92 ROYAL GARDENS 



down in order that the materials might " provide funds for 

 converting the nave into the Parish Kirk of the Canongate." 

 Thus to the bitter disasters of war were added the still more 

 fatal and ruthless desecration of the building contractor. 



It cannot be supposed that the old gardens, established by 

 the monks during the first peaceful years of the Abbey's history, 

 failed to suffer from the destructiveness of these later troubled 

 times. But, strangely enough, a most interesting plan by James 

 Gordon, parson of Rothiemay, drawn in 1646 or 1647, repre- 

 senting the palace as it was in Mary Queen of Scots' time, 

 shows the gardens apparently well kept up and laid out in 

 accordance with the best ideas of the period. 



In many respects the years 1561 to 1567 may well be 

 described as the ' golden age ' of Holyrood. Mary had passed 

 her youth in France, and brought to Scotland many notions 

 of a more polite way of life than had been common there 

 before. Her Court was as gay as the impoverished condition 

 of her country would allow. Sports and games were revived 

 or introduced. Masques and plays were performed. Nor 

 were reading and music absent from her scheme of life. 

 Randolph, English ambassador at Holyrood, writes to Cecil, 

 " The Queen readeth daily after her dinner, instructed by a 

 learned man, Mr. George Buchanan, somewhat of Livy ; " 

 and inventories of her library show that it was well supplied 

 with books. Many contemporary writers have left descrip- 

 tions of her life at Holyrood. From one, a pretty picture of 

 Queen Mary with "the four maids of honour who passed 

 with her Highness in France, of her own age, bearing 

 the name every one of Mary," may be drawn. The young 

 Queen and her four Maries can be imagined sitting and work- 

 ing at embroidery while one or other of them made music 

 or read aloud. In sunny weather they would repair to the 

 garden, which in those days was laid out in secluded plots, 

 pleasances and alleys. 



But these peaceful beginnings lasted a very short time. 

 They were succeeded by terribly tragic events. The execu- 

 tion of Chastelard and the rebellion of Moray were followed 



