THE LA WNMARKET. I77
King being ludgit in Robert Gourlay’s ludging, he came to the sermone, and ther, in presence
of the haill peipill, he promest to reuenge God’s cause, to banische all the papists,
and y’ requystet the haill peiple to gang with him against Boduell, quha wes in Leith for
the tyme.” His Majesty’s pathetic exhortation, and promises of pious zeal in the cause
of the kirk, soon mustered a force of civic volunteers, who proceeded to Leith, where
Bothwell lay with a body of five hundred horse. The King gallantly headed his recruits so
long as the Earl retreated before them, first ‘(t o the Halkhill, besyde Lesteric,” * and then
away through Duddingston: but no sooner did Bothwell turn his horsemen to face them,
than his Majesty showed (‘ the better part of valour ” by a precipitate retreat, and never
drew bridle, we may presume, till he found himself once more safely sheltered within the
pend of Gourlay’s Close, Holyrood Abbey being much too near the recent quarters of
the rebellious Earl to be ventured on for the royal abode.
From the various incidents adduced, it appears evident that Robert Gourlay waO not
only a subservient courtier, but also that he waa so far dependent on the King-whatever
may have been the nature of his office-as to place his house at his Majesty’s free disposal,
whenever it suited his convenience? It is well known that King James waa very condescending
in his favours to his loyal citizens of Edinburgh, making no scruple, when the
larder of Holyrood grew lean, and the privy purse was exhausted, to give up housekeeping
for a time, and honour one or other of the substantial burghers of his capital with a visit of
himself and household ; or when the straitened mansions within the closes of old Edinburgh
proved insuf6cient singly to accommodate the hungry train of courtiers, he would
very considerately distribute his favours through the whole length of the close I In
January 1591, for example, as we learn from Moysie: when ‘‘ the King and Queen%
Majesties lodged themselves in Nicol. Edward’s house, in Niddry’s Wynd,” the Chancellor
withdrew to Alexander Clark’s house, at the same wynd head ; and, it is added, “on
the 7th of February, the Earl of Huntly, with his friends, to the number of five or six
score horse, passed from his Majesty’s said house in Edinburgh, intending to pass to a
horse race in Leith.” We are not quite sure if we are to understand that the whole six score
were actually lodgers in the wynd, but it is quite obvious, at least, that his Majesty found
his quarters there much too comfortable to be likely to quit ‘‘ his said house ” in a hurry.
The free use, however, which was made of Gourlay’s mansion, lacked such royal condescension
to sweeten the sacrifice ; it was only when its massive walls gave greater promise of
safety in the time of danger that the King made it his abode; and we may presume its
owner to have enjoyed some more substantial benefits in return for such varied encroachments
on his housekeeping.
In the year 1637, David Gourlay, the grandson of the builder, sold this ancient fabric
to Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, the courageous and intrepid adviser of the recusant clergy
in 1606, when the politic lawyers of older standing declined risking King James’s dhpleasure
by appearing in their behalf. In 1626 he was created King’s Advocate by Charles
Birrell’a Diary, p. 32. Restalrig.
a We are indebted to Mr R. Chambem for the following interesting note on thia subject In the Second Book of
Chartera in the Canongate Council House, I find Adam, Bishop of Orkney, giving to &bed Qourlay, messenger, ‘our
familiar semitor,’ the office of messenger, or officer-at-arms, to the Abbey, with a salary of forty pounds and other perquisite?.”
‘ Moysie’s Yemoirg p. 182. Ante, p. 89.
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