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

324 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. led to a very handsome stone turnpike on the first floor. The fine doorway was finished with 'very rich mouldings, and encircled with the following inscription, of which the woodcut furnishes a fac-simile-a specimen of genuine vernacular which may possibly puzzle some able linguists :- GIF . VE . DEID . AS . VE . SOVLD . VE . MYCHT . EUIF . AS . VE . VALD . Literally rendered into modern English, it is, If we did as me should, me miyiit Rave as me mould. There can be no question, from the style and character of this inscription, that the building was of great antiquity, and had probably formed the residence of some eminent ecclesiastic, or a noble of the court of James V. It possessed an interest, however, from a recent and more humble occupant. There was the printing establishment of Bhdrew Symson, a worthy successor of Chepman and Myllar, the first Scottish typographers, whose printing presses were worked within a hundred yards of this spot. Symson was a man of great learning and singular virtue, who, though one of the curates ejected at the Revolution, had escaped the detraction to which nearly all his fellowsufferers were subjected. We have his own authority for dating that he received a University education, and was a condisciple of Alexander, Earl of Galloway, by whose father he was presented to the parish of Kirkinner, in Wigtonshire. He was an author as well as a printer ; and his most elaborate work, a poem of great length, and of much more learned ingenuity than poetic merit, is announced in the preface as issued bb from my printing-house at the foot of the Horse Wynd, in the Cowgate, Feb. 16, 17D5." It is entitled TRIPATRIARCHI;C OorN, The Lives of the Thee Patriarch, AhraAam, Isauc, and Jacob, extracted fort4 of the sacred story, and digested into English verse. Before this, however, he had acted as amanuensis to the celebrated Lord Advocate, Sir George Mackenzie ; and in 1699 he edited and published a new edition of Sir George's work on the Laws and Customs of Scotland, a presentation copy of which still exists in the Advocates' Library in good condition. It is elegantly bound in calf, and bears on the boards the following inscription in gilt Roman characters :-DONUMA NDRESY~M SOANM, . YD. MD. The Horse Wynd no doubt derived its name from its being almost the only descent from the southern suburbs by which a horse could safely approach the Cowgate ; and as a spacious and pleasant thoroughfare, according to the notions of former times, it was one of the most fashionable districts of the town. About the middle of the wynd, on the west side, an elegant mansion, finished with a pediment in front surmounted with urns, was known in former years as Galloway House, long the residence of Lady Catherine, Countess of Galloway, who formed the subject of one of Hamilton of Bangour's flattering poetical tributes. She is referred to in a different style in the Ridotto of Holyrood House, a satirical and very free ballad, written about a century ago by three witty ladies, who were wont to bear their part in such gay scenes as it satirises.l Lady Galloway is described as " A lady well known by her aira, Who ne'er goes to revel but after her prayers ! " 1 The Ridotto, which afforda a curious aample of the notions of propriety entertained by the fair wits of last century, wad the joint production of Lady Bruce of Kinrosu, her sister-in-law, the wife of J. R. Hepburn, Esq., of Keith and Riccarhn, and Miss Jenny Denoon, their niece, who was counted a great wit in her own day. Some of the most interesting stanza are quoted in the Traditions, vol. ii. p. 39.

  Enlarge  

STLEONARD’S, ST MARY’S WYND, AND COWGATE. 325 She was noted among our precise grandames for her pre-eminent pomp and formality, and would order out her carriage to pay a ceremonious visit to some titled neighbour it the corner of the wynd. Here, too, resided Lord Rennet, Baron Stuart, and other suitable occupants of so aristocratic a quarter. Lord Covington, Lord Minto, and other titled dwellers in the Cowgate and the neighbouring alleys in recent times might be mentioned, but enough has already been said to illustrate the striking revolution that took place in this locality within a very brief period. Nearly opposite the site of the Old Parliament Stairs, a uniform and lofty range of handsome tenemepts forms the front of an enclosed quadrangle, which includes within its precincts the Tailors’ Hall, by far the most stately of all the corporation halls, if we except St Magdalen’s Chapel, and one interestingly associated with important national and civic events. A handsome broad archway, considerably ornamented, forms the entrance through the front tenement to the inner quadrangle. This exterior gateway is surmounted by an ornamental tablet, decor&ed with a huge pair of shears, the insignia of the craft, and bearing the dat,e 1644, with the following elegant distich:- ALMIGHTIE GOD WHO FOVND ED BVILT AND CROVND THIS WORK WITH BLESSINGS MAK IT TO ABOVhTD. This building, as seen from within the quadrangle, has an exceedingly picturesque and imposing effect. Two loftly crow-stepped gables project, as uniform wings, into the court, and between them is the deep-browed arch leading from the Cowgate, above which rises a double tier of windows, surmounted by a handsome ornamental gable in the roof. All this, however, is the mere vestibule to the Tailors’ Hall, which occupies the south and east sides of the court. Here, again, we find evidence that the craft were wont of old, as now, to extend their professional patronage to the muses. The accompanying vignette represents the Hall as it appeared prior to its receiving the addition of another story, to adapt it for its modern use as a brewer’s granary; for, alas, the glory has long since departed from the Tailor Craft in Edinburgh ! Over the ornamental pediment which surmounts the east wing of the building, the insignia of the shears is again seen, with the date 1621, and this pious inscription :-GOD . GIVE . THE . BLISING . TO . THE . TAILZER. CRAFT . IN THE . GOOD . TOVN . OF . EDINBURGEO. n the lowest crow-step beside this is cut the professional device of three balls of thread ; and over the main entrance is the following elegant and laudable dedication of the Hall and whole Corporation, as the temple and ministers of virtue. No wonder than good citizens were scandalised when the former was diverted from its legitimate use to the profane orgies of the players :- TO. TfiE. GLORE. O F . GOD. AND. VERTEWIS. RENOWNE. THE. CWMPANIE . O F . TAILZEOVRS. WITHIN. THIS. GOOD. TOVNE . FOR. MEITING . O F . THAIR . CRAFT. THIS . HAL . HES . ERECTED . WITH. TRUST. I N . GODS. GOODNES. TO. B E . BLIST. AND. PROTECTED. Internally this venerable hall has been so entirely altered that no idea can now be

  Enlarge