The solitude and repose of the whole scene seemed almost romantic; and Waverley, who had given his horse to his servant on entering the first gate, walked slowly down the avenue, enjoying the grateful and cooling shade, and so much pleased with the placid ideas of rest and seclusion excited by this confined and quiet scene, that he forgot the misery and dirt of the hamlet he had left behind him.The opening into the paved courtyard corresponded with the rest of the scene.The house, which seemed to consist of two or three high, narrow, and steep-roofed buildings, projecting from each other at right angles, formed one side of the enclosure.It had been built at a period when castles were no longer necessary, and when the Scottish architects had not yet acquired the art of designing a domestic residence.The windows were numberless, but very small; the roof had some nondescript kind of projections, called bartizans, and displayed at each frequent angle a small turret, rather resembling a pepper-box than a Gothic watch-tower.Neither did the front indicate absolute security from danger.There were loop-holes for musketry, and iron stancheons on the lower windows, probably to repel any roving band of gipsies, or resist a predatory visit from the Caterans of the neighbouring Highlands.
Stables and other offices occupied another side of the square.The former were low vaults, with narrow slits instead of windows, resembling, as Edward's groom observed, ``rather a prison for murderers and larceners, and such like as are tried at 'sizes, than a place for any Christian cattle.'' Above these dungeon-looking stables were granaries, called girnels, and other offices, to which there was access by outside stairs of heavy masonry.Two battlemented walls, one of which faced the avenue, and the other divided the court from the garden, completed the enclosure.
Nor was the court without its ornaments.In one corner was a tun-bellied pigeon-house of great size and rotundity, resembling in figure and proportion the curious edifice called Arthur's Oven, which would have turned the brains of all the antiquaries in England had not the worthy proprietor pulled it down for the sake of mending a neighbouring dam-dyke.This dovecot, or columbarium, as the owner called it, was no small resource to a Scottish laird of that period, whose scanty rents were eked out by the contributions levied upon the farms by these light foragers, and the conscriptions exacted from the latter for the benefit of the table.
Another corner of the court displayed a fountain, where a huge bear, carved in stone, predominated over a large stone basin, into which he disgorged the water.This work of art was the wonder of the country ten miles round.It must not be forgotten that all sorts of bears, small and large, demi or in full proportion, were carved over the windows, upon the ends of the gables, terminated the spouts, and supported the turrets, with the ancient family motto, ``[=Bewar the Bar,=]'' cut under each hyperborean form.The court was spacious, well paved, and perfectly clean, there being probably another entrance behind the stables for removing the litter.Everything around appeared solitary, and would have been silent, but for the continued plashing of the fountain; and the whole scene still maintained the monastic illusion which the fancy of Waverley had conjured up---And here we beg permission to close a chapter of still life.<* >
* There is no particular mansion described under the name of Tully-Veolan;* but the peculiarities of the description occur in various old * Scottish seats.<+> The house of Warrender upon Bruntsfield Links, and that * of Old Ravelston, belonging, the former to Sir George Warrender, the latter * to Sir Alexander Keith, have both contributed several hints to the description * in the text.The House of Dean, near Edinburgh, has also some * points of resemblance with Tully-Veolan.The author has, however, been * informed, that the House of Grandtully resembles that of the Baron of * Bradwardine still more than any of the above.
+ (The rampant bears on the gateway are supposed to have been suggested to the + author by similar effigies still standing on the gate to Traquair House on the Tweed, + with which he was well acquainted.Mr.Lockhart mentions Craighall in Perthshire + as another mansion bearing a likeness to Tully-Veolan.)
