[-wade. THE MELVILLES..
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LASSWADE CnuKCH, 1773. (Afdw an Etching by Yohn Clerk of E(din.1
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE ENVIRONS OF EDINBURGH-(ccmclz&d).
Melville Castle and the Melvilles-The Viscounts Melvil1::-Sheriffnall-Newton-Monkton-Stonyhill-" The Wicked Colonel Charteris "-
New Hailes-The Stair Obelisk-Lord Hailes-His Death.
MELVILLE CASTLE stands on the left bank of the
North Esk, about five furlongs eastward of Lasswade,
and was built by the first Viscount Melville,
replacing a fortress of almost unknown antiquity,
about the end of the last century. It is a splendid
mansion, with circular towers, exhibiting much
architectural elegance, and surrounded by a finelywooded
park, which excited the admiration of
George IV.
Unauthenticated tradition states that the ancient
castle of Melville was a residence of David Rizzio,
and as such, was, of course, visited occasionally by
Queen Mary; but it had an antiquity much more
remote.
It is alleged that the first Melville ever known
'in Scotland was a Hungarian of that name, who
accompanied Queen 'Margaret to Scotland, where
he obtained from Malcolm 111. a grant of land
in hiidlothian, and where he settled, gave his surname
to his castle, and became progenitor of all
the Melvilles in Scotland. Such is the story told
by Sir Robert Douglas, on the authority of Leslie,
143
Mackenzie, Martin, and Fordun ; but it is much
more probable that the family is of French origin.
Be all that as it may, the family began to be
prominent in Scotland soon after the reign of
Malcolm 111.
Galfrid de Melville of Meldle Castle, in
Lothian, witnessed many charters of Malcolm IV.,
bestowing pious donations on the abbeys of Holyrood,
Newbattle, and Dunfermline, before 1165, in
which year that monarch died.
He also appears (1153-1165) as Vicecomes de
CasieZZo Pzd'Eamm, in the register of St. Marie
of Newbattle. He witnessed two charters of
William the Lion to the abbey of Cambuskenneth,
and made a gift of the parish church of
Melville (which, probably, he built) to the monastery
of Dunfermline, in presence of Hugh, Bishop
of St. Andrews, previously chaplain to King
William, and who died in 1187.
Galfrid of Melville left four sons-Sir Gregory,
his successor, Philip, Walter, and Waren. Of the
last nothing is known, but the other three founded
