APPENDIX. 43 3
assigned to an earlier reign than that of James VI., while the shape of the shields indicata a much more remote
era
We are indebted to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Esq., for the above spirited etching of Wrychtishousis, a8
seen from the south-west. The principal front of the builcling was to the north-east, and the old tower, which
had formed the nucleus of thia picturesque edifice, and was the most prominent feature in the front view, is seen
here rising above its roof.
VI. PORTEOUS MOB.
A VERY curious allusion to the Porteous Mob occurs in the defence of the celebrated Horne Tooke, on his
trial for libel, in 1777. The judge before whom he pled his own cause was the Earl of Mansfield, whose semicea
were engaged on behalf of the interests of the Scottish capital, at the time when it was sought to subject both
it and and its magistracy to ignominious pains and penalties, in order to gratify the indignant Queen Caroline,
whose unwonted powers as Regent had been insulted by the deed of the rioters, which set her royal pardon at
naught. Lord Mansfield must have known whatever could be communicated to one of the council for the
defence of Edinburgh and its ancient rights, and knowing this, Horne Tooke addresses him :-“ I shall not
trouble you to repeat the particulars of the affair of Captain Porteous at Edinburgh. These gentlemen are so
little pleased with military execution upon themselves, that Porteous was charged by them with murder, he was
prosecuted, convicted, and when he was reprieved after sentence, the people of the town executed that man
themselves, so little did they approve of military execution. Now, gentlemen, there are at thia moment people
of reputation, living in credit, rnaking fortunes under the Croion, who were concerned in that very fmt-who were
concerned in the execution of Porteous. I do not speak it to censure them ; for, however irregular the act, my
mind approves of it.”--“ Trial of John Horne, Esq., for a libel, before the Right Hon. William Earl of Mansfield,
in the Court of King’s Bench, 4th July 1777.” The libel for which he was tried, was a vehement attack
on the conduct of the Ministry on the breaking out of the American war. The verdict involved him both in a
tedious imprisonment and a fine of s200. It can hardly, therefore, be supposed that the defendant would
unadvisedly risk such a statement, so that it affords a singular corroboration of the traditions that represent the
higher classes to have furnished the chief leaders in the Porteoua Mob. We have been told by an old citizen
that Lord Mansfield was himself affirmed to have been among the rioters on the night of Porteoua’s execution ;
but that is exceedingly improbable, m he had then been practising for five years at the English Bar.
.
VII. LADY ANN BOTHWELL’S LAMENT.”
THE account of the heroine of thia beautiful ballad given in the text (page 227) iS hcorrect In “The
Scottish Ballada,” p. 133, it is remarked :-‘‘ The editor, by the assistance of a valued antiquarian friend, is
enabled now to lay a true and certain histoq of the heroine before the public. ‘ Lady Am Bothwell,‘ waa
no other than the Honourable h aBo thwell, sister of Bothwell Bishop of Orkney, at the Reformation, but
who was afterwards raised to a temporal peerage under the title of Lord Holyroodhouse.” As this account is
necessarily wrong, since it was not the Bishop, but his eldest son John, who was created Lord Holpodhouse, Lady
Ann has been described in the text as the daughter of the latter. The following, however, is the h e narrative,
3 1
434 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
which originally appeared in a note to “The Household Book of Lady Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar”&
a work now of great rarity, only a very small edition having been printed. It was edited by Charles Kirkpatrick
Sharpe, Esq. There is no date to it, but we are informed by the editor that it WM published in 1814.
It is aa an illustration of’ the followiq entry of 1st September 1640. (Page 43) The Comptar craveu
allowance of two nights charges, being sent to waitt upon the buriall of COL Blexander, his corps, which was
buried before he came att Tyninghame, 63sh. 4d.” To this the editor appends the following note in reference to
the Colonel :-“ Colonel Alexander Erskine, Lady Mar’s third son, was blown up in the Castle of Dungha,
together with his brother-in-law the Earl of Hadington. ‘ Upon Sunday the 30th August 1640, the Earl of
Hadington, with about eighty persons, of Knights, Barons, and Gentlemen, within the place of Dunglass in the
Merse pertaining heritably to the Lord Hume, was suddenly blown up in the air, by a sudden tire occasioned
thus : Haddington, with his friends and followels, rejoicing how they defended the army’s magazine frae the
English garrison of Berwick, came altogether to Dunglass, having no fear of evil, where they were all sudd edy
blown up with the roof of the house in the air, by powder, whereof there was abundance in this place, and
never bone nor hyre seen of them again’-&aZding. Bishop Guthrie remarks, that ‘ The very day the Scota
entered Newcastle, Dunglass Castle, in the keeping of Haddington (who had left the King’s party, and held it
under Ledie), was blown up about mid-day ; he and about sixty gentlemen were buried under one of the walls,
which fell upon them as they stood in the close. The King said upon it, albeit he had been very ungrateful
to him, yet he was sorry that he had not at his dying some time to repent.’
U Sir Robert cfordon, in his History of the Sutherland Family, asserts that Lord Haddigton and Colonel
Alexander.Erskine had returned the day before from a victorious skirmish with the English, and were at
dinner when the explosion took place. He adds, ‘This was ascryved to a servant of the Earle’s (ane Englishman)
who was his barbour, but how truly I know not.’
“Alexander Erskine, son to John Earl of Mar, had a letter of provision of the abbacy of Cambuskenneth,
31st May 1608. Re and his brother, Lord Cardrm, were two of the chief mourners at the funeral of their
Uncle, Ludovick Duke of Lennox, who died 16th Februay 1624, and was buried at Westminster’(8z’r Robert
Gordon’e ETistory of thc Sutherland Family). He was knighted, but at what time is uncertain, and was in the
French milita,ry service, as appears from a letter printed by Lord Hailes, and communicated by Lord Alva. It
is addressed to a person unknown in France, by the leaders of the Scottish army, written in bad French (which
is translated by Lord Hailes), a d dated from the camp at Dunse, 20th August 1640 :-
a ‘ Sq-The state of our affairs has constrained us to levy a numerous army for preserving this kingdom
from utter ruin ; hence it is that we coidd not permit Colonel Erskine to transport his regiment (into France)
last year, and the same course still obligea us to employ the Colonel at home in the defence of his country.
Although he is exceedingly zealous in the public service, yet he will not accept of any commission from UH,
unless with the consent of his Most Christian Majesty, and under the condition of being permitted to repair to
France at whatever time he may be required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peace is the aim of our
desires, and the wish of our souls ; as soon as that is concluded, we shall demonstrate, by our assisting Colonel
Erskine in his levies, and by procuring good recruits for his Majesty’s service, that true Scotsmen can never
forget their ancient alliances, and the common interest which unitea them with fiance ; and therefore, Sir, we
again entreat you to represent what has been here said, and the situation of Colonel Erskine’s affairs, to his
Majesty, and to his Eminence. We hope to obtain these favours by pour means ; and, besidea the obligations
which you will thereby confer on the Colonel, you will oblige ua to remain, Sir, your most humble servants,
k LESLIE. AROYLE. RorEEa. MAR BALCAXRAS. BELMERINOSE. AFOBTE.’
This letter waa written only ten days previous to the Colonel’s death, which tradition affirm8 to have been
regarded as I punishment of Providence for hie amorous pejuriee tow& Anna Bothwell (a &er of Lord
-Holyroodhonse),whose lament has exercised the subtile wits of antiquarians, in the ascertainment of her
pedigree She has been made out to be the divorced Countess of Bothwell, and also, I believe, a Miss Boawell
