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

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 .

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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.

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