CHobd. - OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH.
- 52 -
set at liberty ; but on the suppression of the order
throughout Scotland, their vast possessions were
given to their rivals, the Knights of St. John at
Torphichen.
In 1337, about the time that John 11. was abbot,
sanctuary was given in Holyrood church to a remarkable
fugitive from the Castle of Edinburgh,
which at that time was held by an English garrison
under Thomas Knyton. In one of the forays made
by him in search of supplies, he had been guided
adding, ?that many brethren of the Temple, being
. common people, indifferently absolve excornrnunicated
persons, saying that they derived power from
their lord the Supreme Pontiff;? and also, ?? that
the chapters were held so secretly that none save
a Templar ever had access to them.?
So ended the inquisition at Holyrood, ((which
could not be made more solemn on account of the
weapon that lay near, and so severe was the How
that his blood bespattered the floor. He affected
to bear with this new outrage, and nursing his
wrath, quitted the fortress; but next day, when
Thomas Knyton rode through the gate into the
city with a few attendants, Prendergast rushed
from a place of concealment-probably a Close
head-and passing a long sword through his heart,
dashed him a corpse on the causeway.
He then leaped on Knyton?s horse, and spurring
to a rich booty near Calder Muir by a soldier
named Robert Prendergast, an adherent of Baliol,
who served under the English banner. Upon
returning to the castle, instead of being rewarded,
as he expected, the Scottish traitor, at dinner in
the hall, was placed among the servingmen and
below the salt.
Filled with rage and mortification, he remained
~. .
GROUND PIAN OF THE CHAPEL ROYAL OF HOLYROOD HOUSE.
(From air Engraving irr thx History ofthe A&y,guSlirhed h 1821.)
A, Gmt West Entrance; 6, North Door; C C, Doon from South Aisle to Clo?sters. now walled up; D, Great East Window; E, Stair tm
Rood-loft ; F, Door to the Palace, shut up ; G. Remaining Pillars, north side: H, Screen-work in Stone.
down the street, reached Holyrood, where he
sought sanctuary in the chapel of St. Augustine;
there his English pursuers found him on his knees
before the altar.
WEST FRONT OF HOLYROOD ABBEY CHUKCH.
ever intent on revenge, joined Sir William Douglas,
the Black Knight of Liddesdale, whose forces lay
in the fastnesses of Pentland Muir.
From there one night he led the Liddesdale men,
tion, violate the sanctuary, they set a guard upon ! the then open and unwalled city, attacked the
the church, resolving to starve him into surrender ; i English, and left 400 of them dead in the streets.
but fortunately for Robert Prendergast, the monks
.of Holyrood were loyal to their king, and thinking
probably an Englishman less in the world mattered
:little from a Scottish point of view, they conveyed
to him provisions every night unseen by the guard,
For twelve days and nights he lurked by the altar
*of St. Augustine, until, disguised in a monk?s cowl
;and gown, he effected an escape; and more than
Sir William Douglas re-captured the fortress in the
following year.
In 1370 David 11. was interred with every
solemnity before the high altar, the site of which is
now in the Palace Garden. It was inscribed, ?UiC
Rex sub Zapide Davici izditus af tumukrfus,? as
given by Fordun.
On the 18th of January, 1384-5, Robert IL,
