YAMES VI. TO RESTORATION OF CHARLES Ir. 87
the Nether Bow to be repaired-bonfires--“a propyne of ane jowell to the Quenis
grace,” &c. &c.
The King and Queen at length arrived at Leith on the 1st of May 1590, and remained
in “the King’s work there” till the 6th of the month, while the Palace of Holyrood was
getting ready. On the 17th of May the Queen was crowned in Holyrood Abbey, Mr
Robert Bruce pouring upon her breast bonye quantitie of oyll,” and “Mr Andro
Meluene, principal1 of the Colledge of the Theolloges, making ane oratione in tua hunder
Lateine verse !”
The second day they at length entered the capital, the manner of approaching which
from the Palace is worthy of notice, as a key to the usual route pursued on similar
occasions. <(At her comming to the south side of the yardes of the Canogit, along the
parke wall, being in sight of the Castle, they gave her thence a great voley of shot, with
their banners and ancient displays upon the walls.
where she was received with a Latin oration, EO that the royal procession must have skirted
along the whole line of the more modern city wall, where Lauriston now is. At the West
Port they were welcomed with even more than the usual costly display. The same variety
of allegories and ingenious devices had been prepared. An angel presented the keys to her
Majesty ; she rode in a chariot drawn by eight horses, decorated with velvet trappings,
richly embroidered with gold and silver, and was attended by sixty youths, as Moors, with
chains about their necks, and gorgeously apparelled with jewels and ornaments of gold.
The nine muses received them at the Butter Trone, with very excellent singing of psalms.
At the Cross she had another ‘( verie good psalme,” and then entered St Giles’s Church,
where a sermon was preached before their Majesties. Numerous allegories, goddesses, Christian
virtues, and the like, followed. Indeed, from the inventory furnished by a poet of the
period, the wide range of classic fancy would seem to have been ransacked for the
occasion :-
Thence she came to the West Port,”
To recreat hir hie renoun,
Of curious things thair wes all sort,
The stairs and houses of the toun
With Tapestries were spred athort,
Quhair Histories men micht behauld,
With Images and Anticks add.
It written wes with stories mae,
How VENTS, with a thuodring thud,
Inclos’d ACEATEaSn d ENAE,
Within a mekill mistie dud :
And how fair ANNA, wondrous wraith,
Deplors hir sister Dmoa daith.
Ixron that the quheill dois tarne
In Hell, that ugly hole, 80 mirk ;
And EBOSTRAqTuVha~ did b m e
The costly fair EPHESIAKNir k :
And BLIADESq, uho falls in aouo
With drawing buckets up and down.
* .. t
* *
1 Xarriage of James VI., Bann. Club, p. 39.
