84 HEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
nobility. The simple eloge pronounced by the Regent over his grave, has been remembered
from its pointed force--“ There lies he who never feared the face of man.” The old churchyard
has long since been payed, and converted into the Parliament Bquare, and all evidence
of the spot lost. It cannot but excite surprise that no effort should have been made to
preserve the remains of the Reformer from such desecration, or to point out to posterity
the site of his resting-place.’ If the tradition mentioned by Chambers a may be relied upon,
that his burial place was a few feet from the front of the old pedestal of King Charles’s
statue, the recent change in the position of the latter must have placed it directly over his
grave ;-perhaps as strange a monument to the Great’ Apostle of Presbyterianism as fancy
could devise I
On the death of the Earl of Mar, Morton was elected Regent, and the brief truce
speedily brought to a close. Within two days thereafter, Kirkaldy sallied out of the
’ Castle towards evening, and set fire to the houses on the south side of the Castle rock ; a
strong wind was blowing at the time from the west, and the garrison of the Castle kept
’ up a constant cannonade, so as to prevent any succour being attempted, so that the whole
mass of houses was burnt down eastward to Magdalen Chapel,-a piece of useless cruelty,
that gained him many enemies, without answering any good purpose.
The EngIish Queen now sent Sir William Drury, with a body of troops and a train
of artillery, to assist the Regent in reducing the Castle, the last stronghold of the
adherents of Queen Mary. . The fortress was gallantly defended by Sir William Kirkaldy,
and the siege is perhaps one of the most memorable in its history. The narrative of an
eye-witness, given in Holinshed’s Chronicles, shows, even by its exaggerated descriptions,
the difficulties experienced by the besiegers. It is understood to have been written by
Thomas Churchyard, the poet, who was present at the siege, and has been reprinted in the
Bannatyne Miscellany, accompanied by aJemarkably interesting bird’s-eye view of the town
and Castle during the siege, engraved, as is believed, from a sketch made on the spot.
In anticipation of the siege, the citizens erected several strong defences of turf and
faggots, so as to protect the Church and Tolbooth. One is especially mentioned in the
Diurnal of Occurrents, 88 ‘ I biggit of diffet and rnik,’ betuix the thevis hoill, and Bess
Wynd, tua e h thick, and on the gait betuix the auld tolbuyth, and the vther syid tua
speir heicht.”’ About three weeks latet, on the 17th of January, ‘‘ the nobility, with
my Lord Regent, passed through St Giles’s Church, at an entrance made through the
Tolbooth wall to the laigh council-house of the town, on the west side of the Tolbooth,
and there choose the Lords of the Articles, and returned the same way. The Earl
of Angus bore the Crown, the Earl of Argyle the Sceptre, and the Earl of Morton the
Sword of Honour. These were made of brass, and double overgilt with gold, because
the principal jewels were in the Castle of Edinburgh, and might not be had.”6 So effectual
did these ramparts prove, that the Parliament assembled as safely in the Tolbooth, and
the people went as quietly to church, as they at any time did before the war began.e
The brave Captain, Sir Williarn Kirkaldy of Grange, was already short of provisions
. .
.
A few paces to the west of King Charles’s atatue, there has recently been placed 8 amall surface-bronzed stone in
the ground, with the iuitials “ J. K.,” indicating the Reformer’s burial-place. * Traditions, voL ii. p. 195. i.e., Turf and mud. ’ Diurnal of Occurrenta, p. 332.
Diurnal of Occurrenta, p. 324. Journal of the Siege, Bannatyne Misc., vol. ii. p. 74.
YAMES VI. TO RESTORATION OF CHARLES II. 85
when the siege commenced, and all further supplies were then completely cut off; yet he
held out gallantly for thirty-three days, until reduced to the last extremities, and.
threatened with the desertion and mutiny of his men. The garrison did not despair until
the besiegers had got possession of the spur, within which was the well on which they
mainly depended for water. This battery stood on the Esplanade, nearest the town, as may
be seen in the view given at the head of Chapter III., and was demolished in the year
1649, by order of the Committee of Estates.
, Holinshed mentions also the spring at the Well-house Tower, under the name of “ St
Margaret’e Well, without the Castle, on the north side,” by which some of the garrison
suffered, owing to its being poisoned by the enemy.
The only well that remained within the Castle was completely choked up with the
ruins, and so great was the general devastation, that when a parley was demanded, the
messenger had to be lowered. over the walls by a rope.’ The brave commander was
delivered up by the English General to the vindictive power of the Regent, and he and
-his brother James, along with two burgesses of the city, were ignominiously ‘‘ harlit in
cartis bakwart” to the Cross of Edinburgh, and there hanged and quarteredY4 and
their heads exposed upon the Castle wall.’
The Regent put the Castle into complete repair, and committed the keeping of it to
his brother, George Douglas of Parkhead. He was at the same time Provost of the city,
though he was speedily thereafter deprived of the latter o%c& Morton was now firmly
established in the Regency, and he immediately proceeded to such acts of rapacity and
injustice as rendered his government odious to the whole nation ; until the nobles at last
united with the people in deposing him. He succeeded, however, in speedily regaining
sufficient influence to Secure the cufitody of the King’s person.
The loyalty which the citizens of Edinburgh displayed at various times, until the
King’s full assumption of the reins of government, obtained from him epecial acknowledgments
of gratitude. In 1578, one hundred of their choicest young men were well
accoutred and sent to Stirling as a royal guard’ They sent him also, at a later period,
costly gifts of plate, though they remonstrated, with considerable decision, when he
attempted to interfere with their right of election of Magistrates ; apologising, at the same
time, for not sending the bailies to assign their reasons to him personally, because two
of them were absent, and (‘ the thrid had his wyfe redy to depart furth of this warld.”
The King at length summoned a Parliament to assemble at Edinburgh in October
1579, and made his first public entry into his capital. He was received at the West Port
by the Magistrates, under a pall of purple velvet ; and an allegory of King Solomon
with the twa wemen,” was exhibited as a representation of the wisdom of Solomon ; after
which the sword and sceptre were presented to him. At the ancient gate in the West BOW,
the keys of the city were given him in a silver basin with the usual device of a Cupid
descending from a globe, while (4 Dame Music and hir scollars exercisit hir art with great
melodie.” At the Tolbooth, he was received by three gallant virtuous ladies, to wit, Peace,
Plenty, and Justice, who harangued him in the Greek, Latin, and Scotch languages; and,
as he approached St Giles’s Church, Dame Religion showed herself, and in the Nebrm
1 Bannatyne Misc. vol., ii. p. 76. Diurnal of Occuaents, p. 535.
Idid, p. 37.
’ Hkt. of James the Sext., p. 145.
Maitland, p. 36.
