282 MEMORIALS OF ED?NBURGH.
Sir John Smith at length yielded to the exhortations of his friends, who urged him in
so dreadful an alternative to accept the ofFe, of the Moor: The fair invalid was borne on
a litter to the house near the head of the Canongate where he had taken up his abode,
and, to the astonishment and delight of her father, she was restored to him shortly afterwards
safe and well.
* The denouement of this singular story bears that the Moorish leader and physician
proved to be Andrew Gray, who, after being captured by pirates, and sold as a slave,‘
had won the favour of the Emperor of Morocco, and risen to rank and wealth in his
service. He had returned to Scotland, bent on revenging his own early wrongs on the
Magistrates of Edinburgh, when, to his Burprise, he found in the destined object of his
special vengeance, a relative of his own. He
married the Provost’s daughter, and settled down a wealthy citizen of the Burgh of
Canongate. The house to which his fair patient was borne, and whither he afterwards
brought her as his bride, is still adorned with an effigy of his royal patron, the Emperor
of Morocco; and the tenement has ever since borne the name of Morocco Land. It is
added that he had vowed never to enter the city but sword in hand; and having
abandoned all thoughts of revenge, he kept the vow till his death, having never again
passed the threshold of the Nether Bow Port. We only add, that we do not pretend to
guarantee this romantic legend of the Burgh; all we have done has been to put into a
consistent whole the different versions related to us. We have had the curiosity to
obtain a sight of the title-deeds of the property, which prove to be of recent date. The
earliest, a disposition of 1731, so far confirms the tale, that the proprietor at that date is
John Gray, merchant, a descendant, it may be, of the Algerine rover and the Provost’s
daughter. The figure of the Moor has ever been a subject of popular admiration and
wonder, and B variety of legends are told to account for its existence. Most of them,
however, though differing in almost every ot8her point, seem to agree in connecting it
with the last visitation of the plague.
A little to the eastward of MoroccQ Land, two ancient buildings of less dimensions in
every way than the more recent erections beside them, and the eastern one, more especially
of a singularly antique character, form striking features among the architectural elevations
in the street. The latter, indeed, is one of the most noticeable relics of the olden time
still remaining among the private dwellings of the burgh. It is described in the titles as
that tenement of land called Oliver’s Land, partly stone and partly timber ; and is one of
the very best specimens of this mixed style of building that now remains. The gables are
finished with the earlieit form of crowstep, considerably ornamented. A curiously moulded
dormer window, of an unusual form, rises into the roof; while, attached to the floor below,
The remainder of the tale is soon told.
* Numerous references will be found in the records of the seventeenth century to similar slavery among the Noors.
In “Selections from the Registers of the Presbytery of Lanark,’’ Abbotsford Club, 1839, is the following :-“27th Oct.
1625.-The quilk day ane letter ressavit from the Bishope for ane contributioun to be collectit for the releaff of some
folks of Queinsfarie and Kiogorne, deteinet under slaverie by the Turks at Salie.” Again, in the “Minutes of the
Synod of Fyfe,” printed for the same Club :-“2d April 1616, Anent the supplication proponed be Mr Williame
Wedderburne, minister at Dundee, making mentione, that whairas the Lordis of his Hienes’ Privie Counsel1 being certanelie
informed that Androw Robertaon, Johne Cowie, Johne Dauling, James Pratt, and their complices, marineris,
indwellaris in Leyth, being laitlie upon the coast of Barbarie, efter ane cruell and bloodie conflict, were overcome and
led into captivitie be certane merciless Turkes, who preuented them to open mercatt at Algiers in Barbarie, to be sawld
98 slaves to the crueu barbarians,” &c.
THE CANONGA TE AND ABBE Y SANCTUAR Y. 283
an antique timber projection is thrown out as a covered gallery, within which there is
a very large fireplace on the external front of the stone wall, proving, as previously pointed
out, that the timber work is part of the original plan of the building. The first floor
is approached as usual by an outer stair, at the top of which a very beautifully moulded
doorway affords entrance to B stone turnpike, forming the internal communication to the
different floors. A rich double cornice encircles this externally, and beneath it is the
inscription in antique ornamental characters :-SOLI - DE0 * HONOR * ET - GLORIA.
Owing to the protection afforded by the deep mouldings and the timber additions, this
inscription has been safely preserved from injury, and remains nearly as sharp and fresh as
when cut. The character of the letters corresponds with other inscriptions dating early in
the sixteenth century, and the whole building is a very perfect specimen of the best cliss
of mansions at that period. The interior, though described in the titles as having “ a fore
chamber and gallery, a chamber of dais,” &c., has in reality accommodations only of the
very homeliest description, each floor consisting of a simple and moderately-sized single
apartment, subdivided by such temporary wooden partitions as the convenience of later
tenants has suggested. It appears to have been the mansion of John the second son of
Lawrence, fourth Lord Oliphant, an active adherent of Queen Mary. His elder brother,
who is styled Master of Oliphant, joined the Ruthven couspirators in 1582, and perished
shortly afterwards with the vessel and whole crew, when fleeing from the kingdom. The
other tenement, apparently of equal antiquity, and similar in style of construction, though
with fewer noticeable features, adjoins it on the west. It formed, at a somewhat later date,
the residence of Lord Daxid Hay of Belton, to whom that barony was secured in succession
by a charter granted to his father, John, second Earl of Tweeddale, in 1687. The
locality, indeed, appears from the ancient deeds to have been one of honourable resort
down to a comparatively recent period, as knights and men of good family occur among
the occupants during the eighteenth century. The boundaries of the house are defined on
the north “ by the stone tenement of land some time belonging to the Earl of Angus.”
Only a portion of the walls of this noble dwelling now remains, which probably was the
town residence of David, the eighth Earl, and brother of the Regent Morton. At the
latest, it must have formed the mansion of his son Archibald, ninth Earl of Angus, the
last of the Douglases who bore that title. As nephew and ward of the Regent Morton, he
was involved in his fall. After his death he fled to England, where he was honourably
entertained by Queen Elizabeth, and became the friend and confident of Sir Philip Sidney
while writing his Arcadia.‘ He afterwards returned to Scotland, and bore his full
share in the troubles of the time. He died in 1588, the victim, as was believed, of witchcraft.
Godscroft tells that Barbara Napier in Edinburgh was tried and found guilty,
though she escaped execution ; and ‘‘ Anna Simson, a famous witch, is reported to have
confessed at her death that a picture of wax was brought to her, having AD. written on it,
which, as they said to her, did signify Archibald Davidson ; and she, not thinking of the
Earl of Angus, whose name was Archibald Douglas, and might have been called Davidson,
because his father’s name was David, did consecrate, or execrate it after her form,
which, she said, if she had known to have represented him, she would not have done it
1 Hume of Qodscroft’s History of the Doughsea, p. 362.
