east-lothian-1924/05-156

Transcription

ORMISTON.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [ORMISTON.

ORMISTON.

ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURE.

130.-St. Giles Church, Ormiston.-The old
parish church of Ormiston is represented only
by a portion of its eastern end standing within
the policies of Ormiston Hall 300 yards south of
the mansion, which lies 1 mile south of Ormiston
village. This fragment is rectangular on plan,
with its major axis east and west, and is at
present enclosed on the west by a modern
cross wall forming a burial enclosure. Into
this wall are built fragments of early work,
which exhibit the chevron and dog-tooth
ornaments, and a portion of a grave-slab
showing the hilt and pommel of a sword.
The enclosure is roofless, and the walls appear
to have been reduced to their present height
of 9 feet 6 inches. The east gable, which is
skewed, is entire and contains an arch-headed
window, c. 13th century, with a splay wrought
on its outer jamb. The scoinson arch is
corbelled out on either side. The other windows
-two in the south wall which are now built
up and one in the north wall-are square-
headed. In the north wall is an arched
recess, 4 feet deep and 6 feet 3 inches
long, which was evidently intended to house an
effigy. The mouldings of the archivolt, which
are of 16th century type, spring from imposts
resting on shafts, now buried, and abut at the
crown of the arch on a panelled keystone
bearing a shield.
Above the recess is a brass (fig. 119), 3 feet
3 inches broad and 2 feet high set within a
stone moulding and inscribed :

OMNIA . QVÆ . LONGA . INDVLGET . MORT-
ALIBVS . ÆTAS / HÆC . TIBI . ALEXANDER .
PRIMA . IVVENTA . DEDIT / CVM . GENERE .
ET . FORMA . GENEROSO . SANGVINE . DIGNA /
INGENIVM . VELOX . INGENVVMQUE .
ANIMVM / EXCOLVIT . VIRTVS . ANIMVM . IN-
GENIVMQUE . CAMENÆ / SVCCESSV . STVDIO .
CONSILIOQVE . PARI . / HIS . DVCIBVS . PRI-
MVM . PERAGRATA . BRITANNIA . DEINDE /
GALLIA . AD . ARMIFEROS . QVA . PATET .
HELVETIOS / DOCTVS . IBI . LINGVAS .
ROMA . SION . ET . ATHENÆ / QVAS . CVM .
GERMANO . GALLIA . DOCTA . SONAT / TE
LICET . IMPRIMA . RAPVERVNT . FATA .
IVVENTA / NON . IMMATVRO . FVNERE .
RAPTVS . OBIS / OMNIBVS . OFFICIIS .

80

VITÆ . QVI . FVNCTVS . OBIVIT / NON . FAS .
HVNC . VITÆ . EST . DE . BREVITATE . QVERI.
HIC . CONDITVR . MR . ALEXANDER . COK-
BVRN / PRIMOGENIT . IOANNIS . DOMINI .
ORMISTON / ET . ALISONÆ . SANDILANDS .
EX . PRECLARA / FAMILIA . CALDER . QVI .
NATVS . 13 . INVARII . 1535 / POST . IN-
SIGNEM . LINGVARVM . PROFESSIONEM /
OBIT . ANNO . ÆTATIS . SUÆ . 28 . CALEN .
SEPTE.

" All that a long life confers on mortals,
these to thee, Alexander, thy first youth gave
with noble birth and a form becoming to
noble blood, quick intelligence and ingenuous
mind. Virtue developed thy mind and the
Muses thy intelligence with equal success,
diligence and wisdom. With these as guides
first Britain was traversed then France to
where it faces the warlike Swiss. There thou
wast instructed in the languages of Rome,
Zion, and Athens, which learned France with
the German repeats. Though the fates re-
moved thee in early youth, yet thou did'st
not die as one snatched away by untimely
death who passed when he had discharged
all the duties of life. It is not proper to mourn
for him because of the shortness of his life.
Here lies Mr. Alexander Cockburn, eldest
son of John lord of Ormiston and Alison Sandi-
lands of the illustrious family of Calder, who
was born 13 January 1535 (O.S.=1536).
After a distinguished profession of languages he
died on the 28th year of his age on September 1."
Alexander Cockburn was a pupil of John
Knox (cf. Art. No. 65). The epitaph was
written by George Buchanan and appears, with
some verbal variations from the above, in his
collected works.
This brass has features in common with the
fine brass to the Regent Murray in St. Giles
Cathedral, Edinburgh.
At the dexter base is a shield bearing the
arms of Alexander Cockburn of Ormiston-a
fess checky between three cocks-flanked by
the initials A C ; above is a motto in obscure
lettering : the motto of this family was In
Dubiis Constans (Nisbet). At the sinister base
another shield, beneath a label bearing the
motto AB. STEN . AND . SUFFER, with the arms
of Sandilands of Calder-Quarterly 1st and 4th
a bend ; 2nd and 3rd a heart, on a chief three