NOTE TO CHAPTER I.
Note A. Holyrood.
The reader may be gratified with Hector Boece's narrative
of the original foundation of the famous abbey of Holyrood,
or the Holy Cross, as given in Bellenden's translation:
``Eftir death of Alexander the first, his brothir David come
out of Ingland, and wes crownit at Scone, the yeir of God
MCXXIV yeiris, and did gret justice, eftir his coronation, in
all partis of his realme. He had na weris during the time of
King Hary; and wes so pietuous, that he sat daylie in judgement,
to caus his pure commonis to have justice; and causit
the actionis of his noblis to be decidit be his othir jugis. He
gart ilk juge redres the skaithis that come to the party be his
wrang sentence; throw quhilk, he decorit his realm with
mony nobil actis, and ejeckit the vennomus custome of riotus
cheir, quhilk wes inducit afore be Inglismen, quhen thay
com with Quene Margaret; for the samin wes noisum to
al gud maneris, makand his pepil tender and effeminat.
``In the fourt yeir of his regne, this nobill prince come to
visie the madin Castell of Edinburgh. At this time, all the
boundis of Scotland were ful of woddis, lesouris, and medois;
for the countre wes more gevin to store of bestiall, than ony
productioun of cornis; and about this castell was ane gret
forest, full of haris, hindis, toddis, and sicklike maner of
beistis. Now was the Rude Day cumin, called the Exaltation
of the Croce; and, becaus the samin wes ane hie solempne
day, the king past to his contemplation. Eftir the messis
wer done with maist solempnitie and reverence, comperit
afore him mony young and insolent baronis of Scotland, richt
desirus to haif sum plesur and solace, be chace of hundis in
the said forest. At this time wes with the king ane man of
singulare and devoit life, namit Alkwine, channon eftir the
ordour of Sanct Augustine, quhilk well lang time confessoure,
afore, to King David in Ingland, the time that he wes Erle
of Huntingtoun and Northumbirland. This religious man
dissuadit the king, be mony reasonis, to pas to this huntis;
and allegit the day wes so solempne, be reverence of the haly
croce, that he suld gif him erar, for that day, to contemplation,
than ony othir exersition. Nochtheles, his dissuasion is
litill avalit; for the king wes finallie so provokit, be inoportune
solicitatioun of his baronis, that he past, nochtwithstanding
the solempnite of this day, to his hountis. At last,
quhen he wes cumin throw the vail that lyis to the gret eist
fra the said castell, quhare now lyis the Canongait, the stalk
past throw the wod with sic noyis and din of rachis and bugillis,
that all the bestis were rasit fra thair dennis. Now
wes the king cumin to the fute of the crag, and an his nobilis
severit, heir and thair, fra him, at thair game and solace;
quhen suddenlie apperit to his sicht, the fairist hart that evir
wes sene afore with levand creature. The noyis and din of
this hart rinnand, as apperit, with awful and braid tindis,
maid the kingis hors so effrayit, that na renzeis micht hald
him; bot ran, perforce, ouir mire and mossis, away with the
king. Nochtheles, the hart followit so fast, that he dang
baith the king and his hors to the ground. Than the king
kest abak his handis betwix the tindis of this hart, to haif
savit him fra the strak thairof; and the haly croce slaid, incontinent,
in his handis. The hart fled away with gret violence,
and evanist in the same place quhare now springis the
Rude Well. The pepil richt affrayitly, returnit to him out
of all partis of the wod, to comfort him efter his trubill;
and fell on kneis, devotly adoring the haly croce; for it was
not cumin but sum hevinly providence, as weill apperis;
for thair is na man can schaw of quhat mater it is of, metal
or tre. Sone eftir, the king returnit to his castell; and in
the nicht following, he was admonist, be ane vision in his
sleip, to big ane abbay of channonis regular in the same place
quhare he gat the croce. Als sone as he was awalkinnet, he
schew his visions to Alkwine, his confessoure; and he na
thing suspended his gud mind, bot erar inflammit him with
maist fervent devotion thairto. The king, incontinent, send
his traist servandis in France and Flanderis, and brocht richt
crafty masonis to big this abbay; syne dedicat it in the honour
of this haly croce. The croce remanit continewally in
the said abbay, to tlie time of King David Bruce; quhilk was
unhappily tane with it at Durame, quhare it is haldin yit in
gret veneration.''---Boece, _book_ 12, _ch._ 16.
It is by no means clear what Scottish prince first built a palace,
properly so called, in the precincts of this renowned seat of
sanctity. The abbey, endowed by successive sovereigns and
many powerful nobles with munificent gifts of lands and
tithes, came, in process of time, to be one of the most important
of the ecclesiastical corporations of Scotland; and as
early as the days of Robert Bruce, parliaments were held
occasionally within its buildings. We have evidence that
James IV. had a royal lodging adjoining to the cloister; but
it is generally agreed that the first considerable edifice for
the accommodation of the royal family erected here was that
of James V., anno 1525, great part of which still remains,
and forms the north-western side of the existing palace. The
more modern buildings which complete the quadrangle were
erected by King Charles II. The name of the old conventual
church was used as the parish church of the Canongate
from the period of the Reformation, until James II.
claimed it for his chapel royal, and had it fitted up accordingly
in a style of splendour which grievously outraged the
feelings of his Presbyterian subjects. The roof of this fragment
of a once magnificent church fell in in the year 1768,
and it has remained ever since in a state of desolation.---For
fuller particulars, see the _Provincial Antiquities of Scotland,_
or the _History of Holyrood_, by Mr Charles Mackie.
The greater part of this ancient palace is now again occupied
by his Majesty Charles the Tenth of France, and
the rest of that illustrious family, which, in former ages so
closely connected by marriage and alliance with the house of
Stuart, seems to have been destined to run a similar career of
misfortune. _Requiescant in pace!_
NOTE TO CHAPTER III.
Note, B.---Steele, a covenanter, shot by Captain
Creichton.
The following extract from Swift's Life of Creichton gives
the particulars of the bloody scene alluded to in the text:---
``Having drank hard one night, I (Creichton) dreamed
that I had found Captain David Steele, a notorious rebel in
one of the five farmers' houses on a mountain in the shire of
Clydesdale, and parish of Lismahago, within eight miles of
Hamilton, a place that I was well acquainted with. This
man was head of the rebels, since the affair of Airs-Moss;
having succeeded to Hackston, who had been there taken, and
afterward hanged, as the reader has already heard; for, as to
Robert Hamilton, who was then Commander-in-chief at
Bothwell Bridge, he appeared no more among them, but fled,
as it was believed, to Holland.
``Steele, and his father before him, held a farm in the estate
of Hamilton, within two or three miles of that town. When
he betook himself to arms, the farm lay waste, and the Duke
could find no other person who would venture to take it;
whereupon his Grace sent several messages to Steele, to know
the reason why he kept the farm waste. The Duke received
no other answer, than that he would keep it waste, in spite of
him and the king too; whereupon his Grace, at whose table
I had always the honour to be a welcome guest, desired I
would use my endeavours to destroy that rogue, and I would
oblige him for ever.
* * * * * *
``I return to my story. When I awaked out of my dream,
as I had done before in the affair of Wilson, (and I desire the
same apology I made in the introduction to these Memoirs
may serve for both,) I presently rose, and ordered thirty-six
dragoons to be at the place appointed by break of day. When
we arrived thither, I sent a party to each of the five farmers'
houses. This villain Steele had murdered above forty of the
king's subjects in cold blood; and, as I was informed, had
often laid snares to entrap me; but it happened, that although
he usually kept a gang to attend him, yet at this time he had
none, when he stood in the greatest need, One of the party
found him in one of the farmers' houses, just as I happened to
dream. The dragoons first searched all the rooms below
without success, till two of them bearing somebody stirring
over their heads, went up a pair of turnpike stairs. Steele had
put on his clothes, while the search was making below; the
chamber where he lay was called the Chamber of Deese,*
* Or chamber of state; so called from the _dais_, or canopy and elevation
of floor, which distinguished the part of old halls which was occupied
by those of high rank. Hence the phrase was obliquely used
to signify state in general.
which is the name given to a room where the laird lies, when
he comes to a tenant's house. Steele suddenly opening the
door, fired a blunderbuss down at the two dragoons, as they
were coming up the stairs; but the bullets grazing against
the side of the turnpike, only wounded, and did not kill them.
Then Steele violently threw himself down the stairs among
them, and made towards the door to save his life, but lost it
upon the spot; for the dragoons who guarded the house dispatched
him with their broadswords. I was not with the
party when he was killed, being at that time employed in
searching one of the other houses, but I soon found what
had happened, by hearing the noise of the shot made with the
blunderbuss; from which I returned straight to Lanark,
and immediately sent one of the dragoons express to General
Drummond at Edinburgh.''---_Swift's Works, Vol. XII. (Memoirs
of Captain John Creichton_,) pages 57-59, Edit. Edinb.
1824.
Woodrow gives a different account of this exploit---``In December
this year, (1686,) David Steil, in the parish of Lismahagow,
was surprised in the fields by Lieutenant Creichton,
and after his surrender of himself on quarters, he was in a
very little time most barbarously shot, and lies buried in the
churchyard there.''
NOTES TO CHAPTER VI.
Note C.---IRON RASP.
The ingenious Mr R. Chambers's Traditions of Edinburgh
give the following account of the forgotten rasp or risp.
``This house had a _pin_ or _risp_ at the door, instead of the
more modern convenience, a knocker. The pin, rendered interesting
by the figure which it makes in Scottish song, was
formed of a small rod of iron, twisted or notched, which was
placed perpendicularly, starting out a little from the door, and
bore a small ring of the same metal, which an applicant for
admittance drew rapidly up and down the _nicks_, so as to produce
a grating sound. Sometimes the rod was simply stretched
across the _vizzying_ hole, a convenient aperture through which
the porter could take cognisance of the person applying; in
which case it acted also as a stanchion. These were almost all
disused about sixty years ago, when knockers were generally
substituted as more genteel. But knockers at that time did
not long remain in repute, though they have never been altogether
superseded, even by bells, in the Old Town. The comparative
merit of knockers and pins was for a long time a subject
of doubt, and many knockers got their heads twisted off in
the course of the dispute.''
Chamber's _Traditions of Edinburgh_.
Note D.---Countess of Eglinton.
Susannah Kennedy, daughter of Sir Archibald Kennedy of
Cullean, Bart. by Elizabeth Lesly, daughter of David Lord
Newark, third wife of Alexander 9th Earl of Eglinton, and
mother of the 10th and 11th Earls. She survived her husband,
who died 1729, no less than fifty-seven years, and died March
1780, in her 91st year. Allan Ramsay's Gentle Shepherd,
published 1726, is dedicated to her, in verse, by Hamilton of
Bangour.
The following account of this distinguished lady is taken
from Boswell's Life of Johnson by Mr Croker.
``Lady Margaret Dalrymple, only daughter of John Earl
of Stair, married in 1700, to Hugh, third Earl of Loudoun.
She died in 1777, aged _one hundred_. Of this venerable lady,
and of the Countess of Eglintoune, whom Johnson visited
next day, he thus speaks in his _Journey_.---`Length of life is
distributed impartially to very different modes of life, in very
different climates; and the mountains have no greater examples
of age than the Lowlands, where I was introduced to
two ladies of high quality, one of whom (Lady Loudoun) in
her ninety-fourth year, presided at her table with the full exercise
of all her powers; and the other, (Lady Eglintoun,)
had attained her eighty-fourth year, without any diminution
of her vivacity, and little reason to accuse time of depredations
on her beauty.''
* * * * * *
``Lady Eglintoune, though she was now in her eighty-fifth
year, and had lived in the retirement of the country for almost
half a century, was still a very agreeable woman. She was of
the noble house of Kennedy, and had all the elevation which
the consciousness of such birth inspires. Her figure was majestic,
her manners high-bred, her reading extensive, and her
conversation elegant. She had been the admiration of the gay
circles of life, and the patroness of poets. Dr Johnson was
delighted with his reception here. Her principles in church
and state were congenial with his. She knew all his merit,
and had heard much of him from her son, Earl Alexander,
who loved to cultivate the acquaintance of men of talents in
every department.''
* * * * * *
``In the course of our conversation this day, it came out that
Lady Eglintoune was married the year before Dr Johnson
was born; upon which she graciously said to him, that she
might have been his mother, and that she now adopted him;
and when we were going away, she embraced him, saying,
`My dear son, farewell!' My friend was much pleased with
this day's entertainment, and owned that I had done well to
force him out.''
* * * * * *
``At Sir Alexander Dick's, from that absence of mind to
which every man is at times subject, I told, in a blundering
manner, Lady, Eglintoune's complimentary adoption of Dr
Johnson as her son; for I unfortunately stated that her ladyship
adopted him as her son, in consequence of her having
been married the year _after_ he was born. Dr Johnson instantly
corrected me. `Sir, don't you perceive that you are
defaming the Countess? For, supposing me to be her son, and
that she was not married till the year after my birth, I must
have been her _natural_ son.' A young lady of quality who was
present, very handsomely said, `Might not the son have justified
the fault?' My friend was much flattered by this compliment,
which he never forgot. When in more than ordinary
spirits, and talking of his journey in Scotland, he has called to
me, `Boswell, what was it that the young lady of quality said
of me at Sir Alexander Dick's?' Nobody will doubt that I was
happy in repeating it.''
NOTES TO CHAPTER VII.
Note E.---Earl of Winton.
The incident here alluded to is thus narrated in Nichols'
Progresses of James I., Vol. III. p. 306.
``The family'' (of Winton) ``owed its first elevation to the
union of Sir Christopher Seton with a sister of King Robert
Bruce. With King James VI. they acquired great favour,
who, having created his brother Earl of Dunfermline in 1599,
made Robert, seventh Lord Seton, Earl of Winton in 1600.
Before the King's accession to the English throne, his Majesty
and the Queen were frequently at Seton, where the Earl
kept a very hospitable table, at which all foreigners of quality
were entertained on their visits to Scotland. His Lordship
died in 1603, and was buried on the 5th of April, on the very
day the King left Edinburgh for England. His Majesty, we
are told, was pleased to rest himself at the south-west round
of the orchard of Seton, on the high-way, tin the funeral was
over, that he might not withdraw the noble company; and he
said that he had lost a good, faithful, and loyal subject.''
Nichols' _Progresses of K. James I. Vol. III. p._ 306.
Note F.---MacGregor of Glenstrae.
The 2 of Octr: (1603) Allester MacGregor of Glenstrae
tane be the laird Arkynles, bot escapit againe; bot after taken
be the Earle of Argyll the 4 of Januarii, and brought to Edr:
the 9 of Januar: 1604, wt: 18 mae of hes friendes MacGregors.
He wes convoyit to Berwick be the gaird, conform to
the Earle's promes; for he promesit to put him out of Scottis
grund: Sua, he keipit an Hielandman's promes, in respect he
sent the gaird to convoy him out of Scottis grund; bot yai
wer not directit to pairt wt: him, bot to fetchs him bak againe.
The 18 of Januar, he came at evin againe to Edinburghe;
and upone the 20 day, he was hangit at the crosse, and ij of
his freindes and name, upon ane gallows: himself being chieff,
he was hangit his awin hight above the rest of hes freindis.---
Birrel's _Diary_, (in Dalzell's _Fragments of Scottish History_,)
p. 60-1.