3 d MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
though it is probable their worldly circumstances were thereby left more dependent on
their own peculiar resources. We are informed by an intelligent lady who resided in the
Canongate in her younger years, that one Christiau Burns, who then dwelt in Strachie’s
Close, enjoyed the universal reputation of a witch ; and on one occasion within her recollection
was scored adoon the breatfi-ie., had a deep cut made in her forehead by a
neighbouring maltster, whose brewing, as he believed, had been spoiled by her devilish
cantrips.
The Water Gate has long since ceased to be a closed port, but the Canongate dues were
still for some time after collected there on all goods entering the burgh. Its ancient site
was marked, till a few years since, by a pointed arch constructed of wood, and surmounted
with the Canongate Arms. This ornamental structure having been blown down in 1822,
the fishwives of Newhaven and Musselburgh unanimously rebelled, and refused to pay the
usual burghal impost levied on their burdens of fish. The warfare was unflinchingly maintained
by these amazons for some time, and the Magistrates were at length compelled
to restore peace to their gates, by replacing the decorated representative of the more
ancient structure. This, however, has again been removed, in consequence of the demolition
of an antique fabric on the east side of the gateway; and such .was the apathy of
the then generation that not even a patriotic fishwife was found to lift her voice against
the sacrilegious removal of this time-honoured landmark 1
A radiated arrangement of the paving in the street, directly opposite to the Water
Gate, marks the site of the Girth Cross, the ancient boundary of the Abbey Sanctuary.
It appears in the map of 1573, as an ornamental shaft elevated on a flight of steps ; and
it existed in nearly the same state about 1750, when Maitland wrote his History of
Edinburgh. Every vestige of it has since been removed, but the ancient privileges,
which it was intended to guard, still survive as a curious memorial of the ecclesiastical
founders of the burgh. Within the sacred enclosures that once bounded the Abbey of
Holyrood, and at a later period formed the chief residence of the Scottish Court, the
happy debtor is safe from the assaults of inexorable creditors, and may dwell at ease in his
city of refuge, if he have been fortunate enough to bear off with him the necessary spoils..
It is, in truth, an imperium in imperio, an ancient royal burgh, with its own courts and
judges and laws, its claims of watch and ward, and of fe;dal service during the presence
of royalty, the election of peers, or like occasions of state, which every householder is
bound to render as a sworn vassal of the Abbey. Endowed with such peculiar privileges
and immunities, it :s not to be wondered at that its inhabitants regard the ancient capital
and its modern rival with equal contempt, looking upon them with much the same feeling
as one of the court cavaliers of Charles 11. would have regarded some staid old Presbyterian
burgher or spruce city gallant in his holiday finery. In truth, it is scarcely conceivable
to one who has not taken up his abode within the magic circle, how much of the fashion of
our ancestors, described among the things that were in our allusions to the Cape Club
and other convivial assemblies of last century, still survives in uudiminished vigour under
covert of the Sanctuary’s protection.
On the south side of the main street, adjoining the outer court-yard of the Palace, a
series of pointed arches along the wall of the Sanctuary Court-House indicate the remains
of the ancient Gothic porch and gate-house of Holyrood Abbey, beneath whose groined
.
THE CANONGA TE AND ABBE Y SANCTUAR Y. 307
roof the dignitaries of the Church, the nobles attending on the old Scottish Kings, and
the beauties of Queen Mary’s Court, passed and repassed into the Abbey Close. This
interesting and highly ornamental portion of the ancient monastic buildings was, in all
probability, the work of the good Abbot Ballantyne, who rebuilt the north side of the
church in the highly ornate style of his time, about 1490, and erected the chapel of St
Ninian, North Leith, and the old atone bridge that led to it, which was demolished in
1789 to make way for the present upper drawbridge. Adjoining this ancient porch,
formerly stood Abbot Ballantyne’s ‘‘ great house or lodging, with the yard thereof, lying
beside the port pf Holyrood House, on the north aide of the street.” The groined archway
of the fine old porch, with the remains of the good Abbot’s lodging, forming, with
the exception of the chapel, the most ancient portions of the Abbey Palace that then
remained, were recklessly demolished by the hereditary keeper in 1753, in order, it is
said, to transfer his apartments from the gate-house to the main building of the Palace.
A small and unpretending dwelling, which now occupies part of the site of the Abbot’s
mansion, may perhaps excite some interest in the minds of certain curious readers as
having once been the house of the notorious Lucky Spence, celebrated in the verses of
Allan Ramsay in terms somewhat more graphic than poetical.’ A singular discovery was
made about fourteen years since, during the progress of some alterations on this building,
which furnishes a vivid illustration of the desperate deeds occasionally practised under the
auspices of its former occupant. In breaking out a new window on the ground floor, a
cavity was found in the solid wall, containing the skeleton of a child, with some remains
of a fine linen cloth in which it had been wrapped. Our authority, a worthy shoemaker,
who had occupied the house for forty-eight years, was present when this mysterious
discovery was made, and described very graphically the amazement and horror of the
workman, who threw away his crow-bar, and was with difficulty persuaded to resume
his operations.
At the corner of the Horse Wynd, and immediately to the west of the Abbey Court-
House, a dilapidated mansion of considerable extent is- pointed out traditionally as the
residence of the unfortunate Rizzio, though it is an erection of probably a century later
than the bloody deed that has given so much interest to the name of the Italian favourite.
A curious and exceedingly picturesque court is enclosed by the buildings behind, and
bore in earlier times the name of the Chancellor’s Court, having probably at some period
formed the residence of that eminent official dignitary. It is described in the title-deeds
as bounded by “the venal1 leading to the king’s stables on the south, and the Horse
Wynd on the west parts ; ” a definition which clearly indicates the site of the royal mews
to have been on the west side of the Abbey Close. More recent and trustworthy traditions
than those above referred to, point out a large room on the first floor of this house as
having been the scene of some interesting proceedings connected with the rehearsal of
Home’s Douglas, in which the reverend author was assisted by sundry eminent lay and
clerical friends. In the cast of the piece furnished by Mr Edward Hialopa good
authority on Scottish theatricals-Principal Robertson, David Hume, Dr Carlyle of
Inveresk, and the author, take the leading male parts, while the ladies are represented by
Professor Ferguson and Dr Blair, the eminent divine 1 Notwithstanding, however, the
Lucky Spence’s Last Advice. Ramsay’s Poems, 4t0, p. 33.
