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

APPENDIX. 437 airmy, wer all present. Thair wes a gaird, also, of the maist able burgwis of the bun, quha did gaird the crow, tabill and streitis during this feast, all of thame weill apperrellit, and with partizens in thair handia, to the number of four or fyve hundreth persones or thaiiby, in Tery gude equipage and ordor. And in the meantyme, quhyll thai wer thus feasting at the CroFe, the haill bellie in Edinburgh and Cannogait did reing, the drumes did beatt, trumpettia soundit, the haill troupes on horsbak, and sodgeria on fute being also within the toun at this tyme and upone service, with the haill inhabitantes, both men, wemen, and chyldrene, gave thair severall volyes. Thair wer numberis of trumpettia and trumpettouris at this solempnitie, quha actit thak pairtes formalie. Farder, at nycht thair wes bonefpes put out throw the haill streitis of Edinburgh, and fyre workis both thair and at the Castell of Edinburgh, and within the Citidaill of Leith, that nicht, in abundance, till eftir xij houris and moir. Thair wer also sex violeg thrie of them base violes, playing thair continuallie. Thair .wer also sum musicians placed thair, quha wer resolvit to act thair pairtes, and wer willing and reddy, bot by ressone of the frequent acclamationes and cryes of the pepill universallie throw the haill bun, thair purpos wes interruptit. Bachus also, being set upone ane punzeon of wyne upon the frontische pece of the Croce with hi~l cumerhaldis, wes not ydle. And in the end of this solempnitie, the effigia of that notable tyrant and traytor Oliver, being set up upone a pole, and the Devill upone aneuther, upone the Castell HiU of Edinburgh ; it wes ordored by fyre wark, ingyne, and trayne, the devill did chase that traytour, and persewit him still, till he blew him in the air.” BURNINGTH E POPE.-of a somewhat different character are the proceedings with which the populace celebrated the Christmas of 1680, in defiance of the more hospitable intentions of the Magistrates, who were anxious that no occurrence of an unpalatable nature should d ethe serenity of the Duke of York, who had come to Scotland as Commissioner and representative of his royal brother Charles II., at the meeting of the Scottish Estates. The following is the account of these proceedings furnished by Lord Fountainhall, in his Hietorical Observes :- “On the 26 of Dece.mber 1680, being Christmas day, some of the schollars of the Colledge of Edinburgh having contributed together for the making ane effigies and image of the Pope, they entred in a bond and combination to burne him after a solemne procession on Yuille day, and gave oaths on to another for the secrecy of it ; yet it came abroad, and a Councell being called ou the 24 of December, at night, for preventing it, they ordered the King’s forces to be brought within the City of Edinburgh to oppose it, and seized on some English boyes of the name of Gray and others the next morning in thair beds, and imprisoned thame. Yet all this did . not divert the designe, but, by a witty stratagem, the boyes carried a portrait to the Castlehil (as if this blind had been the true on, and they had intended to carry it in procession doune the street9 and performe ther ceremony and pageantrie in the Abbey Court over against the Duke of Albanies windows), which made all the forces draw up at the West Bow head, and in the Grasse Mercat, leist the boyes should escape by coming doune the South Back of the Castle, and thus having stopped all avenues aa they thought, thir boyes escaped by running doune vennels leadig to the North Loch side, and other boyes carried the true effigies from the Grammar Schooll yeard to the head of Blackfreis Wind, and that on the Hy-Street, h t clodded the picture with dirt, and then set fyre to the pouder within the trunk of his body, and so departed. This was highlie resented by some as ane inhospitall affront, deaigned to the Duke OP York (though it was only to his religion and not to himselfe), being a stranger among us (though he be deschended of Scots blood), and that it was but ane aperie of the London apprenticecl, who had done the like before, and that it opened the Papists’ mouths to call UI) cruelL But what the boyes did in show, the Papists ware wont to do to us as ha?reticka in reality ; and 8ome thought boyes might as well sport themselfes with this, as miniaters in the pulpit afErme the Popes to have been bougereq hsreticks, adulterers, sorcerers, sodomites, &c. ; the punishment whereof by all laws is Vivi comburium, burning alive ; and it waa a compensation for his excommunicating all Protestants yearly on this day. In summe, it was a childish folly, and scarse deserved so much notice should have been taken of it.,’ The same incremation of his Holiness was re-enacted on the succeeding Cbistmas of 1681, accompanied .

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