865 



EDINBURGH. 



EDINBURGH. 



and city ministers of Edinburgh. In 1836 an Act of Parliament was 

 obtained enabling the governors of the hospital to apply a portion of 

 its funds to the establishment of Free schools for children of both 

 sexes in various parts of the city. Accordingly 10 schools of this 

 description have been established, in which about 3000 children are 

 under instruction. Near Heriot's Hospital stands George Watson's 

 Hospital, for the benefit of the children and grand-children of decayed 

 Edinburgh merchants. In this institution about 80 boys are fed, 

 clothed, and educated. The Merchant Maiden's Hospital, founded in 

 1695, is for the maintenance and education of the daughters of mer- 

 chant burgesses of Edinburgh. Eastward of Heriot's Hospital is the 

 Grayfriars church with its churchyard, both of historical interest. 

 Here lie the remains of many eminent Scotsmen, among whom may 

 be named George Buchanan, Allan Ramsay, and Principal Robertson. 

 The churches of Old and New Grayfriars were under one roof till 

 January 1845, when the building was destroyed by fire ; one of the 

 churches was afterwards restored. Among public edifices near this 

 spot are a new and commodious Free church ; a neat Roman Catholic 

 chapel ; a Baptist chapel ; and the City Charity workhouse, a large 

 and very plain edifice, accommodating about 750 inmates. To the 

 south-west is a large open space, with walks planted with avenues of 

 trees, named the Meadows, the walks of which are useful as prome- 

 nades ; the inclosed spaces are used for drying clothes. Beyond the 

 Meadows stretch Bruntsfield Links, much frequented by golf players, 

 and occasionally used for military reviews ; many handsome villas are 

 in this direction. Here is Gillespie's Hospital for the maintenance of 

 indigent old men and women, of whom there are about 30 in the 

 house, and for the elementary education of 100 poor boys. The 

 Roman Catholics have a nunnery at Bruntsfield Links. To the 

 south east of the Meadows is the suburb called Newington, occupied 

 chiefly by wealthy merchants and professional gentlemen. Many fine 

 residences are here, and the district is considered one of the healthiest 

 about Edinburgh. 



University. The University is situated on the west side of South 

 Bridge-street. The buildings form a parallelogram 356 feet by 225 

 feet, having an open court in the centre. The quadrangle is entered 

 by a portico on the east side, and the doors to the several departments 

 of the college lie around the quadrangle. The University corporation 

 consists of a College founded by James VI. of Scotland, by a charter 

 dated April 24th 1582. By this charter, which forms the constitution 

 of the University, the provost, bailies, and town councillors of Edin- 

 burgh, and their successors in office, are invested with the power both 

 of electing the professors and of dismissing them. In the non- 

 recognition of any authority, or at least of any supreme authority, as 

 belonging to either the entire body of the professors and students, or 

 even to the Senatus Academicus, the University of Edinburgh differs 

 from all other Scottish colleges. The first appointment of a professor 

 was made in 1583. In 1620 a second Professor of Theology was 

 appointed, and the office of Principal has since been made a mere 

 sinecure. The property of the college is of inconsiderable amount. 

 The deficiency is made up by the town council. A bequest was left 

 by the late General Reid for founding a professorship of music and 

 for other purposes. A professorship of music has accordingly been 

 established, and in terms of the founder's will concerts have been 

 held on several occasions. The professorships are considered as 

 divided into the four faculties, or classes, of arts, law, medicine, and 

 theology. The Principal is considered as the ex-officio convener of the 

 faculty of theology. The others have each a dean or convener chosen 

 by the faculty. The law school dates from the commencement of the 

 lat century, and the medical school from the close of the century 

 preceding. It was not however till a considerably later period that 

 the medical school began to acquire celebrity. 



For 50 years preceding 1826 the total number of graduates in arts 

 was only 168. During the same period 100 degrees of D.D. were 

 conferred, and 56 of LL.D. The average number of graduates in 

 arts of late years has been from 8 to 10 annually. The number of 

 medical degrees was 119 in 1839, since which year the number has 

 gradually diminished. The number of medical degrees granted in 

 the five years 1849-1853 was as follows: 51, 67, 45, 51, and 85; 

 being 299 degrees in the five years. The regular, or winter university 

 session or term, begins on the first Monday in November and ends 

 on the last day of ApriL Of late years a few of the classes have 

 also been taught during a summer session, beginning on the first 

 Monday of May, and terminating with the end of July. No 

 academical dress is worn by the students; no theological test or 

 attendance upon divine service is enforced; and scarcely any discipline 

 is exercised beyond the class-room. The students are examined in 

 several of the classes, but there is no public examination in the 

 University. The medical students attend the hospital of the Royal 

 Infirmary, and clinical lectures are delivered to them by the medical 

 professors. By an Act of Parliament recently passed the subscription 

 of the professors to the Westminster Confession of Faith is dispensed 

 with in this as in all the Scottish universities. A collection of pictures 

 and marbles was bequeathed for the use of the University by the late 

 Sir James Erskine of Torry, Bart. The foundations for bursaries or 

 exhibitions in the University are 34 in number, in the benefits 

 of which 80 students participate. The whole amount is under 

 1200/. j/er annum. The library of the University occupies the 



GKOO. DIV. vou ir. 



south side of the building. The principal room is 18" feet long 

 by 50 feet in breadth, and has an arched roof from 50 to 58 feet 

 high : this is a very fine apartment, and admirably adapted for 

 the purposes of a library. The library contains upwards of 90,000 

 volumes. It is exclusively a College Library. Its income arises 

 chiefly from fees payable on matriculation and graduation. There is 

 also a Theological library for the students of theology. The Museum 

 occupies several galleries and apartments, and comprises an extensive 

 collection of specimens in natural history, and upwards of 300 manu- 

 scripts. The present university buildings were commenced in 1789. 



Nearly opposite the University is Surgeons Hall, a handsome 

 building with a Grecian front. In this building is an extensive 

 anatomical and surgical museum. In the Blind Asylum about 90 

 blind persons are maintained and instructed in the making of baskets, 

 rugs, mattresses, and other useful articles, by the sale of which the insti- 

 tution is in part supported. The Royal Infirmary occupies an extensive 

 range of buildings erected about a century ago. This institution, 

 incorporated in 1736, is the means of great benefit to the inhabitants. 

 The New Town of Edinburgh abounds in spacious streets, squares, 

 and terraces, containing many fine public buildings and elegant private 

 mansions. The Calton Hill, at the eastern extremity of the New 

 Town, 345 feet above the level of the sea, ia a prominent object in 

 itself, and from its summit beautiful views of the city, the surround- 

 ing country, and the Frith of Forth, are obtained. On the hill are 

 12 columns of the projected 'National Monument;' the Nelson 

 Monument, a lofty shaft, on the top of which a time-ball is placed ; an 

 observatory, and monuments to Dugald Stewart and Professor Playfair. 

 Around the eastern slope of the hill are a series of fine private 

 mansions, named Royal-terrace, Carlton-place, and Regent-terrace. 

 On the south side of the hill stands the new High school, a noble 

 structure, built of fine white stone ; it consists of a centre and two 

 wings, in all 270 feet in length. The central portion of the front ia a 

 pediment supported by a range of Doric columns. This seminary is 

 attended chiefly by the children of the middle classes : the number of 

 scholars in 1853 was 420. On the side of the hill, nearly opposite to 

 the High school, is a monument to Robert Burns. The jail and bride- 

 well, which are now under the management of the Prison Board as one 

 prison, occupy a large space on the side of the hill. Among other 

 public buildings in Waterloo-place, leading to Princes-street, are the 

 General Post Office, the office of Stamps and Taxes, the Calton 

 Convening Rooms, the Waterloo Rooms, and the Theatre Royal. 

 Facing the North Bridge is the Register House, a spacious edifice, in 

 which are deposited the public records, registers of sasines, and other 

 deeds. In front of this building is a statue of the Duke of Wel- 

 lington. Princes-street, a fine open terrace, lined with handsome 

 shops, and towards the west end with some good private residences, 

 extends westward for about three-quarters of a mile. On the south 

 side of Princes-street, in the North Valley, are the termini of the 

 North British, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Edinburgh, Leith, and 

 Ganton railways. The monument to Sir Walter Scott, a kind of 

 gothic tower or steeple, stands on the south side of Princes-street. 

 It is 200 feet in height, and the gallery at the top ia reached by a 

 flight of 287 steps. On the basement floor of the monument is a 

 fine marble statue of the great novelist by Mr. John Steel. In the 

 centre of St. Andrew'a-square, northward from Princes-street, is a 

 tall column surmounted by a statue of Lord Melville. Farther west 

 in Princes-street is the earthen Mound, connecting the Old and New 

 Towns, on which stand the buildings of the Royal Institution, the 

 new National Gallery, and other important structures. The other 

 buildings in Priuces-atreet which demand notice are the New Club ; 

 St. Johu's Episcopal church, at the extreme west end of the street, a 

 remarkably ornate and very beautiful gothic structure ; and adjoining 

 it on the south, St. Cuthbert's or the West Kirk, a large building of 

 rather forbidding appearance, but commodious. St. Thomas's Epis- 

 copal church; St. George's Free church; the Gaelic Free church; the 

 Unitarian chapel ; Lothian-road United Presbyterian church ; and the 

 terminus of the Caledonian railway, are in this neighbourhood. 

 Northi-ard of Princes-street is Charlotte-square, containing residences 

 of some of the Lords of Session and of wealthy families, with several 

 educational institutions. On the weat aide of this square is St. 

 George's church, a large and massive building surmounted with a 

 dome. This church, the finest ecclesiastical structure in Edinburgh, 

 was erected about 32 years ago, and cost about 33,000^. George- 

 street, a straight and wide street running between Charlotte-square 

 and St. Andrew's-square, contains among other buildings the spacious 

 Assembly Rooms, and the Music Hall, a large and splendid hall ; St. 

 Andrew's church, the Commerci.il Bank, and statues of George IV. 

 and William Pitt. The public buildiugs in Queen-street, to the 

 north of George-street, are the Queen-street Hall, belonging to the 

 United Presbyterian Synod, which has here its mission-house and 

 offices ; the United Service Club House, and the Hopetoun Rooms. 

 In York-place are St.-George's Episcopal chapel, a small, low-roofed 

 gothic structure ; St. Paul's Episcopal church, a richly-ornamented 

 gothic building, in which the Bishop of Edinburgh officiates ; and St. 

 Mary's Roman Catholic chapel. 



The northern slope of the hill on which the New Town is built, 

 s occupied by regular and handsome streets, rows, places, and squares 

 extending to Canonmills, and leading by Inverleith-row to Granton 



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