Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time

All Books Kay's Originals Vol. 1 Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Edinburgh Past and Present Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

Go to: « Kay's Originals Vol. 1 « Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Cover Title Pages Contents List of Illustrations Preface Part 1: Historical Associations Part 1 Ch 1: Earliest Traditions Part 1 Ch 2: From The Accession of The Stuarts to the Death of James III Part 1 Ch 3: From the Accession of James IV to the Battle of Flodden Part 1 Ch 4: From the Battle of Flodden to the Death of James V Part 1 Ch 5: From the Death of James V to the Abdication of Queen Mary Part 1 Ch 6: From the Accession of James VI to the Restoration of Charles II Part 1 Ch 7: Historical Incidents after the Restoration Part 2: Local Antiquities and Traditions Part 2 Ch 1: The Castle Part 2 Ch 2: King's Stables, Castle Barns, and Castle Hill Part 2 Ch 3: The Lawnmarket Part 2 Ch 4: The Tolbooth, Luckenbooths, and Parliament Close Part 2 Ch 5: The High Street Part 2 Ch 6: The High Street and Nether Bow Part 2 Ch 7: The Canongate and Abbey Sanctuary Part 2 Ch 8: St Leonard's, St Mary's Wynd, and The Cowgate Part 2 Ch 9: The West Bow and Suburbs Part 2 Ch 10: Leith, and The New Town Part 2 Ch 11: Ecclesiastical Antiquities Appendix » Edinburgh Past and Present » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

4 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. a right to dues to nearly the same amount from the royal revenues at the port of Perth, the more ancient capital of Scotland; justifying the quaint eulogy of his royal descendant, that “he was an soir sanct for the crown.’” By another important grant of this charter, liberty is given to the Canons to erect a burgh between the Abbey and the town of Edinburgh, over which they are vested with supreme rule, with right of trial by duel, and by fire and water ordeal. Hence the origin of the burgh of Canongate, afterwards the seat of royalty, and the residence of the Scottish nobility, as long as Scotland retained either to herself. In the same charter also, the first authentic notice of the parish church of St Cuthbert’s, and the chapelries of Corstorphine and Libberton are found, by which we learn that that of St Cuthbert’s had already, at this early date, been endowed with very valuable revenues ; while it confirms to its dependency at Libberton, certain donations which had been made to it by ‘( Macbeth of Libberton,” in the rei@ of David I., erroneously stated by Arnot a as Macbeth the Usurper. The well-known legend of the White Hart most probably had its origin in some real occurrence, magnified by the superstition of a rude and illiterate age. More recent observations at least suffice to show that it existed at a much earlier date than Lord Hailes referred it to.’ According to the relation of an ancient service-book of the monastery, in which it is preserved, King David, in the fourth year of his reign, was residing at the Castle of Edinburgh, then surrounded with ‘( ane gret forest, full of hartis, hyndis, toddis, and sic like manner of beistis ; ” and on the Rood Day, after the celebration of mass, he yielded to the solicitations of the young nobles in his train, and set forth to hunt, notwithstanding the earnest dissuasions of a holy canon, named Alkwine. “ At last, quhen he we; cumyn throw the vail that lyis to the eist fra the said Castell, quhare now lyis the Cannongait, the staill past throw the wod with sic noyis and dyn of bugillis, that all the bestis wer raisit fra thair dennis.” The King, separated from his train, was thrown from his horse, and about to be gored by a hart with auful and braid tyndis,” when a cross slipt into his hands, at sight of which the hart fled away. And the King was thereafter admonished, in a vision, to build the Abbey on the spot.’ The account is curious, as affording a glimpse of the city at that early period, contracted within its narrow limits, and encircled by a wild forest, the abode alone of the fox and the hind, where now for centuries the busy scenes of a royal burgh have been enacted. David I. seems to have been the earliest monarch who permanently occupied the Castle as a royal residence-an example which was followed by his successors, down to the disastrous period when it was surrendered into the hands of Edward I. ; so that with the reigu of this monarch, in reality begins the history of Edinburgh, as still indicated to the historian in the vestiges that survive at the present day. After the death of David I., we find the Castle successively the royal residence of his immediate successor, Malcolm IT., of Alexander II., and of William, surnamed the Lion, until after his defeat and capture by Henry IL of England, when it was surrendered with other principal fortresses of the kingdom, in ransom for the King’s liberty. Fortunately, however, that which was thus lost with the fortunes of war, was speedily restored by more peaceful means ; for an alliance Sir D. Lindsay’s Satyre of the Estaitis. Vide Liber Cart. Sancts Crucis, pp, 8 and 9. Ed. 1806, vol. ii. p. 67. Macbeth the Usurper waa slain 1056. ’ Amot, p. 5. Macbeth of Libberton’s name occurs aa a witness to several royal charters of David I. [1124-53.1 * Annals, David I. Liber Cart. Sancta, Crucis, p. xii.

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