CHAPTER VI.
THE HIGH STREET AND NETHER BOW.
N the centre of the High Street, not far from the site of the Tron Church, there stood I in ancient times the Tron or public beam for weighing merchandise; generally .
styled in early deeds and writings the Salt Tron, to distinguish it from the Butter
Tron, or Weigh-house, already described. It is shown in the curious bird’s-eye view of
the siege of Edinburgh Castle, drawn in 1573, in the form of a pillar mounted on steps, and
with a beam and scales attached to it. This central spot was the scene of many singular
exhibitions during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, more especially in the
exposure and punishment of culprits. While traitors and political offenders of all sorts
expiated their crimes at the Cross, the lesser offences of perjury and knavery were reserved
by a discriminating system ofjustice for the more ignominious, though less deadly, penalties
of the Tron. One of the liveliest of the scenes which-were enacted there during the 17th
century, occurred on the arrival of the news in June 1650, that Charles 11. had landed in
the north. The Estates of Parliament were then assembled at Edinburgh, and the fickle
populace were already heartily tired of trying to govern themselves. Nicoll, the old diarist,
tells us, (‘ All signes of joyes wer manifested in a special1 maner in Edinburgh, by setting
furth of bailfyres, ringing of bellis, sounding of trumpettis, dancing almost all that night
through the streitis. The pure kaill wyfes at the Trone sacrificed thair mandis and creilh
and the verie stoolis thai sat npone to the %e.’’
. It has been hastily concluded from this, by certain sceptical antiquaries, that, as Jenny
Xicoll’a Diary, p. 16.
VIoNElTE-Ancient Doorway, Blackfriars’ Wynd.
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