LEITH. 99
an outrage he was particularly commanded to commit. And so, having
accomplished the object of the invasion, he re-embarked with his victorious
forces, proud of their success and laden with spoil, committing, however, on
leaving, the port and its shipping to the flames.
Leith, only three years afterwards, was again visited by the same scourge,
now Duke of Somerset, and again suffered by fire at his hand, although not
to the same extent. Not that he on that occasion was less relentless, or not
so much bent on damaging and destroying Scottish property; but simply
because he then met with a stouter resistance, and had less opportunity.
Still he left his mark on this, as on the former occasion, and Leith has no
reason to remember with gratitude the visits, or presence among them, of
this fierce and pitiless firebrand of war.
A few years subsequent to this, and Leith again comes prominently to the
front. Hardly any event indeed of any great national importance occurred
without the port being in some way, less or more, closely connected with it.
Now were the days of the Reformation struggle, when Popery and Protestantism
fought a fierce hand-to-hand battle with varying fortune. Mary of Lorraine
was then Regent, and did her best to crush the rising spirit of rebellion as
directed against prelacy and despotism ; the reformers, on the other hand,
brave-hearted and fearless men, dared to despise the decrees and enactments
of royalty, and bade defiance to the uplifted arm, though sceptred with the
golden rod of sovereignty. For a good wide the battle went on with little
advantage to either side; neither party inclined to sheathe the sword, each
being eagerly bent upon victory, and determined to put down and trample
out the other. The right, however, ultimately prevailed. Popery went to
the wall, and Protestantism triumphed, but it was at a fearful cost of life and
treasure.
Mary of Lorraine, when the
palace was no longer safe for her, retired thither and fortified it, garrisoning
it with a body of French troops. The wall which was then thrown up was,
as it appears, of an octangular form with eight bastions at so many angles ;
and following the line of the present Bernard and Constitution Streets, from
nearly the west end of the latter, it pursued a northerly direction towards the
river. Here a wooden bridge, about 115 yards below the present erection at
the west end of Great Junction Street, connected the continuation of the wall
which reached to the citadel, and then taking an easterly course terminated
at Sandport Street. The bastions were of great strength, and the wall was
entirely built of stone. It had several ports or gates, the chief of which was
'
Leith figures very largely in this struggle.
