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

ECCLESIA STICAL ANTIQ U’TIES. 391 The plan of the architect proved after all a total failure, and a new hall had to be provided elsewhere for the meetings of the General Amembly of the Church. The removal of this important national monument was not effected without considerable oppositich, and itd destruction in the face of repeated remobstrance8 teflects indelible disgrace oli all who had a share in it. The brass plate, with the inscriptioh prepared by Buchanan for this tomb, has been rescued from the general wreck, and is now preserved by the descendants of the Regent at Dunnybristle House. We trust it is preserved to be again restored to the place where it so lohg formed the chief point of attraction. The same transept, styled the Old Church,’ was the Bcene of Jenny Geddea’s famous onslaught on the Deab of St CCiles’s, owing to the alterations *hich were in progress on the choh at the period when the use of the liturgy ka8 attempted to be enforhed, in order to adapt it €ot the cathedral service.’ A very characteristic episode 6r by-play, which was enacted in B corner of the church while the heroihe of the Cuttg Stool was playing her more prominent part with the Dean, is thus narrated by a contemporary :-“A good Christian woman, much deeirous to temove, perceaving she could get no passage patent, betooke herselfe to her Bible in a remote corner of the chutch. As she waa there stopping hep eates a€ the V O ~ C !o~f popische chapmers, %htme she remarked to be veri6 headstrong in the pablict practise of their antichristiane rudiments, 8 young man sitting behind het beganne to sodnd foatth, A m ? At, the hearing therof, she quicklie turned her about, and after she had warmed both his cheekes with the weight of her hands, she thda schott against hiui the thunderbolt of her zeal-‘ False theefe I (said she) is thete no nthet parte of the kirke to sing masse in but thou mud sing it at my lugge I ’ The young man, being dashed with such ane hote uhexpected rencounter, gave place to silence in siglie of his recantatione.” The erection of the Bishoprie of Edinburgh in 1633, and the appointaent of the Collegiate Church of St Qiles to be the cathedral of the diocese, led to its temporary restoration internally to bornething like its alicient appearance. But ere the royal dommands codd be carried into effect for the demolition of all ita galleries and subdivisions, and its adaptation as the cathedral church of the new bishop, the entire syateui of Church polity for which these changes were designed had come to a violent end, involving many more important things in its downfall. ‘6 In this Isle,” sayd Kincaid, (( are sundry inscriptiohs in Sason characters, cut on the pavement, of very coarse sculpture.” Similar ancient monuhents cgvered the floor in other parts of the church, but every vestige of them has been swept away in the impoaementa of 1829. A large portion of one, boldly cht and with the date 1508, waa preserved in the nursery of the late firm of Messra Eagle & Henderson. The inscription ran round the edge of the stone in Gothic characters, and Contained the same and date thds :- gacobi . lame . qui obiit e ano Pm . m* + bo + ocfabo. A shield in the centre bore 8 lamb, well executed, lying with its feet drawn together, Other two of these monumental stones, now completely defaced, form the paving front of the Fountain Well ! Lord Rotheal Relation, Append. p. 198. “In the year 1636, the Town Council ordered one of the Bailiffs and one of the Clerhe of Edinbtugh to desk Jam- Hanna, the Dean of St Gilea’a Church, to repair to Durham, to take a Draught of the Choir of the Cathedral Church in that city, in order to fit up and beautify the inside of St Qiles’a Church after the eame manner.”-Maitland, p. 281. A Breefe and True Relatione of the Broyle, &a, 1637.

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