372 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Heriot?s Green.
a round hat, with a cockade and black feather on
the left side, buttons having on them the arms .of
the city and inscribed, Edirzburgh Yolunttes (Scuts
Zug., 1794 &c.), their oval belt plates also bearing
thecityarms. Twoof the companieswere grenadiers,
and all men of unusual stature. They wore bearskin
caps, with the grenade thereon, and on their skirts.
The belts, black at first, were afterwards painted
white: but, as the paint scaled off, plain buff was
A second regiment of Edinburgh volunteers was
formed in the same manner in 1797, when a landing
of the French was expected in Ireland, and the
first battalion volunteered to garrison the Castle, to
permit the withdrawal of the regular troops. This
offer was renewed in 1801, when the Lieutenant-
Colonel, the Right Hon. Charles Hope, afterwards
Lord President, wrote thus to General Vyse, commanding
the forces:-
HERIOT?S HOSPITAL : THE COUNCIL ROOM.
substituted, and the first showy uniform underwent
changes.
The colours presented to them were very handsome;
the King?s bore a crown and the letters
G.R. ; the regimental bore the arms of Edinburgh.
The magistrates, the senators, Academicians and
the whole Town Council, were on the ground in
their robes of office. From the green the battalion
marched by the bridges to Princes Street, where the
colours were presented to them by Mrs. Elder,
after which they went to the house of the Lord
Provost, Sir James Stirling, Bart., in Queen?s Street.
The ?latter, in virtue of his office, was honorary
colonel of the regiment; but all the other commissions
were conferred by the king, on the recommendation
of the volunteers themselves
?In the event of an enemy appearing on our
coast, we trust that you will be able to provide for
the temporary safety of Edinburgh Castle by means
of its own invalids, and the recruits and convalescents
of the numerous corps and detachments in
and about Edinburgh ; and that, as we have more
to lose than the brave fellows of the other volunteer
regiments who have extended their services, you
will allow us to be the first to share the danger,
as well as the glory, which we are confident his
Majesty?s troops will acquire under your command,
if opposed to an invading army,?
But in the following year Heriot?s Green saw
the last of these two regiments.
After eight years of military parade, and many
a sham fight on Leith Links and at Musselburgh
camp, the peace of 1802 came, and they closed
their career of service on the 6th of May. Early on
the forenoon of that day they mustered reluctantly
on Heriot?s Green, where they were formed in hollow
square, and the Lieutenant-Colonel commanding
\
where the colours were formally delivered over to
the magistrates, who placed them in the Council
Chamber, and the corps was dissolved.
When the alarm of invasion was again sounded,
in 1803, in few places did the, old Scottish spirit
THE NORTH GATEWAY OF HERlG?r?S HOSPITAL
read Lord Hobart?s circular letter conveying the
thanks of the Crown and also of both Houses.
He also read the resolution of the Town Council,
conveying in the strongest terms the thanks of the
community to all the volunteers of the city, and
a very complimentary letter from Lieutenant-General
Vyse.
Column was then formed, and the volunteers
marched from the Green to the Parliament Square,
blaze up more fiercely than in Edinburgh. A very
short time saw Heriot?s Green again bristling with
arms, and upwards of 4,000 volunteers were enrolled.
On the 30th of September in that year the
old colours were again unfurled by the Royal
Regiment of Edinburgh Volunteers, mustering 1,000
rank and file, clad in scarlet faced with blue j and
in I 804, prior to the temble alarm known as ? the
Lighting of the Beacons,? there were in Edinburgh,
