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

44 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. champions ; and the verity which was found, was, that they dared both to fight in close arms ! ” - In the month of June 1538, the new Queen, Mary of Guise, destined to enact so prominent a part in the future history both of the city and kingdom, was welcomed home with costly gifts and every show of welcome, and ‘‘ on Sanct Margarete’s day thairafter, sho maid her entres in Edinburgh, with greit trivmphe, and als with ordour of the hail1 nobillis; hir Grace come in first, at the West Port, and raid doun the hie gait to the Abbay of Halyrudhous, with greit sportis playit to hir Grace throw all the pairtis of the toun.” a Pitscottie adds, that the Queine was richlie rewairdit and propyned by the proveist and tounschip, both with gold and spyces, wynes, and curious playes made to her by the said tom;”!’ and, indeed, such was the zeal of the good town to testify its gratulations on the King’s speedy escape from widowhood, that we find, shortly after, “ the city cash had run so low, as to render it necessary for the council to mortgage the northern vault of the Nether Bow Port, for the sum of 100 mcrks Scots, to repair the said port or gate withal.” From this state of exhaustion, they do not seem to have again recovered during the King’s lifetime, as in 1511, the year before his death, they had to borrow from him 100 merks Scots, to put the park walls of Holyrood in repair,-a duty that seems to have been somewhat unreasonably imposed on the town. In the year 1539, Sir David Lindsay’s Sutyre of the Thrie Estaitis, the earliest Scottish drama, if we except the Religious Mysteries, that we have any account of, was represented for the first time at Linlithgow, at ‘‘ the feaste of the epiphane,” in presence of the Court. At a later date, it was “ playit beside Edinburgh, in presence of the Queen Regent, and ane greit part of the nobilitie, with ane exceiding greit nowmber of pepill; lestand fra n p e houris afore none, till six houris at euin,”-an extent of patience in the listeners that implies no slight degree of entertainment. The extreme freedom with which the Pardoner, and others of the dramatis persow, treat of the clergy, and the alleged corruptions of the Church, may excite our surprise that this satire should have obtained, thus early, RO willing an audience. Dr Irving has inferred from this, that the King was better inclined to a reformation than is generally supposed,’ but the more probable explanation is to be sought for in the favour of the author at Court. Not long after, Killor, a blackfriar, constructing a drama on the Passion of Christ, which was performed before the King on Good Friday morniug, and wherein the author indulged in the same freedom, he was condemned to the flames. In the seventh Parliament of this reign, held at Edinburgh, in March 1540, a curious and interesting Act was passed ‘( %itching the bigging of Leith Wynde,” wherein ‘‘ it is ordained that the Provost, Baillies, and Council of Edinburgh, warne all manner of persones that hes ony landes, biginges, and waistes, upon the west side of Leith Wynde, that they within zeir and day, big and repaire, honestlie, their said waistes and ruinous houses, and gif not, it sal1 be leifful to the saidis Proveste and Baillies to cast down the said waiste landes, and with the stuffe and stanes thereof, bigge ane honest substantious wall, fra the Porte of the Nether Bow, to the Trinitie College. And because the easte side of the saide Wynde perteines to the abbot and convente of Halyrude-house, it is ’ Hawthornden, p. 105. a Diurnal of Occurrent; p. 22. 8 Pitecottie, vol. ii. p. 378. ‘ Disaertation on the early Scottish Drama. Lives of Scot. Poets, vol. i. p. 209.

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