In this retreat, the Abbess of Saint
Roque and her attendants passed many years, communicating only with
the Lady Foljambe, who, in virtue of their prayers, and of the support
she afforded them, accounted herself little less than a saint on
earth. The Abbess, fortunately for herself, died before her munificent
patroness, who lived deep in Queen Elizabeth's time, ere she was
summoned by fate.
The Lady Foljambe was succeeded in this mansion by a sour fanatic
knight, a distant and collateral relation, who claimed the same merit
for expelling the priestess of Baal, which his predecessor had founded
on maintaining the votaresses of Heaven. Of the two unhappy nuns,
driven from their ancient refuge, one went beyond sea; the other,
unable from old age to undertake such a journey, died under the roof
of a faithful Catholic widow of low degree. Sir Paul Crambagge, having
got rid of the nuns, spoiled the chapel of its ornaments, and had
thoughts of altogether destroying the apartments, until checked by the
reflection that the operation would be an unnecessary expense, since
he only inhabited three rooms of the large mansion, and had not
therefore the slightest occasion for any addition to its
accommodations. His son proved a waster and a prodigal, and from him
the house was bought by our friend George Heriot, who, finding, like
Sir Paul, the house more than sufficiently ample for his
accommodation, left the Foljambe apartments, or Saint Roque's rooms,
as they were called, in the state in which he found them.
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