The paucity of examples in Scotland during the fourteenth century, and the absence in the succeeding century of any distinctly marked features assimilating Scottish architecture especially either to the perpendicular or Flamboyant styles of the later pointed epochs of England and France, have led writers on the architecture of Scotland to the conclusion that this country was entirely devoid of any representatives of the decorated or middle pointed style, as distinguished from the late or third pointed period, and they have, therefore, included all Scottish architecture after the first or early pointed period under the title of second pointed.[59] We are satisfied that this is a mistake, and we trust to be able to show that Scotland, although somewhat scantily represented by its architecture during the decorated period in England, does possess a fair number of parallel buildings corresponding in style to the decorated work of other countries, although erected at a somewhat later date, and also that the third or late pointed period is fully represented. The wars had rendered the country backward in every respect, and it is only natural to find it backward in architecture also. As already mentioned, King Robert’s work at Melrose had been grievously damaged by Richard II.; but some of it remains, and in this, as well as other structures of the period, are exhibited beautiful examples of decorated work. A considerable number of churches and monastic buildings executed about the end of the fourteenth and first half of the fifteenth centuries are fair representatives of the decorated period. Although not so pure in style, nor so important in point of size as the corresponding edifices in England, they yet exhibit, on a scale commensurate with the reduced state of the country, a worthy effort to sustain the character of its architecture and give expression to its devotional feelings. Some of these structures were erected in the fourteenth century and others in the first half of the fifteenth century, and although differing somewhat in detail from both English and foreign examples, they possess a sufficiently close relation to decorated work to ally them with that style and to distinguish them from the structures of the later or third pointed period. The buildings of the latter period, as above mentioned, have in some respects connection both with the English perpendicular and the French Flamboyant.