are witnesses. And in a charter by King David I., anno 1126, to the Abbey of Dunfermline, Robertus Sti. Andreæ, Joannes Glasguensis, Gregorius Moraviensis, Cormacus Dunkeldensis, and Macbeth Rossmarkiensis, Episcopi, are witnesses. I think it very probable, that Bishop Gregory, anno 1126, is the same that is mentioned 1122 and 1115; and this brings up the erection to the beginning of the reign of King Alexander I., and higher I cannot trace it. Thus the See of Moray is fourth in order of erection; and the more ancient Sees are St Andrews, Murthlac, and Glasgow. Let me now give an account of

The Bishops of this See of Moray. Spottiswood and others, have given very imperfect catalogues of these Bishops. I have compared several manuscript and printed lists, and from them compiled the following, which I think pretty exact.

1. Gregorius, Bishop of Moray, anno 1115. I find not in what year he died.

2. William. I find not when he was consecrated. He was made Apostolic Legate, 1159,-next year he consecrated Arnold, Bishop of St Andrews, and died anno 1162. I think it not improbable, that Gregory and William might officiate from 1115 to 1162.

3. Felix succeeded. He is a witness in a charter by King William, "Willielmo filio Freskeni," of the lands of Duffus, Rosile, &c. He died anno 1170.

4. Simon de Tonei, a Monk of Melross,-elected 1171, died 1184, -buried in Birnie.

5. Andrew, consecrated anno 1184,-died 1185.

6. Richard, Chaplain to King William, was consecrated, 1187, by Hugh, Bishop of St Andrews,-died 1203,-buried in Spynie. 7. Bricius, brother of William, Lord Douglas, Prior of Lesmahegow, was elected anno 1203,-died 1222, and was buried in Spynie. He founded a College of eight Canons.

8. Andrew Moray, son of William Moray of Duffus, Parson of

Duffus, was consecrated anno 1223. He founded the Cathedral Church of Elgin, anno 1224,-added fourteen Canons to the former eight, of which the Prebendary of Unthank was one; and he assigned to every Canon a toft on which to build a manse, and a croft,to the Dean, Chancellor, Chantor, and Treasurer, four acres of land to each; and two other acres to each of the other Canons,-which land he bought from the Burgesses of Elgin. He died 1242, and was buried in the Choir of the Cathedral under a broad blue stone. 9. Simon, Dean of Moray, succeeded in the year 1243, and died anno 1252. He was buried in the Choir of the Cathedral under a blue stone.

10. Archibald, Dean of Moray, was consecrated anno 1253,-died 5th December, 1298, and was buried in the Cathedral. He built the Palace of Kenedar, and resided there. In his time, William, Earl of Ross, had done some injury to the Church of Pettie and Prebend of Brachlie, for the reparation of which he gave the lands of Catboll, in Ross, and other lands, to the Bishop and Canons.

11. David Moray was consecrated, at Avignon, by Boniface VIII., anno 1299, and died 20th January, 1325. He was buried in the Choir.

12. John Pilmoze, Elect of Ross, was consecrated Bishop of Moray, 3. Kal. Aprilis, anno 1326, and died in the castle of Spynie, on Michaelmas Eve, anno 1362.

13. Alexander Bar, Dr Decretorum, was consecrated by Urban V., anno 1362, died in Spynie, May 15, 1397, and was buried in the Cathedral. In his time, viz. in 1390, the Cathedral was burnt, and he began the rebuilding of it.

14. William Spynie, Chantor of Moray, and L. L. D., was consecrated at Avignon, by Benedict the IX., September 13, 1397, and died, Aug. 20, 1406. He carried on the rebuilding of the Cathedral. In his time Alexander Macdonald plundered Elgin, as we shall see. 15. John Innes, Laird of Innes, Parson of Duffus, Archdeacon of

Caithness, and L. L. D., was consecrated by Pope Benedict, January 23, 1406, and died, April 25, 1414. He began the building of the great steeple in the centre of the church, and was buried at the foot of the North-west pillar of it.

16. Henry Leichton, Parson of Duffus, L. L. D., consecrated in Valencia by Pope Benedict, March 8, 1414. He was translated to Aberdeen, anno 1425.

17. Columba Dunbar succeeded. He died in Spynie, anno 1435. 18. John Winchester, L. B., Chaplain to James II., was consecrated in Cambuskenneth, anno 1438. In 1452, he obtained the Regality of Spynie, and died in 1453.

19. James Stewart, Dean of Moray, of the family of Lorn, was consecrated, anno 1458, and died in 1460.

20. David Stewart, brother of the former, and Parson of Spynie, was consecrated, anno 1461, and died in 1475. He built that part of the Palace called Davy's Tower, and made several good regulations, as, that no Canon be admitted except in general Convocation; that the common Kirk-lands be set to none but the labourers of the ground; and that no pensions should be given out of these lands.

21. William Tulloch, Bishop of Orkney, was translated to Moray, anno 1477, and died, anno 1482.

22. Andrew Stewart, son of Sir James Stewart of Lorn, and of the widow of James I., Dean of Moray, and Lord of the Privy Seal, succeeded, anno 1483. In 1488, he got a ratification of the Regality of Spynie, and died, anno 1501.

23. Andrew Foreman, Commendator of Drybrugh and Pittenweem, succeeded in 1501, and was translated to St Andrews in 1414. 24. James Hepburn succeeded in 1514, and died, anno 1523. 25. Robert Shaw, son of Sauchie, and Abbot of Paisley, was consecrated, anno 1525, and died in 1528.

26. Alexander Stewart, son of Alexander, Duke of Albany, who was son of James II., succeeded, and died, anno 1535.

27. Patrick Hepburn, uncle to James, Earl of Bothwell, who murdered King Henry Stewart, Commendator of Scone, was consecrated, anno 1537. He was a man of an abandoned character. Having concealed and aided his nephew, when he fled from justice, anno 1567, he purchased his own safety by yielding up a part of the churchlands. He aliened and feued out almost all the other lands of the Bishopric. He died in the castle of Spynie, June 20, 1573.

These were the Bishops in the See of Moray before the Reformation. Let us now look into the Diocese in which they officiated. It was always called the Diocese of Moray; but what the extent of it was at its first erection, I shall not pretend to determine. In the year 1142, the Diocese of Aberdeen extended over the counties of Aberdeen and Banff; and if the extent of these counties was at that time what it is now, no part of the Diocese of Moray could, in 1142, lie within them. But afterward, and right early, I find a part of of the Diocese of Moray, within the counties both of Aberdeen and Banff. In the time of Bishop Bricius, the parishes of Strathavon, Ruthven, Arntullie, and Glass; (App. No. XXVIII.) and in the Episcopate of Bishop Andrew Moray, Rynie, Dunbenan, Kinore, Inverkethnie, and Botarie, (App. No. XXVIII.)-were within the Diocese of Moray. Thus it extended to the east as far as it did any time after.

To the west Abertarf, in the time of Bricius, (Ibid), and Fernua, anno 1239, (App. No. XXXIII.) were comprehended in it. I do not find that any part of this Diocese lay beyond the river Farar or Beaulie, which is the bounding of Ross; for, although the Bishop of Moray had lands in Ross, Strathnaver, Cullen, Banff, these were no part of their Episcopal charge.

In the Procurationes Decanatuum, (App. No. XXX.) the rural Deanrie or Archipresbyterate of Strathboggie, is included; and comprehends, besides Drumblade and Inverkethnie, now in the Synod

of Aberdeen, the whole Presbytery of Strathboggie, as at this time, except Mortlich, Botrifnie, Bellie, and Grange.

Mortlich, the mother church, was within the diocese of Aberdeen till the year 1706. Botrifnie was at that time, probably, a part of the parish of Mortlich, or of Keith. Bellie, depending on the Priory of Urquhart, was, probably, exempt from the Procurationes. Grange was a part of the parish of Keith, aud was disjoined and erected into a distinct parish, in the year 1618. In the Deanry of Strathspey, Laggan, in Badenoch, is included; and, anno 1139, Laggan was in the diocese of Moray.

How early these Procurationes were drawn up, I know not; but with regard to them it appears, that, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, the diocese extended from Rynie in the east to Abertarf in the south-west, and comprehended what are now the counties of Moray and Nairn, and a considerable part of the counties of Inverness and Banff, and some parishes in the county of Aberdeen. Let me only add, that an enquiry made by David, Prince of Cumberland, (afterward King David I.), into the ancient possessions of the church of Glasgow, Pentejacob is called one of them. And, in a charter to that church, posterior to the enquiry, Pentejacob is said to be Glenmoriston. But why Glenmoriston was so called, or depended on the church of Glasgow, I know not. Such was the diocese. Let me next give some account of

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH.

In the Primitive Christian Church, the Bishop sat as Præses in the Confessus or College of Presbyters, in a Cathedra, or Chair, allotted to him. The pride and vanity of after-ages, when Bishops affected to imitate the grandeur of Princes, turned the humble Cathedra into a Throne. The Bishop's own church in which he officiated, was called "The Cathedral Church of the diocese." It is probable,