90 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
faith unchanged, and revisit the Scottish capital every three years. He committed his
children, whom he left behind, to the care of the Earl of Mar and others of his most
trusty nobles, and took his departure for England on the 5th of April 1603.
The accession of James to the English throne produced, at the time, no other change
on Edinburgh than the removal of the Court and some of the chief nobility to London.
The King continued to manifest a lively interest in his ancient capital ; in 1608 he wrote
to the magistrates, guarding them in an unwonted manner againet countenancing any
interference with the right of the citizens to have one of themselves chosen to fill the ofice
of Provost. In the following year, he granted them duties on every tun of wine, for sustaining
the dignity of the civic rulers; he also empowered the Provost to have a sword
borne before him on all public occasions, and gave orders that the magistrates should be
provided with gowns, similar to those worn by the Aldermen of London.
It is very characteristic of King James, that, not content with issuing his royal mandate
on this important occasion, he forwarded them two ready-made gowns as patterns,
lest the honourable Corporation of the Tailors of Edinburgh should prove unequal to the
At length, after an absence of fourteen years, the King intimated his gracious intention
of honouring the capital of his ancient kingdom with a visit. He accordingly arrived there
on the 16th of May 1617, and was received at the West Port by the magistrates in their
official robes, attended by the chief citizens habited in velvet. The town-clerk delivered
a most magnificent address, wherein he blessed God that their eyes were once more permitted
(( to feed upon the royal countenance of our‘ true phenix, the bright star of our
northern firmament. . . . . Our sun (the powerful adamant of our wealth), by whose
removing from our hemisphere we were darkened; deep sorrow and fear possessed our
hearts, The very hills and groves, accustomed before to be refreshed with the dew of your
Majesty’s presence, not putting on their wonted apparel, but with pale looks, representing
their misery for the departure of their royal King. . . . A King in heart as upright
as David, wise as Solomon, and godlie as Josias 1 ”
In like eloquent strains the orator proceeds through a long address, after which the King
and nobility were entertained at a sumptuous banquet, where the City presented his Majesty
with the sum of ten thousand merks, in double golden angels, tendered to him in a gilt
basin of silver.a
The King had been no less anxious than the citizens (‘to let the nobles of Ingland
knaw that his cuntrie was nothing inferior to them in anie respect.” By his orders the
Palace was completely repaired and put in order, and the Chapel “ decorit with organis,
and uthir temporal1 policie,” while a ship laden with wines, was sent before him ‘‘ to lay in
the cavys of his Palicis of Halyruidhous, and uther partis of his resort.”
A Parliament was held in Edinburgh on this occasion, wherein the King availed himself
of the popular feelings excited by his presence, to secure the first steps of his favourite
project for restoring Episcopal government to the Church.
The King at length bade farewell to his Scottish subjects in September 1617, and
little occurred to disturb the tranquillity of Edinburgh during the remainder of his
reign.
duty.’
Council Register, Sept. 7th, 1609. &itland, p. 60. 8 Hist. of Jamee the Sext., p. 395.
JAMES VI. TO RESTORATION OF CHARLES 11. 91
In the following year, the Common Council purchased the elevated ground lying to the
south of the city, denominated the High Riggs, on part of which Heriot’s Hospital was
afterwards built, and the latest extension of the city wall then took place for the purpose
of enclosing it. A portion of this wall still forms the western boundary of the Hospital
grounds, terminating at the head of the Vennel, in the only remaining tower of the ancient
city wall. The close of the succeeding year was signalised by the visit of Ben Jonson, on
his way to Hawthornden, the seat of the poet Drummond, where the memory of his
residence is still preserved.
The accession of Charles I. was marked by demands for heavy contributions, for the
purpose of fitting out ships, and erecting forts for securing the coasts of the kingdom.
The Common Council of Edinburgh entered so zealously into this measure, that the King
addressed to them a special letter of thanks ; and as a further proof of his gratitude, he
presented the Provost with a gown, to be worn according to King James’s appointment,
and a sword to be borne before him on all public occasions.
The citizens were kept for several years in anticipation of another royal visit, which
was at length accomplished in 1633. The same loyalty was displayed, as on similar occasions,
for receiving the King with suitable splendour. The celebrated poet, Drummond
of Hawthornden, was appointed to address him on this occasion, which he did in a
speech little less extravagant than that with which the town-clerk had hailed his royal
father’s arrival.
The King was received at
the West Port by the nymph Edina, and again at the Overbow by the lady Caledonia, each
of whom welcomed him in copious verse, attributed to Drummond’s pen. The members
of the College added their quota, and Mercury, Apollo, Endymion, the Moon, and a whole
host of celestial visitants made trial of the royal patience in lengthy @ymes !
Fergus I. received the King at the Tolbooth, and “in a grave speech gave many
paternal and wholesome advices to his royal successor ; ” and Mount Parnassus was
erected at the Trone, “with a great variety of vegetables, rocks, and other decorations
peculiar to mountains,’’ and crowded with all its ancient inhabitants. The whole fantastic
exhibition cost the city upwards of 3241,000 Scottish money!’ The most interesting
feature on the occasion was a series of the chief works of Jamesone, the famous Scottish
painter, with which the Nether Bow Port was adorned. This eminent artist continued to
reside in Edinburgh till his death, in 1644. He was buried in the Greyfriars’ Churchyard,
but without a monument, and tradition has failed to preserve any record of the
spot.
This hearty reception by the citizens of Edinburgh was followed by his coronation, on
the 18th of June, in the Abbey Church of Holyrood, with the utmost splendour and pomp ;
but the King was not long gone ere the discontents of the people were manifested by murmuring
and complaints. Under the guidance of Laud, Charles had resolved to carry out
the favourite project of his father, for the complete establishment of Episcopacy in Scotland
; but he lacked the cautious prudence of James, no less than the wise councillors of
Elizabeth. He erected Edinburgh into a separate diocese, taking for that purpose a portion
of the ancient Metropolitan See of St Andrews, and appointed the Collegiate Church
The orator’s poetical skill was nest called into requisition.
Maitland, p. 63-69.
