248 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2»i S. IX, Mak. 31. "GO. 



SCOTS COLLEGE AT PARIS. 

 (2 nd S. ix. 80. 128.) 



About twenty-five years ago I bad information 

 from a friend at Paris tbat tbe Scots College still 

 held out under the sign of " College Ecossois, 

 Rue des Fosses, St. Victor, No. 25— -Etablissement 

 autorise par l'Universite — Institut complimen- 

 taire des Etudes Classiques, sous la direction de 

 MM. A. De la Vigne et Philibert Gomicbon — 

 Cours de Conferences Preparatoires aux examens 

 de Droit — Enseignement Preparatoire au Bacca- 

 laureat des Lettres." He could learn nothing 

 satisfactory as to MSS. now deposited in it, but 

 was of opinion there were none of any note, — tbe 

 general appearance of the establishment indicating 

 to him something similar to what is called a 

 " grinding " school for students attending the 

 Scotch Universities. From incidental notices of 

 it which I have read it suffered greatly in its 

 former riches and importance at the Revolution 

 of 1792. Among other historical transactions 

 connected with it, 



"In 15G0 Archbishop Beaton retired into France, es- 

 corted by a detachment of the forces of that nation which 

 were then stationed at Glasgow, taking with him all the 

 writings, documents, and plate which pertained to the 

 See and University of Glasgow, with every other move- 

 able of value which belonged to the Archbishoprick. . . . 

 He died at Paris on 24th of August, 1603, and left every 

 thing he took from Glasgow to the Scots College at Paris, 

 and to the Monastery of the Carthusians, to be returned 

 to Glasgow so soon as its inhabitants returned to the 3Iother 

 Church." — Annals of Glasgow, by James Cleland, 1816, 

 i. p. 120. 



Tbe mace at present carried before the Uni- 

 versity Professor is said to be one of these ancient 

 articles above referred to subsequently recovered, 

 and through whose influence I do not know ; but 

 transcripts of charters and other interesting and 

 valuable papers have also been obtained by the 

 University. 



To N. H. R.'s inquiries for information as to 

 " James II. and the Pretender," it may be in- 

 teresting to peruse the following cutting from a 

 Catalogue of Relics sold in Glasgow by public 

 auction on 13th December last by Messrs. M'Tear 

 & Kempt, and which, besides, may be worth pre- 

 servation in the pages of " N. & Q," : — 

 "Jacobite Relics. 



100 Scarlet Cloth Coat, Elaborately Embellished with 



Rich Silver-Gilt Embroidery, and in very fine 

 Preservation. 



101 Scarlet vest do. do. do. 



ijaf" These two Lots belonged to, and were worn by, 

 Field Marshall Stuart, afterwards the Cardinal 

 York (Brother to Prince Charles Edward Stuart), 

 and were ivorn by him at the Marriage of the 

 Dauphin of France to Marie Antoinette. 



102 White Satin Coat, richly Embroidered in Silver Gilt, i 



103 Cloth of Gold and Silver Vest. 



IsSJ" These two Lots belonged to " Prince Charlie." 

 *„* The above four lots arc undoubted genuine Jacobite 



Relics, and are in remarkably fine preservation. They 

 were purchased by Mr. Aitken at the Sale of the 

 Effects of the late Mr. Edgar, in 1831. Mr. Edgar, 

 who was the representative of the Edgars of Keithock 

 and Wedderlie, was Secretary to the Cardinal York 

 at the time of his death at Rome, and these articles, 

 along with many other valuable relics, were be- 

 queathed to him by the Cardinal, for the long and 

 faithful adherence of the Edgar family to the Stuarts ; 

 so that their authenticity is beyond doubt. Such 

 unique and genuine relics of " Bonnie Prince Charlie " 

 are now exceedingly rare and valuable, and it is 

 very improbable that such fine specimens will find 

 their way into the market again. 

 " It will be seen, by the following letter from Mr. Dun- 

 can, the painter of 'Prince Charles Entering Edin- 

 burgh,' the high opinion he entertained of them : 

 and it may be stated that they were introduced by 

 the Artist into that celebrated picture. 



" 3, Gloucester Place, Edinburgh, 

 August 21st, 1838. 

 " My Dear Sir, 



" I am going to trouble you to use your influ- 

 ence with the Messrs. Aitken, Jewellers, and would 

 be greatly obliged to you and them, if they, through 

 you, would lend me the Cardinal de York's Coat. 



"Amongst other things, I have lately been going 

 on with Prince Charlie's entry, and have introduced 

 an Old Baron of Bradwardine sort of character, 

 who would become such a Coat well, and in this, 

 and one or two other figures, a hint or view from 

 this coat would be of immense benefit. If they will 

 allow me to have it for a fortnight or so, I can only 

 say, that I would pay the worth of it (and I believe 

 it to be very valuable) if it received the slightest 

 injury through me, and would also, of course, pay 

 the expense of the packing box to send it in, &c. I 

 know it is asking a great deal, but the truth is, I 

 do not know of another specimen of the kind except 

 at Glammis Castle. Murray of the Theatre has 

 nothing that would do. I have got two Magnificent 

 Swords from Clanranald, which belonged to Prince 

 Charlie. Will you be so good as let me know, at 

 your earliest convenience, whether I am to have the 

 aforesaid garments. 

 • •■•••• 



" (Signed) Thomas Duncan." 

 The above lots brought in the whole the sum 

 of 201., but from the quantity of gold and silver 

 in their ornamentation, the price was believed to 

 be below their intrinsic value. 



About the period before referred to (1831) a 

 family of the name of Edgar resided in the North 

 Quarter of Glasgow. I am not aware in what 

 degree of relationship they stood to Mr. Edgar, 

 who was Secretary to Cardinal York. At the 

 decease of one of the family a large collection of 

 articles (the foregoing included) which were un- 

 derstood to have been sent from Rome, were then, 

 as I remember, disposed of by public sale in 

 Glasgow ; and among them two portraits of Prince 

 Charles, oil miniatures, painted on copper, in 

 oval ebony frames, were purchased by an ac- 

 quaintance of mine, after whose death long since 

 they fell into the possession of a country gentle- 

 man in the neighbourhood of the city. 



Disposed of at tbe same sale of the late Mr. 



