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Preface which have been specially helpful.

Among these are Daniel Wilson's Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, Grant's Old and New Edinburgh, Abercromby's Martial Achievements of the Scottish Nation, Lindsay of Pitscottie's Chronicles, Dr. Robert Chambers's Traditions of Edinburgh and Minor Antiquities of Edinburgh, Dr. William Chambers's Historical Sketch of St. Giles' Cathedral, Lockhart of Carnwath's Memoirs, The Lives of the Lindsays, Cockburn's Life of Jeffrey and Memorials of his own Time, the Letters of Mrs. Patrick Cockburn, Miss Dunlop's Anent Wester Portsburgh, the Autobiography of Dr. Carlyle of Inveresk, Lockhart's Life of Scott, Henry Grey Graham's Social Life in the Eighteenth Century, Mr. John Geddie's Romantic Edinburgh, and Stevenson's Picturesque Edinburgh.

M. G. W.

CHAPTER I

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EARLY HISTORY

IKE most towns whose history stretches far back into the past the origin of Edinburgh is a matter of considerable doubt. In bygone days town records were not kept with the scrupulous accuracy of the present day, and even if they had been, it would have availed little, for the national records were twice destroyed by ruthless English invaders-by Edward 1. and by Cromwell.

But while facts are hard to obtain, legend obligingly gives us full details, and if they are less veracious than circumstantial, we must not be too critical. Stow's Summarie of Englyshe Chronicles fixes the date of the foundation of the Castle as 989 B.C.-nearly three hundred years before Rome was founded! He thus describes the state of things then existing: Ebranke, the son of Mempricius, was made ruler of Britayne; he had, as testifieth Policronica, Ganfrida, and other twenty-one wyves, of whom he receyved twenty sons and thirty daughters, which he sent into Italye, there to be maryed to the blood of the Troyans. In Albanye (now called Scotlande) he edified the castell of Alclude, which is Dumbritayn;1 he made the castell of Maydens, now called Edenbrough; he made also the castell of Banburgh in the twenty-third yere of his reign. He buylded York citie, wherein he made a temple to Diana

1 Dumbarton.

Edinburgh

and set there an "Arch-flame," and there was buried, when he had reigned forty-nine yeares.' It is sufficient to remark in passing that in the Middle Ages all selfrespecting nations thought it necessary to claim kindred with Troy. In the twelfth century Geoffrey of Monmouth compiled (he said translated) a Latin history of Britain, claiming as ancestor of the Britons, Brutus, great-grandson of Eneas. This legend is better known in its English version, 'The Brut of Layamon.' But such procedure was universal in those days-quite regardless of probability or even of possibility. Very mediæval too is the curious confusion which makes this British king who-if he had any religion at all—was probably a Druid, worship Diana, and found a temple in her honour.

Probably the only part of this legend which has any foundation in fact is the statement, implied rather than expressed, that the Castle of Edinburgh was first founded, and that the town gradually grew up around it. That is what we should expect, not only because this was the most general origin of towns in early days, but still more because of the natural position of Edinburgh.

The rock rises abruptly from a flat plain which extends to the south-east in almost unbroken level stretches. With foes swarming on every side, what more obvious than that this splendid natural fortress, further fortified by the Nor' Loch, should be utilised and improved. This conjecture is confirmed by history of a somewhat more reliable nature than Stow's Summarie. We read of the Castle being occupied as early as the fifth century by the Picts, from whom it was taken in 452 A.D. Picts and Angles struggled to retain it, and with varying success the struggle went on until the reign of

Malcolm II.

The most probable account of the origin of the name Edinburgh is that which derives it from the Northum

brian King Eadwine (Eadwinesburg). This monarch Early ruled with so strong a hand that it was said, 'A woman History with her babe might walk scathless from sea to sea in Eadwine's day.' Eadwine fought with Britons on the west, Mercians on the south, and Picts on the northall with considerable success-and though Eadwine's strong and merciful rule is forgotten by all except the student of history, the city which he named still survives and flourishes.

After this the history of Edinburgh is almost a blank until the reign of Malcolm Canmore, familiar to readers of Macbeth as the son of Duncan. This king had married the Saxon Princess, Margaret, whose goodness was so undeniable that she was canonised, and is even now spoken of by the good Protestants of Edinburgh as 'St. Margaret.' In 1093 Malcolm and his eldest son Edward were killed while besieging Alnwick Castle. Donald Bane, Malcolm's brother, thereupon put himself at the head of those who were dissatisfied with Margaret's anglicising tendencies, and laid siege to Edinburgh Castle. Margaret, overwhelmed with grief, died immediately after her husband, and there was some difficulty in removing her body. But Donald, while guarding the regular accesses, overlooked a small postern - gate. Accordingly the body of the Queen was secretly carried through the gate down the cliff, along the road to Queensferry, and across to Dunfermline, where-in the Abbey Church-her grave may still be seen.

Prince

Edgar, the heir, escaped by the same method, and cast himself on the protection of his uncle, Edgar Atheling, who was then living in England. Tradition assigns this very postern-gate as the scene of the famous interview between Dundee and the Duke of Gordon.

Alexander 1. seems to have lived a good deal in Edinburgh, but we hear little about the town till the important reign of David 1. Modern criticism declares that Holyrood owes its name to the portion of the True Cross

Edinburgh

bequeathed by St. Margaret to her children, and, like the Scone Stone of Destiny, appropriated by Edward 1. It is now at Durham. But while this explanation seems reasonable we should be sorry indeed to lose the story of the White Hart. The story goes that on 'Rood Day' (Good Friday) David decided to go out hunting in spite of the horrified remonstrance of a canon called Alkwine. Possibly he had not yet earned his title of St. David—in any case he seems to have had his due share of royal obstinacy. The country round Edinburgh was one vast, almost impenetrable forest through which ranged 'hartis, hyndis, toddis,1 and sic like manner of beastis.' The King and his train,-possibly out of bravado-made such a bullabaloo that all the animals were roused out of their dens. By some mischance, the King was separated from his attendants, was thrown from his horse, and was on the point of being gored to death by a hart with 'auful and braid tyndis' when a cross was miraculously placed in his hands, at sight of which the hart speedily fled. David could hardly do less than found an Abbey on the spot where he had been so miraculously delivered from the consequences of his own wrong-headed folly, and in honour of its origin the Abbey was named 'Holy Rood.' Whether we accept this story or the one quoted above, the fact remains that the Black Rood was a treasured possession until it was annexed by Edward 1.

David's generosity to the Church did not end there. He made over to the Canons of Holyrood the Church of St. Cuthbert, which he endowed with valuable revenues, and the chapels of Corstorphine and Liberton. He also presented the canons with the dues of the Port of Perth, and built a mill for their own use, which gives its name to the district of Canonmills. But perhaps the most important of his benefactions was the right granted to the canons to erect a burgh between the Abbey and the Castle; this burgh received the name of the 'Canon's 1 Foxes.

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