence of which the forces of the Queen retired to Falkland, from whence they had that morning advanced; and thofe of the Congregation to Cupar St. Andrew's, and Dundee. The violent reformer, KNOX, having completely deftroyed the religious houses at Perth, Cupar, Crail, and St. Andrew's, had repaired to the camp at Cupar Muir, and by his rude, but impreffive eloquence, inflamed the zeal of the Lords of the Congregation. He details, in his History, (pages 141 142.), the events of the morning of the 13th of June, with all the minuteness and ardour natural to one who had fo deep an intereft in every important public tranfaction, and who had staked his reputation and his fortunes on the fuccefs of Argyll, and the party who adhered to him.

They who use the latter orthography contend, that this rampart is formed of artificial earth; that it originally extended as far as the Caille; and was conftructed to defend the town from any fudden attack from the north, as the river in fome measure, fecured it on the fouth. There is no doubt, however, that it ought to be filed the Mote Hill, as it was probably the place where, in early times, the Jufticiary of Fife held his courts, and published his enactments, for the regulation of VOL. XVII.

X

the

plars had confiderable poffeffions in land adjoining to Cupar on the fouth. There are ftill two houfes, in different parts of the town, called Temple Tenements, which belonged to that order. They now hold of the Earl of Hadington, and enjoy all the privileges and exemptions ufually attached to the poffeffions of the Templars.-The only religious houfe which exifted in Cupar, at the time of the Reformation, was a convent of Doininican, or Black Friars. It was fituated at the foot of the Caftlehill, and connected with the Castle *. A confiderable part of the chapel, built of cut free-stone, ftill ftands.

Playfield

the country. The Latin name, by which this hill is fometimes mentioned, muft decide the controverfy, if with any plaufibility it could ever have been maintained;—" Mons placiti," which may be tranflated "Statute-bill.”

*No part of the Caftle now remains. Though long the refidence of the Earls of Fife, it had at laft become a national fortrefs. It had been a place of confiderable strength Bu chanan ftiles it Arx munitiffima Cuprenfis. The English were in poffeffion of it anno 1297. In the course of that year, it was recovered by the bravery of Wallace. [Buchan. Hift. book viii.] -Robert Wifhart, bishop of Glafgow, who had joined the party of Bruce, after the murder of Comyn, held the Caftle of Cupar against the English. He was made prifoner there, arrayed in armour, and, in that uncanonical garb, was conducted to the Cattle of Nottingham. This happened anno 1306. [Dalrym pie's Annals, vol. 11.]-Edward Baliol, affilted by Edward III. of England, reviving his pretenfions to the crown of Scotland, defeated the Scotch at Halidon, anne Dom. 1333, during the minority of David II.; upon which the greater part of the kingdom fubmitted to him. Upon this occafion, we find the Caftle of Cupar entrusted to William Bullock, an ecclesiastic of eminent abilities, chamberlain of Scotland, in whom Balol placed his chief confidence. [Dalrymple.]-The king was again put in poffeffion of this fortrels, by the fuccefsful valour of Wil Jian Douglas, and foon after he cauled it to be entirely dɩmo

lithed.