144 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
last recorded noble occupants are mentioned by Chambers as ((two ancient spinsters,
daughters of Lord GraF.” Over the main entrance of the next land, there is a defaced
inscription, with the date 1621. The house immediately below this is worthy of notice,
as a fine specimen of an old wooden fronted land, with the timbers of the gable elegantly
carved. During the early part of the last century, this formed the family mansion of
David, the third Earl of Leven, on whom the title devolved after being borne by two
successive Countesses in their own right. He was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle
by William and Mary, on its surrender by the Duke of Gordon in 1689 ; and shortly after
he headed his regiment, and distinguished himself at the battle of Killicrankie by running
away! To the east of this there formerly stood, at the head of Sempill’s Close, another
wooden fronted land, ornamented with a curious projecting porch at the entrance to the
close, and similar in general style to those taken down in 1845, of which we furnish an
engraving. It hung over the street, story above story, each projecting further the higher
it rose, as if in defiance of all laws of gravitation, nntil at length it furnished unquestionable
evidence of its great age by literally tumbling down about the ears of its poor inmates,
happily without any of them suffering very serious injury.
Immediately behind the site of this house stands a fine old mansion, at one time
belonging to the Sempill family, whose name the close still retains. It is a large and
substantial building, with a projecting turnpike stair, over the entrance to which is the
inscription, PRAISED BE THE LORD MY GOD, MY STRENGTH, AND MY
REDEEMER. ANN0 DOM. 1638, and a device like an anchor, entwined with the
letter S. Over another door, which gives entrance to the lower part of the same house,
there is the inscription, SEDES MANET OPTIMA CGLO, with the date and device
repeated. On the left of the first inscription there is a shield, bearing party per fesse, in
chief three crescents, a mullet in base. The earliest titles of the property are wanting, and
we have failed to discover to whom these arms belong. The house was purchased by
Hugh, twelfth Lord Sempill, in 1743, from Thomas Brown and Patrick Manderston, two
merchant burgesses, who severally possessed the upper and under portions of it. By him it
was converted into one large mansion, and apparently an additional story added to it, as
the outline of dormer windows may be traced, built into the west wall.
Lord Sempill, who had seen considerable military service, commanded the left wing of
the royal army at Culloden. He was succeeded by his son John, thirteenth Lord Sempill,
who, in 1755, sold the family mansion to Sir James Clerk of Pennycuik.
The ancient family of the Sempills is associated in various ways with Scottish song.
John, son of Robert, the third Lord, married Mary Livingston, one of ‘I the Queen’s
Maries.” Their son, Sir James, a man of eminent ability and great influence in his day,
was held in high estimation, and employed as ambassador to England in 1599 ; he was the
author of the clever satire, entitled “ The Packman’s Paternoster.” His aon followed in
his footsteps, and produced an “ Elegy on Habbie Simsou, the piper of Kilbarchan,” a
poem’ of great vigour and much local celebrity; while his grandson, Francis Sempill of
Beltrees, is the author both of the fine old song, “ She rose and let me in,” and of a curious
poem preserved in Watson’s collection, en titled ‘‘ Banishment of Poverty,” written about
Watson’8 Collection of Scots Poems, 1706, part i. p. 32.
