208 The Market Cross of Dumfries. 



and that the Remanent of the said work be na hycher nor the 

 first grant And they sail big and construct four stepis fra the sole 

 of the corce down and sail vnder the four steppis battell the said 

 corce Round about vpon reasonabill hycht . . . and sail 

 ivpone the vaist quarter narrest jhone thomesones zett Rais ane 

 entres of steppis of the ground to the said corce and big ane 

 stane dwr of hewn work vvt lyntell and cover in the battelling of 

 the said corce and sail prewit ane suflficient tre dwr wt crwkis 

 bands lok and key vpone the samyn and this work to be com- 

 pleitit betuix the dait heirof and pasche nixt to cum." 



These arrangements, if not already quite clear, were to the 

 effect that low booths were to be built, probably with their floors 

 sunk a foot or two under the street level, and with flat roofs 

 except in the centre where an arch was to give a little more height 

 to the middle shop. On the top of the arch were to be four steps 

 leading up to and providing a substantial base for a central pillar. 

 Round the roof was to be built a stone parapet of convenient 

 height, in the west side of which was to be built a door rising 

 above the parapet, to which steps were to give access from the 

 street. The height of the building on the west might be about 

 six feet — a fair estimate of the height of the Thomson's booth 

 door — while on the east it would be a foot or even two feet 

 higher, the whole considerably higher on the south than on the 

 north. We have no means of knowing the shape or decoration 

 of the pillar. It might be round, square, hexagonal, or octa- 

 gonal. All shapes are represented among our Scottish Crosses. 

 It might be crowned by a ball, or, more impressively, by the 

 unicorn sejant, a terminal common to many of our market crosses. 

 A sundial, another adjunct frequently met with, was, as we shall 

 see, added later. 



Without doubt this made a commanding and handsome cross. 

 No Midsteeple then interposed betwixt it and the large market 

 space below. It was this Cross that Dr George Archibald, in his 

 "Account of the Curiosities of Drumfriess," referred to as "our 

 Stately Cross." 



In later years, on a crowded market day, such incidents as 

 the following would provide excellent sport for the multitude: 

 " The Counsall ordains that Johne Scauler servitor to Steillstoun 

 be set vpone the mercat croce the morrow being the mercat day 

 fra ellevin hours to tua efternoone with a papper upon his heid 



