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

38 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. The streets of Edinburgh continued to partake largely of the general misrule that prevailed throughout the kingdom during the long minority of James V. The Lord Home had convened a council of the nobility so early as 1515, to devise some remedy for the anarchy that existed, and at his urgent suggestion, John Duke of Albany was invited from France to assume the reins of government. On his arrival the same year, “he wes ressaueit with greit honour, and convoyit to Edinburgh with ane greit cumpany, with greit blythnes and glore, and thair wes constitute and maid governour of this realme; and sone thairefter held ane Parliament, and ressaueit the homage of the lordis and thre estaittis ; quhai’r thair wes mony thingis done for the weill of this cuntrey. Evil1 doaria wes punnesit; amang the quhilkis ane Petir Moffet, ane greit reyer and theif, was heidit, and for exampill of vtheris, his head wes put on the West Port of Edinburgh.”’ The Duke took up his residence at Holyrood, and seems to have immediately proceeded with the enlargement of the Palace, in continuation of the works which the late King had carried on till near the close of his life. Numerous entries in the Treasurer’s accounts, for the year 1515-16, furnish evidence of the building being then in progress. The new governor, after having made a tour of the kingdom and adopted many stringent measures for strengthening his party, returned to Edinburgh, and summoned L convention of the nobility to meet him in the Abbey of Holyrood. But already the Lord Chamberlain had fallen out of favour, and ‘‘ Prior John Hepburn of St Andrews clamb next the Governor, and grew great in the Court, and remembered of old malice and envy betwixt him and the Humes.”’ Lord Home, who had been the sole means of the Duke of Albany’s elevation to the regency, was suddenly arrested by his orders, along with his brother William. An old annalist states, that “ the Ducke of Albany tooke the Lord Houme, the chamberlane, and wardit him in the auld touer of Holyrudhouss, which was foundit by the said Ducke,” ’ an allusion confirming the previous account of the new works in progress at the palace. A series of charges were preferred against the brothers, of which the most remarkable is the accusation by the Earl of Jlurray, the natural son of the late King, that the Lord Chamberlain had caused the death of his father, ‘ L who, by many witnesses, was proved to be alive, and seen to have come from the battle of Flowden.” They were both condemned to be beheaded, and the sentence immediately thereafter put in execution, “and their heads &t on the Tolbooth of Edinburgh,”6 from whence, as we have seen, they were removed by their faithful adherents, and laid in consecrated ground. Throughout the minority of James V. the capital continued to be disturbed by successive outbreaks of turbulence and riot, from the contentions of the nobility and their adherents, and especially from the struggles of the rival Earls of Angus and Arran. In order to suppress this turbulent spirit, the Town Council augmented the salary of the provost, and appointed four attendants armed with halberts, as a perpetual guard to wait upon him, but altogether without effect on the restless spirit of the nobles. During nearly the whole of this time the young monarch resided in the Castle of Edinburgh, pursuing his education under the tuition of Gawin Dunbar, afterwards Archbishop of Glasgow ; and his sports, with the aid of his faithful page, Sir David Lindsay ; Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 5. * Marjoribank’s Annale, Liber Cart. p. lxxi. ’ Hawthornden, p. 85. Crawfurd‘a Lives, vol. i p. 324. Balfour’a Ann. vol. i. p. 245. a Pitscottie, vol. ii. p. 296.

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BLACKFRIAR'S WYND. 1837.

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