370 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Heriot?s Hospital
the four blocks at each angle of the quadrangle
are furnished with corbelled turrets, having cupola
roofs and vanes. Each of these is four storeys in
height; the other parts are three.
On the south, opposite the entrance, and facing
Lauriston, is the chapel, 61 feet by 22, neatly fitted
up, and occasioning a projection, surmounted by
a small spJe, which balances the tower on the
north For a long period it remained in a comparatively
unfinished state, when it was fitted up in
what Dr. Steven calls a ?flimsy species of Italian
architecture,? excepting the pulpit and end galleries,
which were a kind of Early English, but meagre in
their details. But forty years ago or so, Mr.
Gillespie Graham, the architect, suggested that the
chapel should be entirely renovated in a style
worthy of the building, and he offered to prepare
the designs gratuitously. This generous offer was
accepted, and it was fitted up in its present
elegant style. It has a handsome pulpit, a richly
adorned ceiling, and many beautiful carvings of oak.
In an architectural point of view this famous
hospital is full of contradictions, but when viewed
from distant points, its turrets, chimneys, and pipnades
stand up against the sky in luxuriant confusion,
yet with singular symmetry, though no two
portions are quite alike. A professional writer
says, ? we know of no other instance in the works
of a man of acknowledged talent, where the operation
of changing styles is so evident. In the chapel
windows, though the outlines are fine Gothic, the
mouldings are Roman. In the eatrance archways,
although the principal members are Roman, the
pinnacles, trusses, and minute sculptures partake
of the Gothic.??
This building has another marked peculiarity,
in the segment of an octagonal tower in frontthat
of the chapel-lighted through its whole extremity
by a succession of Gothic windows divided
by mullions alone, which produce a singularly rich
and pleasing effect.
The hospital is surroundedby a stately and magnificent
balustraded terrace, from which noble flights
of at least twelve steps descend to the ground.
In the wall over the gateway is a statue of
George Heriot, the founder, in the?costume of the
time of James VI. This, the boys on ?? Heriot?s
Day,? the first Monday of June, decorate with
flowers, in honour of their benefactor, of whom
several relics are preserved in the hospital, particularly
his bellows and cup. There is also a portrait
of him, said to be only the copy of an original.
It represents him in the prime of life, with a
calm, thoughtful, and penetrating countenance, and
about the mouth an expression of latent humour.
Heriot?s foundation has continued to flourish
and enjoy a well-deserved fame. (?With an
annual revenue,? says a writer in 1845, ? of nearly AI 5,000, it affords maintenance, clothing, and
education for, also pecuniary presents to, one hundred
and eighty boys, such being all that the house
large as it is, is able conveniently to accommodate.
Instead of increasing the establishment in correspondence
with the extent of the funds, it was suggested
a few years ago, by Mr. Duncan Machen,
one of the governors, to devote an annual ovcrplus
ofabout L3,ooo to the erection and maintenance of
free schools throughout the city, for the education
of poor children, those of poor burgesses being
preferred, and this judicious proposal being forthwith
adopted and sanctioned by an Act of Parliament
(6 and 7 William IV,), there have since
been erected, and are now (1845) in operation, five
juvenile and two infant schools, giving an elementary
education to 2,131 children.? This number
has greatly increased since then.
The management of the hospital is vested in
the Lord Provost, Bailies, and Council of the city,
and the clergy of the Established Church, making
in all fifty-four governors, with a House Governor,
Treasurer, Clerk, Superintendent of Property, Physician,
Surgeon, Apothecary, Dentist, Accountant,
a matron, and a staff of masters.
In 1880 the revenue of the hospital amounted
to &24,000. In it are maintained 180 boys,
of whom 60 are noh-resident. The age of admission
is between 7 and 10 years, though in exceptional
cases, non-residents may be taken at 12. All
leave at 14, unless they pass as ? hopeful scholars.?
They are taught English, French, Latin, Greek, and
all the usual branches of a liberal education, with
music and drawing.
Those who manifest a desire to pursue the
learned professions are sent to the adjacent University,
with an allowance for four sessions of A30
per annum; and apprentices may also receive
bursary allowances to forward them in their trades ;
while ten out-door bursaries, of;t;zo each yearly, are
likewise bestowed on deserving students at college.
On leaving the hospital the ?poore fatherless
boyes, freemen?s sonnes,? as Heriot calls them in
his will, are provided with clothes and suitable
books; and such of them as become apprentices
for five years or upwards, receive A50 divided into
equal annual payments during their term of service,
besides a gratuity of jC;5 at its end. Those who
are apprenticed for a shorter term than five years
receive a correspondingly less allowance.
One master is resident, as is the house governor,
but all the rest are non-resident.
371 Heriot?s Ho.pital.1 THE EDINBURGH VOLUNTEERS.
By the Act of Parliament referred to, the governors
were empowered to erect from this surplus
revenue their elementary schools withiin the city,
for educating, free of all expense : rst, the children
of all burgesses and freemen in poor circumstances
; znd, the children of burgesses and freemen
who were unable to provide for their sup
port; 3rd, the children of poor citizens of Eclinburgh,
resident within its boundaries. They were
also empowered by the same Act, ? to allow to any
boys, in the course of their education at such
schools, being sons of burgesses and freemen, such
uniform fixed sum of money, in lieu and place
of maintenance, and such uniform fixed sum for fee
as apprentices after their education at the said
schools is completed, as shall be determined.?
There are now sixteen of these free Heriot
schools, in different quarters of Edinburgh, all more
or less elegant and ornate in the details of their
architecture copied from the parent hospitaL . These
schools are attended by upwards of 4,400 boys and
girls.
There are also nine schools in various parts of
the city, open for free instruction in reading,
writing, arithmetic, grammar, French, German, and
drawing, attended by about 1,400 young men and
women.
There are five infant schools maintained from
the surplus funds of the same noble and gefierous
institution. ? On the report of the Bursary Committee
being given in,? at the meeting of governors
in Noveniber 1879, ?? Bailie Tawse stated that they
had at present eighteea of their young men at
college. For the month ending 20th October last,
therewere 4,907 pupils on the roll in George Heriot?s
schools, and r,075 in connectiori with the Hospital
evening classes.?
In the old volunteering times, about the last
years of the eighteenth century and the first years
of the present, the green before the hospital was
the favourite place for the musters, parades, and
other displays of the civic forces. Here theii
colours were presented, from here they were
trooped home to the Colonel?s house, when Edinburgh
possessed, per cent. of the population, a
much greater number of enrolled volunteers than
she has now.
But other exhibitions took place in Heriot?s
Bowling Green, such as when the famous aeronaut,
Vincent Lunardi, made his ascent therefiom, on
the 5th of October, 1785. On that occasion, we
are told, above 80,ooo spectators assembled, and
all business in the city was suspended for the
greatest portion pf the day. At noon a flag wa:
hoisted on the castle, and a cannon, brought from
Leith Fort, was discharged in Heriot?s Green, to
announce that the process of filling the balloon had
begun, and by half-past two it was fully inflated.
Lunardi-attired, strange to say, in a scarlet uniform
faced with blue, sword, epaulettes, powdered
wig, and three-cocked hat-entered the cage, with a
Union Jack in his hand, and amid a roaf of acclamation
from the startled people, who were but
little used to strange sights in that dull time, he
ascended at ten minutes to three P.M.
He passed over the lofty ridge of the old town,
at a vast height, waving his flag as the balloon
soared skyward. It took a north-easterly direction
near Inch Keith, and came down almost into the
Forth; but as he threw out the ballast, it rose
higher than ever. The wind bore him over North
Berwick, and from there to Leven and Largo, after
which a SSW. breeze brought him to where he
descended, a mile east from Ceres in Fifeshire,
Where the balloon. was at its greatest altitude
-three miles-the barometer stood at eighteen
inches five tenths, yet Lunardi experienced no difficulty
in respiration. He passed through several
clouds of snow, which hid from him alike the sea
and land.
Some reapers in a field near Ceres, when they
heard the sound of Lunardi?s trumpet, and saw his
balloon, the nature of which was utterly beyond
their comprehension, were . filled with dreadful
alarm, believing that the end of all things was at
hand; and the Rev. Mr. Arnot, the ministet of
Ceres, who had been previously aware of Lunardi?s
ascent, required some persuasion to convince them
that what they beheld was not supernatural.
A number of gentlemen who collected at Ceres,
set the church bell ringing, and conveyed the bold
aeronaut with all honour to the manse, where a
crowd awaited him. His next ascent was from
Kelso.
On the 26th of September, 1794, there mustered
on Heriot?s Green, to receive their colours, the
Royal Regiment of Edinburgh Volunteers, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Elder (the old provost) and
Colonel William Maxwell, afterwards a general.
The corps consisted of eight companies with thirtytwo
officers, fifteen of whom had belonged to the
regular army; but all ranks were clothed alike,
the sergeants being indicated by their pikes and
the officers by their swords. The corps numbered
about 785, all told
Their uniform was a blue coat, lapelled With
black velvet, cut away from below the breast, With
broad heavy square skirts, a row of buttons round
the cuff, gold epaulettes for all ranks, white cassi.
mere vest and breeches, with white cotton stockings,
