Here lies Sir John the Grame both wight and wise, Near this is another epitaph, occafioned by a fecond battle of Falkirk, as difgraceful to the English as the other was fatal to the Scots: the first was a well difputed combat; the last, a pannic on both fides, for part of each army flew, the one Weft, the other Eaft, each carrying the news of their feveral defeats, while the total destruction of our forces was prevented by the gallant behaviour of a brigadier, who with two regiments faced fuch of the rebels as kept the field, and prevented any further advantages. The epitaph I allude to is in memory of Sir Robert Monro *, the worthy chieftain Conditur heic quod poterit mori. Militum Tribuni : Vitâ in caftris curiaque Britannica Pro Libertate religione Patriæ Prope FALKIRK Jan. xviii. 1746. Æt. 62. In Montanorum cohortis Præfectura Quamdiu prælium FONTONEUM memorabitur Perduratura; Ob tain of that loyal clan, a family which loft three brothers the fame year in fupport of the royal cause. Sir Robert being greatly wounded in the battle was murthered in cool blood, by the Rebels, with his brother Dr. Monro, who with fraternal piety was at that time dreffing his wounds: the third was affaffinated by mistake for one who well deserved his death for spontaneous barbarities on Highlanders approaching according to proclamation to surrender their arms. I have very often mentioned fields of battle in this part of the kingdom: fcarce a spot has escaped unftained with gore; for had they no publick enemy to contend with, the Scots, like the Welsh of old, turned their arms against each other. Carron iron-works lie about a mile from Falkirk, and are the greatest of the kind in Europe: they were founded about eight years ago, before which there was not a fingle houfe, and the country a mere moor. At present, the buildings of all forts are of vaft extent, and above twelve hundred men are employed. The iron is fmelted from the ftone, then caft into cannon, pots, and all forts of utenfils made in founderies. This work has been of great fervice to the country, by teaching the people industry and a method of Ob amicitiam et fidem amicis Humanitatem clementiamque adverfariis In perpetuum defideranda. DUNCANUS MONRO de Obsdale, M. D. Æt. 59. IRON FOUNDERIES. fetting ARTHUR'S OVEN. SEPT. 12. DYKE. fetting about any fort of labor, which before the common people had farce any notion of. Carron wharf lies on the Forth, and is not only ufeful to the works, but of great fervice even to Glasgow, as confiderable quantities of goods destined for that city are landed there. The canal likewife begins in this neighborhood, which, when effected, will prove another benefit to thefe works. At a small distance from the founderies, on a little rifing above the river Carron, stood that celebrated antiquity called Arthur's Oven, which the ingenious Mr Gordon* fuppafes to have been a facellum, or little chapel, a repofitory for the Roman Infignia, or ftandards: but, to the mortification of every curious traveller, this matchlefs edifice is now no more; its barbarous owner, a Gothic knight, caused it to be demolished, in order to make a mill-dam with the materials, which, within less than a year, the Naiades, in refentment of the facrilege, came down in a flood and entirely swept away. Saw near Callendar-Houfe fome part of Antoninus's Wall, or, as it is called here, Graham's Dyke +. The vallum and the ditch are here very evident, and both are of a great fize, the last being forty feet broad and thirteen deep; it extended from the Firth of Forth to that of Clyde, and was defended at proper distances by forts and watch-towers, the work of the Roman legions under the command Itin. Septentr. p. 24. tab. iv. As the book is very fcarce, I have taken the liberty of having that plate copied into this work. So called from Graham, who is faid to have firft made a breach in this wall foon after the retreat of the Romans out of Britain. Vide Boethius, CXXXI. of |