,[173] but the
architecture of the aisle presents a beautiful specimen of the Middle
Pointed or Decorated period, and dates before or about the beginning of
the fifteenth century.[174] The cathedral, when entire, was a handsome
red sandstone building, comprising a nave of four bays, with aisles 14
feet wide and round-headed windows; a choir, with aisles, lady chapel,
west tower, quasi-transept, rood-turret, and to the north-east a vaulted
chapter-house over a crypt. It stood on level ground, and commanded a
fine view of the Moray Firth. When complete it must have been an
architectural gem, and its mouldings have been said to show that in
whatever other respects these remote parts of Scotland were barbarous,
in ecclesiology at least they were on a par with any other branch of the
mediaeval Church.[175] All that now remains of the cathedral consists of
the south aisle of the nave, and the sacristy or undercroft of the
chapter-house. No vestige remains of the various manses of the chapter
that were within the cathedral precincts. The cathedral suffered at the
Reformation, but was repaired by Bishop Lindsay in 1615, and in 1649 was
not very ruinous. It would appear that the tradition is correct which
says that the masonry of the walls was removed by Cromwell, like that of
Kinloss Abbey, to provide material for the construction of his fort at
Inverness.

In the south wall there is a beautiful piscina, and in the north wall an
ambry with a small stone penthouse; an octagonal baptismal font of
remarkable design stands against the east wall of the aisle. There is a
range of canopied monuments, which stand between the pillars on the
north side. The east end had a large traceried window of five lights,
and when complete it must have been very beautiful.

The most famous of the bishops was John Leslie (1527-1596), who studied
at King's College, Aberdeen, at Paris, and at Poitiers. He held offices
both in the Aberdeen University and in the State, and in 1566 Queen Mary
bestowed on him the Abbey of Lindores _in commendam_, and subsequently
appointed him Bishop of Ross. He was a zealous supporter of Queen Mary,
and, after her flight to England, followed her, and never afterwards
returned to reside in Scotland. He was imprisoned in the Tower,[176]
where he wrote two small books for her spiritual profit, which Queen
Mary liked and endeavoured to turn into French verse. After his release
he retired to France, where he wrote his _Histor