EDINBURGH. 



Edinburgh, len. " The head of Queen Magdalen, which was then en- 

 */'"' tire, and even beautiful, and the skull of Damley, were 

 also stolen." Several bones of enormous size, reputed to 

 be those of this nobleman, the husband of Mary, were 

 lately exhibited, as also a body called that of a Countess 

 of Roxburghe, converted to a mummy. The entrance 

 to the vaults containing these relics, was built up within 

 these few years, so that the dead can be disturbed no 

 longer. Most of the area of the church is now covered 

 with rubbish ; but on examining parts of the pavement, 

 figured stones, with inscriptions of considerable anti- 

 quity, may be discovered. It is still used, though on 

 rare occasions, for the sepultures of different families 

 and their connections. On the exterior, two coats ar- 

 morial with supporters of great antiquity, are visible, 

 though much defaced by time. 



The palace itself is a large quadrangular edifice of 

 hewn stone, with a court within, surrounded by a 

 piazza. The west front, which extends 230 feet in 

 length, consists of two lofty double circular towers at 

 each angle, connected by a lower building, ornamented 

 above by a double balustrade; and in the centre is a 

 porch, which is the principal entrance, with stone co- 

 lumns, " supporting a cupola in form of an imperial 

 crown." Above the entrance are the arms of Scotland, 

 as borne previous to the Union; and within are the same 

 arms as borne after it. A small garden is before the 

 east front, which is of modern architecture. 



In this palace, there is a gallery 150 feet long, by 

 274 wide, and 1 8 feet high, containing portraits of all 

 the Scotish kings, from the reputed time of Fergus. 

 But few or none are genuine, although some may be 

 copies of originals ; and we are told that a Dutch ar- 

 tist, named be Witt, was employed to make the col- 

 lection. A great desire that the nation should remount 

 to extraordinary antiquity, has always prevailed in 

 Scotland ; and it appears that, amidst the pageantry ex- 

 hibited to Charles I. by the University of Edinburgh 

 in 163 5, at his public entry, there were portraits of 

 UK) kings in Scotland : the number in Holyrood- 

 house is said to be only 111. Mercury was there re- 

 presented bringing up Fergus I. in suitable attire, " who 

 delivered to his Majesty a very grave speech, contain- 

 ing many precious advices to his royal successor." This 

 gallery is now used at the election of the sixteen peers 

 of Scotland to represent their order in Parliament ; and 

 during the residence of the princes of the house of Bour- 

 bon and the French noblesse, mass was sometimes per- 

 formed in it. There are some other pictures in the pa- 

 lace, particularly one of Charles I. and his Queen, and 

 several old portraits The bed-chamber occupied by 

 the unfortunate Mary, with her own bed, now advan- 

 cing to decay, are still to be seen ; also a cabinet where 

 her secretary, David Rizzio, was seized in her pre- 

 sence, dragged forth, and assassinated. The credulous 

 are taught to believe that his blood yet stains the floor 

 of the adjoining apartment. 



The Duke of Hamilton, who is heritable keeper of 

 the palace, has a considerable part of it allotted for his 

 accommodation, and it is now occupied by his family. 

 Other noblemen have suites of apartments, and also 

 different ]>erons who have interest to procure a dwel- 

 ling here. A large portion of the whole underwent 

 complete repair about twenty years ago, when tlu- 

 French princes sought an asylum in it after the revo- 

 lution. 



The precincts of Holyrood-house, embracing a cir- 

 cuit of about three miles, including the King's Park, 

 Arthur's Seat, and Salisbury Craigs, afford a sanctuary 



cal esta- 

 blishments. 



to debtors. Thus there are constantly a number of Edinburgh- 

 persons either insolvent, or who have experienced sud- ^**~Y~~*' 

 den reverses, which they hope to retrieve, resident in 

 houses of mean appearance within the boundary. A 

 jurisdiction is exercised over them by an officer, called 

 the bailie of the abbey, who is always appointed from 

 some of the law department ; and there is a prison per- 

 taining to the abbey, in which they may be confined 

 for debts contracted there, or offences against the in 

 habitants. The privilege of sanctuary is strictly limit- 

 ed to civil debts. No protection is afforded for breaches 

 of the peace, or crimes of any description. There is a 

 similar sanctuary in Edinburgh, within the precincts 

 formerly appropriated for the royal mint ; but here the 

 period of protection from arrest is understood to subsist 

 only during 24? hours. 



The situation of no two edifices in the same city can 

 be more opposite than that of the castle and the abbey ; 

 the one on a high precipitous insulated rock, the other 

 on a plain, surrounded in a manner by hills : yet they 

 are equally picturesque, equally denoting their respeo 

 tive purposes of strength for warfare, and retirement 

 for tranquillity. 



The metropolitan church is dedicated to St Giles : Ecclesiasti- 

 but history has not preserved the reasons which indu- 

 ced the citizens to choose a Saint of Greek extraction 

 for their patron. Nevertheless, he was held in high St Gilcs - 

 veneration ; and a person of some consequence, who, 

 in the fifteenth century, presented a relic, part of his 

 arm, to the community, was rewarded with the privi- 

 lege of bearing it at all public processions. But so ver- 

 satile are the opinions of men, that tlie safety of the 

 city was endangered in die subsequent century by the 

 anxiety of the multitude to tear the picture of their ttt- 

 telar saint from the standards, and demolish his image 

 wherever it could be found. All the relics, the sacred 

 utensils of gold and silver belonging to the church, and 

 the rich vestments of velvet and brpcade serving for 

 the priesthood, were then seized on, anil sold for the 

 public behoof. This church is an ancient Gothic build- 

 ing, known to have stood since the fourteenth century, 

 and now forms the north side of the Parliament-square. 

 The dimensions of the fabric are 206 feet in length, 1 10 

 feet broad at the west end, 76 at the east, and 12y in 

 the middle. A square tower rises from the centre, sur- 

 mounted by intersecting arches, forming an imperial 

 crown, with pinnacles from the curvatures, and a spire 

 above the whole, l(il feet in height. Four separate 

 places of worship are contained within, which go by 

 different n.-unes, but the eastern is the largest, anil best 

 deserving attention, consisting of cloisters with high 

 pointwl arches, and a lofty roof. Rude monumental 

 sculptures, almost effaced, may be seen on the pave- 

 ment below, juul on the roof inscriptions of consider- 

 able antiquity at the junction of the arches. Here there 

 is a seat for the royal family, which is occupied by the 

 commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church 

 of Scotland, as representing the king. The judges of 

 the Court of Session, the barons of Exchequer, and the 

 magistrates of the city, also git here, where they ap- 

 pear with their insignia of office. James Earl of Mur- 

 ray, Recent of Scotland, who zealously promoted the Re- 

 formation, is entombed within the walls of the church; 

 and also Napier of Merchiston, the celebrated inventor 

 of logarithms. In common with other sacred edifices, it 

 was formerly used as a cemetery, and whole cart loads of 

 bones, disturbed by the successive reparations which the 

 church fabric has undergone, have been removed toother 

 places of repose. Around it also was a burying-ground . 



