Sir Walter
Scott refers to them in his "Lay of the Last Minstrel" thus:--
There are twenty of Rosslyn's Barons bold
Lie buried within that proud Chapelle.
[Illustration: ROSSLYN CHAPEL--THE "MASTER AND 'PRENTICE PILLARS"]
[Illustration: THE "'PRENTICE PILLAR."]
There were more carvings in Rosslyn Chapel than in any place of equal
size that we saw in all our wanderings, finely executed, and with every
small detail beautifully finished and exquisitely carved. Foliage,
flowers, and ferns abounded, and religious allegories, such as the Seven
Acts of Mercy, the Seven Deadly Sins, the Dance of Death, and many
scenes from the Scriptures; it was thought that the original idea had
been to represent a Bible in stone. The great object of interest was the
magnificently carved pillar known as the "'Prentice Pillar," and in the
chapel were two carved heads, each of them showing a deep scar on the
right temple. To these, as well as the pillar, a melancholy memory was
attached, from which it appeared that the master mason received orders
that this pillar should be of exquisite workmanship and design. Fearing
his inability to carry out his instructions, he went abroad to Rome to
see what designs he could find for its execution.
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