NEWHAVEN. 93
the butcher, or it may be some higher official of the port. Perhaps we should
add that on the east of the spacious open area leading on to the foot-of the
pier, is erected a handsome and commodious hotel, with edifices, of a similar
style, on the opposite side, occupied as private residences. Besides, the
important village of Wardie, with its rows of villas and elegantly built houses,
is sufficiently near to be included in Granton.
The large open space
landward, conducting on to the pier, flanked by edifices of ' elegant, massive,
whitesandstone masonry,' with its spacious harbour crowded with craft of
every description and of every country, a forest of masts, blending so agreeably
with the general joyousness of the natural scenery around, contrasts most
favourably with the usual dinginess and dirt of most of the other seaports of
the nation. A walk to the pier-head, on which there is a lighthouse with a
brilliantly distinctive light, or along the breakwater, within 'whose giant arms
the harbour lies so peacefully, is both interesting and refreshing, and is greatly
frequented, especially in the long summer evenings, by the inhabitants of the
city and neighbourhood.
Granton is finely situated, and is a nice airy place.
NEWHAVEN
Is a fishing village with a harbour, and an active and industrious population,
a little to the southeast, in the parish of North Leith. It sprung up during
the reign of James IV., and under his favouring smile was rapidly rising into
importance, when it received a check from the repressive hand of the Edinburgh
Tom-Council. Jealous of its rising consequence, and entertaining fears
lest it might in some manner or way affect the city injuriously, they purchased
from the King, who, like all the Stuart family of royal lineage, was ever in need
of money, the town and harbour, with all their rights and privileges, and so
acquired a sort of absolute power over it, which, as might be expected, was
not wielded to the advantage of the locality,
Shortly after the creation of the village a chapel was erected, which likewise
owed its existence to the King. James, with all his fun and frolic, energy
and chivalry, was terribly superstitious. That untoward circumstance which,
when a mere boy, he was all but forced to take a part in-the rebellion
against, and murder of his father by, his subjects-had ever afterwards a most
unhappy effect upon him. He never could forget it ; often it came up into
his mind, disquieted his conscience, and plunged him into the deepest grief
and melancholy, the only solace to, or relief from, which was in doing penance
and in building chapels, Very p'ossibly it was in one of those fits of religious
