L I N 



L I N- 



From tlie antiquity of many of t!ie hoiifcs, tlie whole ex- probably intended for muficians. Tlie parliamcnt-chambc/ 

 hibits, at firil fight, a ruineus -.md decayed appearance. There in which the unfortunate queen Mary was born on the 8tii 

 are, however, a number of good buildings flill to bo found. ^^ ' ....... 



It confiils chiefly of one flrcet, extending nearly a mile in 

 lengtli, from eail to well. This is interfetted by a variety 

 of fmaller llreets or lanes. The ruins of the palace (land 

 on a rifing ground, immediately overlooking the town. 

 They are evidently the renvuis of a once magnificent and 



December 1542, has li.kewife been an elegant apartment. 

 The whole was kept in good repair till the year 1746, wlitH 

 being ufed as a barrack, a great part of it was accidentally 

 burnt by the king's troops. Since that period it has been 



fuffered to fall into ruins. The church of Linlithgow, 

 -^ , . . ^ which is appended to the palace, is a very fine building, 



fuperb manfion. The fituation of thefc ruins is extremely Some of the window,9 are particularly beautiful 

 fine, and fuch as, in ancient times, would render it well cal- edifice the aide is liJU fhev/n, in which James IV. 



culated for del'ence. The eminence on v/hich it is fituatcd 

 runs a confiderable way in an extcnfive lake, which conduces 

 greatly to the ornament both of the town and calHe. The firll 

 foundation upon this fpot is faid to have been at leaft coeval 

 with the period of the Gadeni. There feems reafon to 

 believe it was afterwards the fcite of a Roman ftation. For- 

 dun fays that Edward I. ereded a /i/c here in 1300. This, 

 however, is doubtful, as it is unqueftionably true that there 

 was a royal refidence here befcM-e that period, which cannot 

 be fuppofed to have been unfortified in thofe times. It is 

 very probable that this monarch only repaired it for his re- 



In this 



. is faid to 



iiave leen an apparition, warning him of the impending fate 

 of the battle of Flowdcn, in which that monarch and the 

 flower of his nobility were (lain. As there is no doubt but 

 a perfon in an unufual habit did accoll that prince, when atl 

 tending the evening fervice in this aifle, it is fuppofed to 

 have been a Itratngem of the queen's, to dilTuade him from 

 his intended cnterprize againft England, which a credulous 

 and fuperllitious age converted into a fupernatural and pro- 

 phetic admonition . The church is adorned with a handfome 

 fpire, furmounted with an imperial crown. A number of 

 -ftatues formerly decorated the outfide, but were all de- 



ception in ijoi.previoustopaffinghisChrillmasinit, which rtroyed by the reformers, except that of the patron of th^ 

 he did that year. During the civil diiientions between Bruce chinch, the archangel St. Michael. The houfe from which 

 and Baliol, this caftle was taken by Rratagem, through the Hamilton fliot the regent Murray, in the rei'rn of queen 



means of one Binnoch or Binny, who fecretly favoured 

 the caufe of Brace. Binhoch, being accullomed to fupply 

 the fortrefs with hay, was well known, and had free accefs at 

 all times. Under thefe circumilances he propofed to Bruce 

 to conceal fome armed men in his cart, which fhould^ be 

 apparently loaded with hay. Thefe being admitted, fecured 

 the guards, and made themfelves mailers of the place. For 

 this fervice Binnoch was rewarded with fome lands in the 

 neighbourhood. In the reign of Edward III. this callle 

 was again feized by the Englifh. In 14:4 it was deilroyed 

 by fire, as well as the greater part of the town. The name 

 of the perfon by whom the former was rebuilt is unknown. 

 It became a fixed royal refidence foon after the acceilion of 

 the houfe of Stewart to the throne of Scotland ; and was 



Mary, is ftill Handing. This murder is one of the moft 

 deliberate recorded in the annals of hillory. The town- 

 houfe, eretled in i668, is a commodious and elegant Itruc- 

 ture. In front, but at fome dillance from it, there was 

 formerly an antique crofsj. ornamented with grotefque 

 figures, and having eight fpouts at different elevations, from 

 which the water was poured. This having become mucl*. 

 decayed, a new one, of fimilar conitruftinn, has lately beea 

 ereited. Linlithgow anciently poffeffed a variety of re- - 

 hgious eilablifhments. In 1290 the inhabitants founded a 

 convent of Carmelites, or White friars, on an eminence fouth 

 of the town, Hill called Friars' Brae. St. Magdalen's on ■ 

 the ea(t, fituatcd at the foot of Pilgrim's hill, was formerly- 

 a hofphjum, or place of entertainment for llrangers. The 



feveral times afligned as a jointure-houfe to the queens of Dominican or Black friars had likeivife a monaltery here 



.1,.,. i.;„,..,5.™ T„ r-iA„k„„ . .Qo .i.;„„,i j„i: 1 ^jj ^hefe builclings were demohftied by the earl" of Argyle, , 



lord James Stewart, and John Knox, when they vifited 

 Linlithgow in their progrefs of reform. Linlithgow ren- 

 dered itielf confpicuous by the part its inhabitants took in 

 the grand rebellion. It had its full lliare in the miferics of 

 that dilfrafted period. The folemn league and covenant 

 was publicly burned here, on the anniverfary of the reftora- 



that kingdom. In October i.|88, this pa'ace was delivered 

 to the rule of lord Hailes and Alexander Home, tv/o of the 

 principal leaders of the rebellion againtl Ja:nes III., o«; of 

 the mildell monarchs that ever graced a throne, whofe me- 

 lancholy fate every feeling heart muft pity and bewai'. In 

 IJ17 It was feized by Stirling and his followers, who had 

 attempted to aflafUnate Melburne ; but was foon afterwards 



retaken by affault by De la Bailie, the regent's lieutenant, tion in 1662, by the inhabitants themfelve's, without any 



when the ailaflins were fortunately fecured. James 'V. re- authority from government. This town ranks as the fixth 



fided for the moll part in this palace, during his minority, among the royal boroughs of Scotland. Since the union it 



The battle of Linlithgow was fought on the 4th September has been affociated with Lanark, Selkirk, and Peebles ' 



1526, with the view of refcuing that prince from the do- the privilege of fending one reprefentative to parliame 



nnnation of the earl of Angus. In this atlion, the earl of ''"' • ^ ... 



Lennox, the friend of James, was flain, after quarter given, 

 by fir .lames Hamilton, To the lail-mentioned monarch 

 and to James VI. this palace was indebted for much of ita 

 magnificence and grandeur. Over the infide of the grand 

 gate there form.erly flood a ftatue of pope Julius II. with 



in 



^ - „ . parliament. 



vVinzet, the famous polemical antagonift of John Knox, . 

 was mailer of the I.,iniithgow fchool, when chofen by the 

 Catholic clergy to defend their principles and rights, . 



1 he parifii of Linlithgow is about five miles in Ien<vth, 

 and three in breadth: it is in general well cultivated 'and - 

 enclofed. Coal is abundant in different parts of it, but no 



the triple crown, who fent a confecrated fword and helmet pits are at prefent wrought.-. There ishkewife plenty of 

 to James V. This piece of fculpture,^ after efcaping for lime-Hone, but free-flone is fcarce. Copper-ore has been 



found iri one fpot ; and in the fouthern extremity there is a • 



more than a century the fury of the reformills, ultimately 

 fell a facrifice to the pious zeal of a blackfmith. The 

 whole palace is conltructed of hewn ftone, and covers about 

 an acre of ground. It has in the centre a handfome fquare, 

 one fide of which is more modern than the others, having 

 been built'by James VI. In one portion of this building is 

 a very fuperb room, 90 feet long, 30 feet 6 inches wide, 

 and 33 high. At one end is a giillcry with three arches, 



filver mine, which is faid to have been formerly wrought tOhj 

 great advantage. The population of the whole pariln, ac- 

 cording to -the parliamentery returns of 1801, amounted to 

 3)9+ pcrfons ; the houfes were ellimated at 746. Sinclair's 

 Statiltical Account of Scotland. 



LINLITHGOWSHIRE, or West LoTHi.iN, a 

 county on the fouthern fliorc of the Frith of Forth ia s'tot-- 



l-iid^ 



