es, and taken part with them to do him hurt to his power.

Not long after the transference, the Earl sought to signalise his
estimate of the Royal favour by founding a religious house. He chose for
a site the swamp-girt island which lay toward the northwestern corner of
his lately acquired possession. So frequent were the liturgical
celebrations there that the settlement received the name of _Inis
Aifreen_ (Celtic), _Insula Missarum_ (Latin), Inchaffray--signifying
"Island of Masses." He dedicated the monastery to God, St. Mary, and St.
John Evangelist; deputed Malis, the hermit, to select Augustinian Canons
from Scone, and granted his first charter, which bears the signatures of
himself, his wife (Matilda), and his six sons. The edifice must have
been completed by 1198, as Gilchrist, the heir, who died in that year,
was interred within the building. Through this bereavement, the family's
affections became more closely united to the place. "We love it so
much," the parents are recorded to have said, "that we have chosen it as
the place of sepulture for us and our heirs, and have already buried
there our eldest son." Further and more extended benefactions followed.
By the great charter, of date 1200, Inchaffray was endowed with the
Churches of St. Kattanus of Abruthven, St. Ethernanus of Maderty, St.
Patrick of Strogeath, St. Meckessok of Auchterarder, and St. Beanus of
Kinkell; with tithe of the Earl's kain and rents of wheat, meal, malt,
cheese, and all provisions throughout the year in his Court; with tithe
of all fish brought into his kitchen, and of the produce of his hunting;
with tithe of all the profits of his tribunals of justice and all
offerings; with the liberty to its monks of fishing in the Peffer, of
fishing and birding over all the Earl's lands, waters, and lakes; of
taking timber for building and other uses from his woods, and pannage or
mast feeding for pigs, as well as bark and firewood, in whatever places,
and as much as they chose. Some years later an additional charter
granted also the Church of St. Beanus of Foulis, with the dower land of
the church and the common pasturage of the parish, and likewise the
Church of the Holy Trinity of Gask, with the same privileges. To this
document appends a fragment of the donor's knightly seal, which shows on
the obverse side a mounted knight with drawn sword, and on the reverse
side the inscription--"Secretum G. comitis, de Straderne."

Whatever may h