such chalice, the gift of Tassilo, Duke of Bavaria, to the church of the monastery of Kremsmunster, in the eighth century, is still preserved. It is of bronze, beautifully ornamented with niello, and encrusted with silver.

Fig. 57.—Bronze Chain, and Cross-shaped ornament.

At the church of Birnie,1 in Morayshire (the old name of which was Brennach), is still preserved an ancient bell.

1 It is probable (as suggested by the writer of the New Statistical Account of the parish) that the dedication of Birnie was to St. Brendan the "Voyager," commemorated in the Breviary of Aberdeen at May 16th. The legend of his seven years' voyage is the most romantic of all the monkish tales of the early Middle Ages. He is styled in Adamnan's Life of St. Columba Brendan Mocu Alti, and is said to have founded one monastery in Ailech, and another in Ethica or Tiree. His name appears in Kilbrandon, Kilbrennan, Kilbirnie, Balbirnie, etc., in Scotland. In Ireland he is known as the founder of Clonfert. Cuimin of Condeire sang of him—

"Seven years on a whale's back he spent,

It was a difficult mode of piety."

Birnie church is the only one in the district which is constructed with nave and chancel, and the occurrence of two sculptured stones of early type indicates that it was a Christian settlement from an early date.

N

Although the legend ascribes it, probably with truth, to the first bishop, there seems no reason to accept its further statement that the bishop referred to was the first Bishop of Moray, and that he brought the bell from Rome. There were bishops in Moray long before there was a Bishop of Moray, and this "Ronnell Bell" of Birnie, as it is styled, corresponds in every respect with the bells of the Celtic Church, which had existed for five centuries before the establishment of the see of Moray by Alexander I. in the beginning of the twelfth century. The bell (Fig. 58) is of the usual form, but taller than most bells of this type, being 18 inches high, and measuring on the base 6 inches by 4.

Fig. 58.-The Birnie Bell (18 inches high).

It is of sheet iron, bearing traces of having been bronzed, and joined at the sides by rivets. The handle is a plain loop, and the tongue is wanting.

In an old cemetery locally known as Cladh Bhrennu, beside the farm of Kerriemore, in the upper part of Glenlyon, an ancient iron bell of this peculiar form has stood for centuries in the open air. The church which sheltered it has disappeared, but the bell (Fig. 59) has been carefully preserved by the people of the district with which it has been so long associated.1 It wants the handle, but is

1 This bell has recently been placed under lock and key in a niche in the graveyard wall prepared for its reception-a significant sign of the times.

otherwise in good condition, in spite of its long exposure to the weather. It stands 13 inches high, and measures 8 inches by 6 across the mouth.

The name of the saint to whom it was attributed, and the dedication of the church which stood in the cemetery, are no longer remembered. There is a charter by Hugh, Bishop of Dunkeld, confirming to the canons of St. Andrews the church of Dull, but excepting the chapel of Branboth,1 in Glenlyon. The church of Dull seems to have been dedicated to Adamnan,2 and the whole district teems with associations connected with the early church. The bell of Cladh Bhrennu has hitherto been the only one known to exist in Glenlyon, but the remarkable

1 In the Chronicle of Fortingall (Black Book of Taymouth) the name given to the chapel comes nearer to the modern designation. It occurs in the following obits:-" Obitus Malcolmi Wylzemson apud Glenlyon et sepultus in Branwo-1522;" "Obiit Eugenius M'Condoquhy V'Gregor de Rorow apud Crythgarff in parochia de Fortyrgill et sepultus in choro de Branwo-1544;" "Item gude Mald M'Ayn Vay in Glenlyon, spous til the Clerk M'Neirn, yirdit in Branwo-1574."

2 The fair at Dull was called Feil Eonan, and held on 6th October, which is St. Adamnan's day, old style. There is also a well called Tobar Eonan, and on the top of Craig Euny a natural fissure, traditionally styled the footmark of St. Eonan or Adamnan. The mill-town of Balvoulin Eonan in Glenlyon also preserves the saint's name, and I am informed by Mr. Charles Stewart that up to a very recent period the mill always stopped work on the saint's day.

3 In the Irish Life of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne it is stated :-"Veniens itaque in urbe quæ Dul dicitur, urbana deseruit et solitarius esse delegit." Consequently he retired to "the mountain called Doilweme," where he constructed an oratory, and erected a lofty cross of stone.

fact is that we are not dealing here with a single bell remaining in a wide district, for I am now in a position to show that the Cladh Bhrennu bell is one of a group of bells of the same character which are still preserved within the bounds of the ancient Abthania or Abbacy of Dull.1

2

I am indebted to the Rev. J. B. Mackenzie of Kenmore for photographs of an undescribed bell (Fig. 60), the second of the group to which I have referred. It is now preserved in the manse at Fortingall. The existence of this bell was first made known to me by the Rev. Mr. Maclean of Grandtully, who had seen it and recognised its true character. Although preserved so near the locality of the Cladh Bhrennu bell, it seems to have been altogether unknown to all interested in such matters, and is now

figured and described for the first time. It is slightly more oval in form than most of the Scottish bells, and in this

1 The abbacy of Dull appears to have been of great extent, as we find the lands of Easter Fossache, now Foss, and Glenleoyne, now Glenlyon, were "infra Abthaniam de Dull," which was in fact co-extensive with the parishes of Dull and Fortingall. Crinan, the warrior-abbot of Dunkeld, also held the abthania of Dull.-Skene's Notes to Fordun's Scotichronicon (Scottish Historians), p. 413.

2 The Celtic dedication of Fortingall is unknown. Mr. Skene, who investigated the dedications in Athole many years ago, informs me that it seems to have been superseded by a later dedication to St. Catharine. The old fair held on 6th December was called Feile Ceite.

respect it comes nearer to the bell of Kingoldrum than any of the others. It measures 9 inches high, exclusive of the handle, and 7 inches by 6 inches across the mouth. Its coating of bronze has mostly scaled off, but enough remains to show that, like all the other iron bells of this type, it was covered with such an external coating. Mr. Mackenzie sent me a small portion of this covering which had become detached, and I am indebted to Mr. W. Ivison Macadam, for the following analysis:

The siliceous matter is probably derived from the soil; deducting

this, the following average results are obtained :

Iron.

Copper
Tin.

49.11

47.35

3.51

99.97

The bell appears to be composed of an inner layer of iron, coated on both surfaces with bronze.

W. IVISON MACADAM, F.C.S., Lecturer on Chemistry. Analytical Laboratory, Surgeons' Hall,

Edinburgh.

Another bell, of similar type to these, and the third of the Glenlyon group (Fig. 61), was discovered in the month of August 1870, between the wall and the eaves of an old cartshed on the farm of Balnahanait, in Glenlyon. Its discovery was due to the fact that some time previously Mr. Charles Stewart, Tigh-n-Duin, Killin, had directed the attention of Mr. Robert Stewart, the farmer of Balnahanait,1 to the signi

1 The ecclesiastical connection suggested is that the lands had belonged to the Annoit church. In the Senchus Mor, a collection of the ancient laws of