Extract from
ch. 13, p. 140:
Old Galloway, by Ian L. Donachie
and Innes MacLeod |
| ... stone
erected by Capt. John Gordon in memory of his gamekeeper, John
Murray who died in 1777 after 46 years service, showing his
gun, powder-flask and fishing rod, and a gamebird, and on the
reverse a suitable and perfectly cut verse by Mr Gillespie the
parish minister: |
Ah,
John, what changes since I saw thee last;
Thy fishing and thy shooting days are past,
Bagpipes and hautboys thou canst sound no more;
Thy nods, grimaces, winks and pranks are o'er.
Thy harmless, queerish, incoherent talk,
Thy wild vivacity, and trudging walk
Will soon be quite forgot. Thy joys on earth --
A snuff, a glass, riddles and noisy mirth --
Are vanished all. Yet blest, I hope, thou art,
For in thy station, weel thou play'dst thy part.
|
| As can be seen from the photographs below
the stone has suffered the ravages of time and the inscription
can no longer be easily read. The detail of the carving is still
quite distinct. |
black/white
photo, below right,
is from the above mentioned book: |
|
 |
Head
of this stone shows two seated figures blowing
trumpets announcing the Day of Resurrection. |
This fragment shows
the top
of a tree with a bird. |
 |
|
| Stone
above depicts Adam and Eve standing either side of the Tree of
Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.
A serpent representing the Tempter is entwined around
the tree. |
| Donnachie
and MacLeod, referring to the above, state that there are three such
Adam and Eve stones in
Kells. This one, now removed from its socket is
leaning against an enclosure. |
| The
writer found fragments of another stone, see photos
left and below, the third stone could not be
clearly identified.
The previous page, second row left, may be the third
stone but it has no Adam and Eve theme, only the tree
symbol. |
|
|
