Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time

All Books Kay's Originals Vol. 1 Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Edinburgh Past and Present Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

Go to: « Kay's Originals Vol. 1 « Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Cover Title Pages Contents List of Illustrations Preface Part 1: Historical Associations Part 1 Ch 1: Earliest Traditions Part 1 Ch 2: From The Accession of The Stuarts to the Death of James III Part 1 Ch 3: From the Accession of James IV to the Battle of Flodden Part 1 Ch 4: From the Battle of Flodden to the Death of James V Part 1 Ch 5: From the Death of James V to the Abdication of Queen Mary Part 1 Ch 6: From the Accession of James VI to the Restoration of Charles II Part 1 Ch 7: Historical Incidents after the Restoration Part 2: Local Antiquities and Traditions Part 2 Ch 1: The Castle Part 2 Ch 2: King's Stables, Castle Barns, and Castle Hill Part 2 Ch 3: The Lawnmarket Part 2 Ch 4: The Tolbooth, Luckenbooths, and Parliament Close Part 2 Ch 5: The High Street Part 2 Ch 6: The High Street and Nether Bow Part 2 Ch 7: The Canongate and Abbey Sanctuary Part 2 Ch 8: St Leonard's, St Mary's Wynd, and The Cowgate Part 2 Ch 9: The West Bow and Suburbs Part 2 Ch 10: Leith, and The New Town Part 2 Ch 11: Ecclesiastical Antiquities Appendix » Edinburgh Past and Present » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

kiv PREFA CE. some of those curious associations with which the picturesque haunts of Old Edinburgh abound. My own researches have satisfied me that the clues to many such still lie buried among the dusty parchments of old charter chests; but their recovery must, after all, depend as much on a lucky chance 18 on any very diligent inquiry. It has often.chanced that, after wading through whole bundles of such dull MSS.-those of the sixteentli century frequently measuring singly several yards in length-in vain search for a fact, or date, or other corroborative evidence, I have stumbled on it quite unexpectedly while engaged in an altogether different inquiry. Should, however, the archsological spirit which is exercising so strong an influence in France, Germany, and England, as well as in other pmts of Europe, revive in Scotland also, where so large a field for its enlightened operations remains nearly unoccupied, much that is valuable may yet be secured which is now overlooked or thrown aside a8 useless. Antiquarian research has been brought into discredit, far less by the unimaginative spirit of the age than by the indiscriminating pursuits of its own cultivators, whose sole object has too frequently been to amass ( ( a fouth 0' auld nick-nackets." Viewed, however, in its just light, as the handmaid of history, and the synthetic, more frequently than the analytic, investigator of the remains of earlier ages, it becomes B science, bearing the same relation to the labours of the historian, as chemistry or mineralogy do to the investigations of the geologist and the spe~ulations of the cosmogonist. In this spirit, and not for the mere gratification of an aimless curiosity, I have attempted, however ineffectually, to embody these MEMORIALOSF EDINBURGIHN THE OLDEN TIME. D. W. EDINBURGCHhh,r istnzas 1847. NOTE .BY THE PUBLISHER. This edition of the MWORIALSO F EDINBURGiHs an exact reprint of the original work, with the exception thak, where buildings have been removed, or other alterations made, the fact is stated either in a foot-note or otherwise.

  Enlarge  

MEMORIALS O F EDINBURGH. - PART I. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS. TO THE FRONTISPIECE OF ABAKUK mssm's BOOKE OF THE OLD YOXUYENTY OF SCOTLAXU. 'Twixt Was, and Ia, how varioua are the Ods ! What one man doth, another doth vndoe : One conaecrates Religious Workes to Gods, Another leoues sad Wrackes and Huines now. Thy Bqoke doth shew that such and such thinga were, But, would to God that it could say, They are. When I pererre the South, North, East, and Weat, And mark, alace, each Monument amia ; Then I conferre Tyrnes present with the past : I reade what was, but cannot Bee what is : ' I prayse thy Booke with wonder, but am sorie, To reade olde Ruines in a recent stork. Poetical Recreatk~ncsof Mr Akxandet Cmig, of Rase-Craig. Scoto Brdan. 1623.

  Enlarge