ORIGINAL PORTRAITS,
ETC. ,ETC.
No. CLXXI.
MR. JOHN DOWIE,
VINTNER, LIBBERTON’S WND.
“ JOHNNIED OWIE’TSa vern” was a place of old standing, and particularly
celebrated for the excellence of its ale, ‘‘ Nor’ Loch trouts, and Welsh rabbits.”
It was situated in a narrow alley (called Libberton’s Wynd) running between
the Lawnmarket and Cowgate, which has lately been demolished to make way
for George the Fourth Bridge. The tavern, both as to internal and external
appearance, wore an unpromising aspect. The principal room, which looked
to the Wynd, was capable of containing about fourteen persons, but all the
others were so small, that not above six could be stowed into each, and so
dingy and dark that, even in broad day, they had to be lighted up by artiticial
means. Yet, in this unseemly place of entertainment, many of the respectable
citizens, and several remarkable persons of last century, were in the habit of
meeting nightly, and found in it no ordinary degree of social comfort and
amusement. Fergusson the poet was amongst its most early frequenters. Herd,
the collector of Scottish songs-Paton, the antiquary (who has been formerly
noticed)-Cummyng, of the Lyon Office-Hunter of Blackness-Anthony
Woodhead,l solicitor-at-law-George Martin, writer -and many other wellknown
Edinburgh characters,:were its ordinary visitors. Dowie’s Tavern is also
known as having been the favourite resort of Burns during his sojourn of six
months in Edinburgh, where, with Nicol of the High School, and Allan Masterton-
the Willie and Allan of his well-known Bacchanalian song-he held
many a social meeting.
What contributed in no small degree to the popularity of “Johnnie Dowie’s
Anthony on one occasion introduced no less than six French harpluyes-8 into Johnnie’s hrgest
apartment, in order to amuse, as he mid, the company with “ an iwtrumental wncert.’’ We need
scarcely add that the music was of the most overpowering description.
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