HOLYROOD ABBEY AND CHAPEL. Ill 



charged Melvil as her adviser, affairs at court continued as before, and hastened 

 the catastrophe which we have just recorded.* 



Adjoining tlie palace is the Royal Chapel — the only remains of the abbey of 

 Holyrood, wluch flourished for so many centuries, and, till the Reformation, was 

 the richest monastery in Scotland. The vaults are now shut up ; but various bones, 

 once " fenced round" with the sinews of royalty, were, not many years since, 

 exhibited among the relics of the place. The monument and statue of Lord 

 Belhavenf are the only specimens of sculpture left, where the dust of so many 

 saints and sovereigns has been accumulated — where Fergus, lord of Galloway, 

 retired from the infelicities of life ; and where John, bishop of Candida Casa, found 

 an asylum from the persecutions of a censorious world. The vicissitudes wliich 

 its history presents are numerous and striking. — The monastery was plundered by 

 Edward II. : in the church Edward Baliol held his parliament : it afforded an 

 asylum during his exile to the duke of Lancaster : four years later, it was 

 again burnt by Richard II. ; but when Henry IV. advanced to Leith, he gene- 

 rously spared the sanctuary that had afforded refuge to his father. Robert III., 

 when in Edinburgh, resided partly here and partly in the castle ; but 

 James I. held his court exclusively in the abbey, where his queen, Joanna, was 

 delivered of male twins ; one of whom, James, his successor, was crowned, 

 married, and buried, in the abbey of Holyrood. Although James HI. spent, 

 also, a considerable time in the abbey, it remained for James IV. to build 

 a palace, distinct from the monastic structure, in which, says Chalmers, he 



• The age, character, and attainments of Rizzio have been represented under the most contradictory 

 colours ; but that he had not a face " which limners love to paint, and ladies to look upon," is sufficiently 

 clear. Buchanan's expression, liowever strong — " Non faciem cultus honestabat, sed faciem cultus destrue- 

 bat" — is supported on the testimony of various authors. " Le livre de la raort de la Reyne d'Ecosse, 

 15S7," represents him " disgracie de corps ;" and (adds Caussin, ap. Sebb. p. 37) " Elle traittoit ordinaire- 

 ment avec David Riccio, son secretaire, homme Age et prudent, qui possedoit son oreille." " Rizzio," says 

 Keith, p. 124, " was skilful in games of hazard, and always ready to be a partner with the queen in these 

 innocent pastimes, which fill up the listless intervals of life." 



t Of this nobleman, Robert Lord Belhaven, who died in 1639, the following characteristic anecdote is 

 recorded by Bishop Burnet. When Charles I. sent the earl of Nithsdale into Scotland with a power to 

 take the surrender of all church lands, those who were most concerned in such grams met at Edinburgh, 

 and agreed, that, when they were called together, if no other argument could prevail to make the earl 

 desist, they would fall upon him and his party after the good old Scottish fashion, and knock them all on 

 the head. One of these chiefs, lord Belhaven, who was blind, desired them to place him next one of the 

 king's party, of whom he would make sure. At the conference, he was accordingly seated next the earl of 

 Dumfries, whom he held so fast during the conference that the other was induced to request an explanation 

 of this sudden proof of attachment. " My good lord," said Belhaven, " ever since I became afflicted with 

 this sad blindness, I have such fear of falling, that I involuntarily lay hold of whatever is nearest me!" 

 He had all the while, however, a poniard concealed in his other hand, with which he would certainly have 

 kept his word had any serious disorder ensued. 



