Publisher's Synopsis
The village described in the Benedictine's manuscript by the name of Kennaquhair, bears thesame Celtic termination which occurs in Traquhair, Caquhair, and other compounds. The learnedChalmers derives this word Quhair, from the winding course of a stream; a definition whichcoincides, in a remarkable degree, with the serpentine turns of the river Tweed near the village ofwhich we speak. It has been long famous for the splendid Monastery of Saint Mary, founded byDavid the First of Scotland, in whose reign were formed, in the same county, the no less splendidestablishments of Melrose, Jedburgh, and Kelso. The donations of land with which the Kingendowed these wealthy fraternities procured him from the Monkish historians the epithet of Saint, and from one of his impoverished descendants the splenetic censure, "that he had been a sore saintfor the Crown."It seems probable, notwithstanding, that David, who was a wise as well as a pious monarch, wasnot moved solely by religious motives to those great acts of munificence to the church, but annexedpolitical views to his pious generosity. His possessions in Northumberland and Cumberland becameprecarious after the loss of the Battle of the Standard; and since the comparatively fertile valley ofTeviot-dale was likely to become the frontier of his kingdom, it is probable he wished to secure atleast a part of these valuable possessions by placing them in the hands of the monks, whoseproperty was for a long time respected, even amidst the rage of a frontier war. In this manner alonehad the King some chance of ensuring protection and security to the cultivators of the soil; and, infact, for several ages the possessions of these Abbeys were each a sort of Goshen, enjoying the calmlight of peace and immunity, while the rest of the country, occupied by wild clans and maraudingbarons, was one dark scene of confusion, blood, and unremitted outrage.But these immunities did not continue down to the union of the crowns. Long before that periodthe wars betwixt England and Scotland had lost their original character of international hostilities, and had become on the part of the English, a struggle for subjugation, on that of the Scots adesperate and infuriated defence of their liberties. This introduced on both sides a degree of furyand animosity unknown to the earlier period of their history; and as religious scruples soon gave wayto national hatred spurred by a love of plunder, the patrimony of the Church was no longer sacredfrom incursions on either side. Still, however, the tenants and vassals of the great Abbeys had manyadvantages over those of the lay barons, who were harassed by constant military duty, until they 3became desperate, and lost all relish for the arts of peace. The vassals of the church, on the otherhand, were only liable to be called to arms on general occasions, and at other times were permittedin comparative quiet to possess their farms and feus. {Footnote: Small possessions conferred uponvassals and their heirs, held for a small quit-rent, or a moderate proportion of the produce. This wasa favourite manner, by which the churchmen peopled the patrimony of their convents; and manydescendants of such feuars, as they are culled, are still to be found in possession of their familyinheritances in the neighbourhood of the great Monasteries of Scotland.} They of course exhibitedsuperior skill in every thing that related to the cultivation of the soil, and were therefore bothwealthier and better informed than the military retainers of the restless chiefs and nobles in theirneighbourhoo