About a century after the founding of the church, it was bestowed by James III. on the Dominicans. In 1544 it is said to have suffered a good deal at the hands of the English. The structure, however, still survives, and has long been used as the parish church. It is most picturesquely situated on the rocks, at the junction of a small stream with the sea; and, although exposed to the violence of the tempests and the waves for several centuries, it still retains more of its original architecture than most of our more favourably situated churches. The building (Fig. 870) consists of a chancel, north and south transepts, and a tower and spire over the crossing. Although a nave has evidently been intended, it has never been built. The chancel is 50 feet long by 23 feet wide internally. It is divided into four bays, marked externally by buttresses, with traceried windows between them (Fig. 871); and, internally, by groined vaults, springing from wall shafts between the bays (Fig. 872). The east end (see Fig. 871) has two traceried windows, with a buttress between, surmounted by a small oblong light, filled with tracery. The north and south transepts are each 17 feet in length by 18 feet in width. The north transept (Fig. 873) has a three-light window to the north and a two-light window to the west; and the ceiling is covered with a groined vault, having numerous ribs. The south transept (Fig. 874) has two windows to the south and one to the west. The crossing has large clustered piers supporting the arches (see Fig. 872), which carry the tower and spire. The western end is built up with a solid wall (see Fig. 874), without any indication of an arch to the nave. It contains a tall traceried window of two lights, with a transom in the centre of the height. A turret stair at the north-west angle leads to the top of the tower. [Illustration: FIG. 870.--St. Monans Church. Plan.] The evidence of the _Exchequer Rolls_ is conclusive as to a church having been erected here, at considerable outlay, in the fourteenth century; but, [Illustration: FIG. 871.--St. Monans Church. View from South-East.] [Illustration: FIG. 872.--St. Monans Church. Choir, looking East.] to judge from the architecture alone, it seems scarcely possible to believe that the church we now see is the one erected in the time of David II. All [Illustration: FIG. 873.--St. Monans Church. View from North-East.] [Illustration: FIG. 874.--St. Monans Church. South Transept.] the features of the structure point to a date later by about a century. The church having been bestowed by James III. on the Dominicans, one would be inclined to ascribe the erection or, perhaps, restoration of the edifice to his reign. The style of church erected in the fifteenth century was generally a cross church, without aisles. St. Monans is designed on [Illustration: FIG. 875.--St. Monans Church. East End of Choir.]