MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
@if go@ @t. Bpn affIeitit be,
a9cb pail Bag Cbre$t cbm pain to me.
Btuitb ge Map, wafk gotn tbairiti,
Cm5rate ge trii rb, altanbobn -
The last word, obviously Bin, had been curiously omitted, and a dash substituted for
it, as though for a guess or puzzle. In the centre of this roof there was a ring,
apparently for the purpose of suspending a lamp, and in one of the walls there
was a niche with a trefoil arch very slightly ornamented. The fireplace, which was
of very large dimensions, was entirely without ornament, and in no way corresponded
with the style of finish otherwise prevailing in the apartment, although its size and
massive construction seemed to prove that it must have been a portion of the original
fabric.
Another ceiling of a similar form, in a room adjoining this, on the west side of Blyth’g
Close, was adorned with a variety of emblematic designs, mostly taken from Paradin’s
Emblems (the earliest edition of which, as far as we are aware, was published at Lyons
in 1557), and from the Traictd des Devises Royales, although some of them are not to
be found in either of these works,-such as a hand amid flames, holding up a dagger,
with the motto, Agere et pati fortia; 8 branch covered with apples, Ab insomni non
custodita dragoni; and two hands out of a cloud, one ho1ding.a sword, and the other a
trowel, In utrumque paratus, This species of emblematic device was greatly in vogue in
the sixteenth century, and various other works of similar character still exist in the libraries
of the curious. Among other devices on this ceiling, may be mentioned an ape crushing
her offspring in the fervour of her embrace, with the motto, Cc~cus amr prolis ; a serpent
among strawberry plants, Latet unguis in Hr6a ; a porcupine with apples on its spikes,
Magnum vectigal parsimonia, &c.l These devices were united by a series of ornamental
borders, and must have presented altogether an exceedingly lively and striking appearance
when the colours were fresh, and the other decorations of the chamber in consistent
harmony therewith.’
Another interesting feature in the decoration of the ceilings of this once magnificent
mansion, was the blazonry which distinguished the chief ornaments remaining in some of the
rooms. These consisted of the armorial bearings of the Duke of Chatelherault, with his
initials, I. H.; those of France, with the initials H. R.; and, lastly, those of Guise,
impaled with the Scottish Lion, and having the Queen Regent’s intitials, N. R.3 The first
of these occupied the centre of a large entablature in the ceiling of the outer vestibule of
the apartment, where the elegant Gothic niche stood, to which we have given the name of
l It is much to be regretted that no attempt was made to preserve these interesting specimens of early decorations,
which could have been so easily done, as they were all painted on wood. The restoration in one of the apartments of
the New College would have formed a pleasing memorial of the building that it superseded. The only fragmente that
we know of are now in the collection of C. K. Sharpe, Esq. ’ A few items from “A Collection of Inventories, &c.,” 1815, may afford some idea of the probable furnishing of the
walla. “ The Quene Regentis movables, A.D. 1561; Item, ane tapestrie maid of worsett mixt with threid of gold of
the hiatone of the judgment of Salamon, the deid barne and the twa wiffis. Item, ane tapestrie of the historie of the
Creatioun, contening nyne peces; ane of the King Ruboam, contening foure peces ; ane other of little Salamon,” &a.,
p. 126. Sex
cartis of aundrie cuntreis. Twa paintit brcddis, the ane of the muses, and the uther of crotescque or conceptis. Aucht
paintit broddis of the Doctouris of Almaine,” &c.-Ibid, p. 130.
“Of Rownd Cfloibbis and Paintrie. Item, twa gloibbis, the ane of the heavin, the uther of the earth.
* All now in the posseasion of C. K. Sharpe, Esq.
KING’S STABLES, CASTLE BARNS, AND CASTLE HILL. 151
a piscina; and those of France were in the same position in the floor above.‘ In their
original po,sition these devices were so obscured with dirt and whitewash as to appear
merely rnde plaster ornaments ; but on their removal they proved to be very fine and carefully-
finished carvings in oak, and retaining marks of the colours with which they had
been blazoned. These heraldic bearings are not only interesting, as confirming the early
tradition first mentioned by Maitland,-a careful and conscientious antiquary,-of its
having been the residence of Mary of Guise, but they aEord a very satisfactory clue to the
period of her abode there. James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, was created Duke of Chatelherault
in the year 1548, but not fully confirmed in the title till 1551, when it was
conceded to him as part of his reward for resigning the Regency to the Queen Dowager ;
and that same year she returned from France to assume the government. The death of
Henry 11. of Frame occurred in 1559, just about the period when the complete rupture
took place between the Regent and the Lords of the Congregation, after which time her
chief place of residence was in Leith, until her last illness, when she took up her abode
in the Castle of Edinburgh, where she died. The interval between these dates entirely
coincides with that period of her history when she might be supposed to have chosen such a
residence within the city walls, and near the Castle, while the burning of the Capital and
Palace by the English army in 1544 was of so recent occurrence, and the buildings of the
latter were probably only partially restored.’
In rtccordance with the traditions of the locality, we have described the property in Todd’s
Close as forniing a part of the Guise Palace, entered from Blyth’s Close, and with which
there existed an internal communication. It appears, however, from the title-deeds of the
property, that this portion of the range of ancient buildings had formed, either in the
Chambers mentions (Traditions, vol. i p. 80) having seen, in the possession of an antiquarian friend, the City Arms,
which had been removed from a similar situation in the third floor. We have reason to believe, however, that he w a ~
mistaken in this, and that the arms he saw were removed from an old houae on the south side of the Canongate.
“ The Queen Dowager,”
says Calderwood, A.D. 1554, “came from the Parliament Houa, to the Palace of Halyrudhous, with the honnoura borne
before her ” [vol. i. p, 2831, on which Knox remarks, that, “ It waa als seemelie a sight to see the crowne putt upon her
head, as to see a aaddle putt upon the backe of an unrulie kow ! ” This, however, and similar alluaiona to her going to
the Palace on occasions of state, cannot be considered as necesaarily inconsistent with the occupation of a private
mansion. The titledeeds of the property which we have examined throw no light on this interesting question. They
are all comparatively recent, the earlieat of them bearing the date of 1622.
Some curious information about the household of Mary of Guise is furnished in the selection from the register of
the Privy Seal of Scotland, appended to Pitcairn’s Criminal Trials, e.g. 1538. “ Item, for iiij elnia grene veluet, to be
ye covering of ane eadill to the fule.” Again, “for vij elnis, 4 elne grene birge satyne, to be the Q u d s fule, ane
goune . . . sallow birge satyne, to be hir ane kirtill . . . blaid black gray, to lyne ye kirtill,” &c., and at her coronation
in 1540, “Item, deliuerit to ye Frenche tehur, to be ane cote to Serrat, the Quenis fule,” &c. Green and
yellow seems to have been the Court Fool’s livery. This is one of the very few instances on record of a Female
Buffoon or Fool, for the amusement of the Court The Queen’s establishment also included a male and female dwarf,
whose dresses figure in these accounts, alongside of such items, gs-“ For vj elnis of Parise blak, to be Maiter George
Balquhannane ane goune, at the Quenia Grace entre in Edinburghe.” “To Janet Douglaa, spous of David
Lindesay, of the Monthe XI. li.” To the POW penny, deliuerit to David Lindesay, Lyoune herald, on the Quenia
[Magdalen] Saull-Nes and Dirige,” &c. The following items from the Treasurer’s accounts show the existence of
similar eervitors in Queen Mary’s household :-“ 1562, Paid for ane cote, hois, lynyng and making, to Jonat Yusche,
fuler84,5a. 6d. Ane
abnkement to Jaquelene gouernance de la Jordiner. 1566, Ane garment of reid and yellow to be ane gowne, hois, and
cote, to Jane Colquhoun, fule. 1567, Ane abnlement of braid inglis yellow, to be cots and breikis,4lso aarkis,-to
James Geddie, fule.” Subsequent entries show that Queen Mary had a Female Fule, called 9‘ Niwlau, the Queen’s
Grace fule,” who would appear, from the following item, to have been retained in the service of the Regent after the
Queen’s flight to England :-“ 1570, The first day of August, be the Regent’s g. speciale command, to Nichola the fule,
to mak hir expensis and fraucht to France, L15.”
* No allusion occurs in any of the historians of the period in con6rmation of the tradition.
1565, For grene plading to mak ane bed to Jardinar, the fule, with white fustiane, feddem, &c.
