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Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I

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politically. These documents had been perfidiously sent to Scotland by General Monk. The marquis was condemned to die the death of a traitor. From the Castle he begged in vain a ten days? respite, that he might crave pity of the king. ??I placed the crown upon his head,? said he, mourn- - fully, ? and this is my reward ! ? An escape was planned. He lay in bed for some days feigning iuyess, and the Marchioness came in a sedan to visit him. Being of the same stature, he assumed her dress and coif; but when about to step into the sedan his courage failed him, and he abandoned the attempt. The night before execution he was removed to the most ancient prison in Edinburgh-an edifice in Mauchine?s Close, long since removed, where the Marchioness awaited him. ?The Lord will requite it,? she exclaimed, as she wept bitterly on his breast. ? Forbear, Margaret,? said. he, calmly, ?I pity my enemies, and am as content in this ignominious prison as in yonder Castle of Edinburgh.? With his last breath he expressed abhorrence of the death of Charles I, and on the 27th May his head was struck from his body by the Maiden, at the west end of the Tolbooth. By patent all his ancient earldom and estates were restored to his son, h r d Lorne, then a prisoner in the Castle, where on one occasion he had a narrow escape, when playing ? with hand bullets ? {bowls 3) one of which, as Wodrow records, struck him senseless. On the 30th May, 1667, the batteries of the Castle returned the salute of the English fleet, which came to anchor in the roads under the pennant of Sir Jeremiah Smythe; who came thither in quest of the Dutch fleet, which had been bombarding Burntisland. Janies Duke of Alhany and York succeeded the odious Duke Q? Lauderdale in the administration of Scottish affairs, and won the favour of all classes, while he resided at Holyrood awaiting the issue of the famous Bill of Exclusion, which would deprive him of the throne of England on the demise of his brother, and hence it became his earnest desire to secure at least Scotland, the hereditary kingdom of his race. OR his fixst Visit to &e Cask, on 30th October, 1680, Mons Meg br-rst when the guns were saluting-a ring near the touchhole giving way, which, saith Fountainhall, was deemed by all men a bad omen. His lordship adds that as the gun was charged by an English gunner, required by the obnoxious Test Act as Commis. Goner of the Scottish Treasury; and on the 12th Scottish manners gradually gave way before the affability of such entertainers as the Duchess Mary d? Este of Modena, and the Princess Anne, ?and the novel luxuries of the English court formed an attraction to the Scottish grandees. Tea was introduced for the first time into Scotland on this occasion, and given by the duchess as a great treat to the Scottish ladies. Balls, plays, and masquerades were also attempted; but the last proved too great an innovation on the rigid manners of that period to be tolerated.? The accession of King James VII. is thus recorded by Lord Fountainhall (&? Decisions,? vol. i.) : --?Feb. 6th, 1685. The Privy Council is called extraordinary, on the occasion of an express sent them by his royal highness the Duke of Albany, telling that, on Monday the 2nd February, the king was seized with a violent and apoplectic fit, which stupefied him for four hours ; but, by letting twelve ounces of blood and applying cupping-glasses to his head, he revived. This unexpected surprise put our statesmen in a hurly-burly, and was followed by the news of the death of his Majesty, which happened on the 7th of February, and came home to us on the roth, in the morning ; whereupon a theatre was immediately erected at the cross of Edinburgh, and the militia companies drawn out in arms ; and, at ten o?clock, the Chancellor, Treasurer, and all the other officers of State, with the nobility, lotds of Privy Council and Session, the magistrates and town council of Edinburgh, came to the cross, with the lion king-at-arms, his heralds and trumpeters ; the Chance!;or carried his own purse, and, weeping, proclaimed Jimes Duke af Albany the ~nZy and undoubtcrt king of this realm, by fhe-tiile of Jirnes VfL, the clerk registrar reading the words of the Act to him, and all of them swore faith and allegiance to him. Then the other proclamation was then read, whereby King James VII. continued all oAices till he had more time to send down new commissions. . - . . Then the Castle shot a round of guns, and sermon began, wherein Mr. John Robertson did regret our loss, but desiredour tears might be dried up when we looked upon so brave and excellent a successor. The Privy Council called foa all the seals, and broke them, appointing new ones with the name of James VII. to be made.? In r68c the Earl of Argyie was committed to the Castle for the third time for declining the oath . having no cannon in all England so big as she.? During the duke?s residence at Holyrood a splendid of December ,an assize brought in their verdict, by the Marquis of Montrose, his hereditary foe, finding
Volume 1 Page 58
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politically. These documents had been perfidiously sent to Scotland by General Monk. The marquis was condemned to die the death of a traitor. From the Castle he begged in vain a ten days? respite, that he might crave pity of the king. ??I placed the crown upon his head,? said he, mourn- - fully, ? and this is my reward ! ? An escape was planned. He lay in bed for some days feigning iuyess, and the Marchioness came in a sedan to visit him. Being of the same stature, he assumed her dress and coif; but when about to step into the sedan his courage failed him, and he abandoned the attempt. The night before execution he was removed to the most ancient prison in Edinburgh-an edifice in Mauchine?s Close, long since removed, where the Marchioness awaited him. ?The Lord will requite it,? she exclaimed, as she wept bitterly on his breast. ? Forbear, Margaret,? said. he, calmly, ?I pity my enemies, and am as content in this ignominious prison as in yonder Castle of Edinburgh.? With his last breath he expressed abhorrence of the death of Charles I, and on the 27th May his head was struck from his body by the Maiden, at the west end of the Tolbooth. By patent all his ancient earldom and estates were restored to his son, h r d Lorne, then a prisoner in the Castle, where on one occasion he had a narrow escape, when playing ? with hand bullets ? {bowls 3) one of which, as Wodrow records, struck him senseless. On the 30th May, 1667, the batteries of the Castle returned the salute of the English fleet, which came to anchor in the roads under the pennant of Sir Jeremiah Smythe; who came thither in quest of the Dutch fleet, which had been bombarding Burntisland. Janies Duke of Alhany and York succeeded the odious Duke Q? Lauderdale in the administration of Scottish affairs, and won the favour of all classes, while he resided at Holyrood awaiting the issue of the famous Bill of Exclusion, which would deprive him of the throne of England on the demise of his brother, and hence it became his earnest desire to secure at least Scotland, the hereditary kingdom of his race. OR his fixst Visit to &e Cask, on 30th October, 1680, Mons Meg br-rst when the guns were saluting-a ring near the touchhole giving way, which, saith Fountainhall, was deemed by all men a bad omen. His lordship adds that as the gun was charged by an English gunner, required by the obnoxious Test Act as Commis. Goner of the Scottish Treasury; and on the 12th Scottish manners gradually gave way before the affability of such entertainers as the Duchess Mary d? Este of Modena, and the Princess Anne, ?and the novel luxuries of the English court formed an attraction to the Scottish grandees. Tea was introduced for the first time into Scotland on this occasion, and given by the duchess as a great treat to the Scottish ladies. Balls, plays, and masquerades were also attempted; but the last proved too great an innovation on the rigid manners of that period to be tolerated.? The accession of King James VII. is thus recorded by Lord Fountainhall (&? Decisions,? vol. i.) : --?Feb. 6th, 1685. The Privy Council is called extraordinary, on the occasion of an express sent them by his royal highness the Duke of Albany, telling that, on Monday the 2nd February, the king was seized with a violent and apoplectic fit, which stupefied him for four hours ; but, by letting twelve ounces of blood and applying cupping-glasses to his head, he revived. This unexpected surprise put our statesmen in a hurly-burly, and was followed by the news of the death of his Majesty, which happened on the 7th of February, and came home to us on the roth, in the morning ; whereupon a theatre was immediately erected at the cross of Edinburgh, and the militia companies drawn out in arms ; and, at ten o?clock, the Chancellor, Treasurer, and all the other officers of State, with the nobility, lotds of Privy Council and Session, the magistrates and town council of Edinburgh, came to the cross, with the lion king-at-arms, his heralds and trumpeters ; the Chance!;or carried his own purse, and, weeping, proclaimed Jimes Duke af Albany the ~nZy and undoubtcrt king of this realm, by fhe-tiile of Jirnes VfL, the clerk registrar reading the words of the Act to him, and all of them swore faith and allegiance to him. Then the other proclamation was then read, whereby King James VII. continued all oAices till he had more time to send down new commissions. . - . . Then the Castle shot a round of guns, and sermon began, wherein Mr. John Robertson did regret our loss, but desiredour tears might be dried up when we looked upon so brave and excellent a successor. The Privy Council called foa all the seals, and broke them, appointing new ones with the name of James VII. to be made.? In r68c the Earl of Argyie was committed to the Castle for the third time for declining the oath . having no cannon in all England so big as she.? During the duke?s residence at Holyrood a splendid of December ,an assize brought in their verdict, by the Marquis of Montrose, his hereditary foe, finding
Volume 1 Page 59
  Enlarge Enlarge