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

386 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. An aisle appears to have bLen added at a later period to the south of the two last chapels, the beautifully groined roof bf which was fully as rich as any portion of the choir. This appears to be the chapel referred to in a I‘ charter of confitmation of a mortification by Alexander Lauder of Blyth, Knight, Provost of Edinburgh, to ane altarage of St Gilles Kirk,” dated 17th August 1513; by which he founded a “ chaplainry in the New Chapel, near the south-western corner of the church, in honour of God, the Virgin xarj+, and Gabriel the Archangel.” ’ It consisted of two arches extending between the porch and the south transept, and in the south wall, between the two windows, a beautiful altar tomb was constructed under a deep recess, on which a recumbent figure had, no doubt, been originally placed, although it probably disappeared along with the statues, and other ancient ’ decorations, that fell a prey to the reforming zeal of 1559, when ‘( The Black and Gray Freris of Edinburgh were demolissed and castin doun aluterlie, and all the chepellis and collegis about the said burgh, with thair zairds, were in lykwyise distfoyit ; and the images and altaris of Banctgeilis kirk distroyit and brint, be the Erlis bf Ergyle ahd Glencarne, the pryour of Sanctandrois and Lord Ruthvene, callit the cotlgregatioun.” The principal ornaments of this fine tomb suggest its having been erected for some eminent ecclesiastic. Underneath the corbels from which the crocketed arch spriugs, two shields are cut, bearing the emblems of our Saviour’s passion, the one on the right having the nails, spear, and teed with the sponge, and the other the pillar and scourges. The pinnacle with which the arch terminates is adorned with the beautiful emblem of a heart within the crown of thorns, and on eithei- side of it a lion and dragon are sculptured as snpportercl, On the top of this an ornamental corbel €ormerly supported a clustered pillar, from the capital of which the rich groining of the roof spread out its fan-like limbs towards the fine bosses of the centre key-stones. All this, however, which combined to form one of the finest and most unique features of the Old Church, has been sacrificed to secure that undesirable uniformity which ruins the Gothic designs of’ modern architects, and is scarcely ever found in the best ancient examples. One-half of the aisle has been demolished, and a wall built across where the clustered pillar formerly supported the beautiful roof of the chapel, in order to give it the appeatance externally of an aisle to the south transept. The altar tomb has been removed in a mutilated state to this fragment of the ancient chapel, now degraded to the mean oEce of a staircase to the Montrose aisle on the east side of the same transept, which, with a floor half way up its ancient pillars, serves for a vestry to the Old Church. On the north side of the nave a range of chapels appears to have been added at a somewhat later date than those built on the south side in 1387, judging from the style of ornament and particularly the rich groining of the roof. These consisted of two small chapels on each aide of the ancient Norman porch, while above it there was an apartment known as the Priest’s Room. This had, no doubt, served as a vestry for some of the clergy officiating at the numerous altars of the church, though Maitland gives it the name of the Priest’s Prison, as the place of durance in olden times for culprits who had incurred the 1 Inventar of Pious Donationa M.8. Ad. Lib. Alexander Lauder filled the oflice of Provost in the years 1bOj-3, and again in 1508-10. The Earl of Angus waa the Provost in 1513, and marched with the burgher fmcd t6 Flodden Field. 9 Maitland, p. 271. Diurnal of Occurrenta, p. ’269.

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