EDINBURGH. 



795 



effects of tliis union for half a century, although the 

 subsequent prosperity of the country is commonly 

 attributed to the union alone, while the true causes 

 are to be found in the cessation of civil and religious 

 broils, in the general progress of education, m the 

 mighty advances made in the practical arts and 

 sciences, and the naturally enterprising and la- 

 borious character of the people. In the civil war 

 of 1715, an unsuccessful attempt was made by the 

 Jacobites to surprise the castle of Edinburgh. In 

 1736, one of the most remarkable affairs connected 

 with the history of the town took place, namely, the 

 extraordinary riot, styled the Porteous Mob. Por- 

 teous was captain of the city guard, and at the exe- 

 cution of a smuggler named Wilson, whose case 

 excited much sympathy, a disturbance arose, upon 

 which Porteous ordered his guard to fire, whereby 

 six people were killed and several wounded. For 

 this Porteous was tried and condemned to death; 

 but being afterwards reprieved, the populace, re- 

 solved that he should not escape a fate which they 

 conceived he merited, broke open, at night, the 

 jail in which he was confined, and having dragged 

 him to the Grassmarket, then the usual place of 

 execution, hanged him there, by torch light, on a 

 dyer's pole. An elaborate account of this transac- 

 tion is to be found in Sir Walter Scott's admirable 

 tale, " The Heart of Mid-Lothian." Indeed, that 

 work may be generally referred to, as giving a 

 iaithful, though picturesque, view of the state of 

 society and manners in Edinburgh at that period. 

 In 1745, Edinburgh was taken possession of by the 

 rebels under Prince Charles Edward. The castle 

 was, however, held by the troops of George II., 

 between whom and the Highlanders some hostili- 

 ties took place. After the defeat of the rebels 

 at Culloden, the provost was tried on the charge of 

 not having properly defended the city, but was 

 acquitted. 



The events which have occurred in Edinburgh 

 since that period are not of sufficient moment to re- 

 quire particular commemoration here. The latter 

 half of the last century was distinguished by several 

 tumults and riots, some in consequence of the high 

 price of provisions, and others in consequence of a 

 supposed disposition on the part of the government 

 to concede political influence to the Roman Catho- 

 lics. It is gratifying to think that on both these sub- 

 jects the public in general has now become better 

 informed, and that a 'meal mob ' or a 'no popery 

 mob' are little likely again to occur. In August, 

 1822, king George IV. visited Edinburgh, remaining 

 in Scotland about a fortnight, during which time 

 the city was the scene of much bustle, parade, 

 and festivity. In 1824, 3 series of conflagrations, of 

 a most destructive and appalling nature, occurred in 

 Parliament Square and the High Street, by which a 

 great number of the tenements were destroyed. 

 During the passing of the Reform Bill, Edinburgh 

 took an active hand in furthering the measure ; and 

 the first election of members of parliament under 

 that act took place at the cross, on the 21st of 

 December, 1832. In the autumn of 1834, shortly 

 after the retirement of earl Grey from office, a large 

 portion of the inhabitants of Edinburgh invited that 

 nobleman to a public banquet, in token of their re- 

 spect for him as a statesman, and more particularly 

 as the author of the Reform Bill. In the absence 

 of a hall of sufficient dimensions, a temporary erec- 

 tion was made on the Calton Hill, by which above 

 2000 gentlemen were accommodated to dinner ; and, 

 altogether, the reception of the noble earl in the 

 ancient capital of Scotland was highly honourable to 

 himself and creditable to the people. 



Description. Edinburgh is picturesquely situated, 



being built on three eminences which run in a direc- 

 tion from east to west, and surrounded on all sides 

 except the north, where the ground slopes gently 

 towards the Firth of Forth, by lofty hills. The cen- 

 tral ridge, which constituted the ancient city, is termi- 

 nated by the castle on the -west, and Holyroodhouse 

 on the east, near which rise the lofty elevations of 

 Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat, and the Calton Hill. 

 The valley to the north of this ridge consisted for- 

 merly of a loch (called the North Loch) which is 

 now drained but which still retains its original name. 

 On the rising ground beyond this valley stands the 

 New Town, being connected with the Old Town by 

 a bridge and Earthen Mound. The city altogether ex- 

 tends, at the present day, about two miles in length 

 and the same in breadth, and, when viewed from the 

 Calton Hill, presents an unrivalled panoramic scene. 

 On the right, are the splendid lines of streets of the 

 New Town, constructed of white free-stone, and 

 spreading down with moderate descent towards the 

 sea. Opposite is displayed the vista of Prince's 

 street, nearly a mile in length ; and on the left, the 

 huge unbroken line of tall structures forming the 

 Old Town, terminated by the towers of the castle. 

 Beyond and towards the south, the town is seen to 

 spread out in lines of streets and detached houses, 

 till arrested by the enclosures towards the Braid 

 Hills, or on the east by Arthur's Seat and Salisbury 

 Crags. Towards the north, the view from the Cal- 

 ton Hill is also striking, comprehending a prospect of 

 the Firth of Forth and the hills of Fifeshire on the 

 opposite shore. 



In taking a more minute survey of Edinburgh, we 

 shall first proceed from the castle to Holyroodhouse, 

 a line of street which bears in different places the 

 names of Lawnmarket, High Street, and Canon- 

 gate. From the castle the first object of notice if 

 the general reservoir for supplying the city with 

 water ; further on to the south branches off a street 

 called the Bow, winding downward to the Grass 

 Market ; advancing, the street becomes wider ; and 

 after passing Bank Street, on the north, leading to 

 the Bank ot Scotland, and the County Hall on the 

 south side, the street opens into Parliament Square, 

 on one side of which is St Giles' Church, and ad- 

 joining it the parliament house. The buildings which 

 formed one side of this square, said to have been the 

 highest in Edinburgh, were destroyed by the great 

 fires, which took place in the months of June and 

 November, 1824. Proceeding eastward down the 

 High Street, we reach the site of the ancient cross 

 of Edinburgh, taken down in 1758 ; a structure cele- 

 brated in Scottish history as the place whence royal 

 proclamations were issued, and where state criminals 

 were executed ; and from this spot, marked by a star 

 in the pavement, announcements of war and peace 

 are still made, and farmers and merchants assemble 

 for the transaction of business. Indeed, such is the 

 power of custom, that the commercial people of Edin- 

 burgh persist in holding their meetings in the open air, 

 notwithstanding a royal exchange was erected for their 

 accommodation near the cross in 1753 ; and which is 

 now therefore occupied by the municipal officers of 

 the city, and by bankers, merchants, and others. 

 Beyond the Cross stands the Tron Church, and be- 

 hind it Hunter's Square ; and further on the High 

 Street passes between the North and South bridges, 

 which stand on one of the grand lines of communi- 

 cation between the Old and the New Towns. About 

 three hundred yards eastward of the bridges, the 

 street becomes very narrow ; and a little further on 

 is the site of the Netherbow Port, one of the ancient 

 gates of the city. This was formerly the court end 

 of the town, the buildings still retain traces of their/ 

 original grandeur, and almost every spot possesses 



