212 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
On the south side of the Parliament Close, near to John’s Coffeehouse, was the banking-
house established by Sir William Forbes, the well-known author of the “ Life of Dr
Beattie,” as well as of other works, and one of the most benevolent and public-spirited
citizens of whom Edinburgh ever had to boast. Though descended from the ancient
Lords Pitsligo, attainted for their fidelity to the Stuarts, he commenced life as an
apprentice with the noted bankers, Messrs Coutts, and on their final establishment in
London, he founded the banking company so long known by his name.’ So successful
was he in life, that he accomplished his long-cherished purpose of recovering the
attainted estates of the Barony of Pitsligo, which are now possessed by his descendants.
Adjoining the banking-house of this eminent citizen, Kay, the ingenious delineator of
the (‘ Edinburgh Characters,” kept the small print-shop
where he vended his portraits and caricatures during nearly
the whole of his career as an artist. His windows were
alwaya filled with his newest etching, and formed a centre
of attraction to the numerous loungers of the close,
some of the most noted among whom-both lawyers and
clients-were the frequent subjects of his pencil. An
ancient thoroughfare led from the centre of this range
of buildings to the Cowgate by a broad flight of steps,
latterly called the Back Stairs, of which we furnish a
view, showing the original state of the great south window
of the Parliament Hall. It is occasionally called by
writers of last century the New Stairs, but a passage of
some kind undoubtedly led through the nether kirkyard
to the Cowgate at an early period, affording ready access
from that fashionable suburb, to the collegiate church
of St Giles’s, and the centre of the High Town. For
this the Parliament Stairs were probably substituted
about 1636, and continued from that time to form a convenient
communication between the High Street and
the Cowgate, until their recent demolition to make way for the new Court
Houses.
The booths which disfigured the old cathedral front, forming the north side of the close,
have already been mentioned ; these were almost exclusively occupied by the goldsmiths,
whose hall was attached to the Parliament House, where the lobby of the Signet .Library
now stands. Chambers furnishes in his ‘‘ Traditions’’ an amusing picture of the expectant
rustic bridegroom’s visit to the Parliament Close, on the eve of his marriage, in order to
provide those indispensable household gear, the silver-spunes. On such occasions it was
usual for the goldsmith to adjourn with his customer to John’s Coffeehouse, to receive
the order over a caup of ale or a dram, when the goldsmith was perhaps let into the
whole secret counsels of the rustic, including a history of his courtship,-in return
for which he sought to astonish hii customer with the most recent marvels of city
news. The spunes, however, we rather think, form, according to old-established
,
Now incorporated with other banking companiea under the name of the Union Bank of Scotland.
