Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/887

Rh EDINBURGH. 877 EDINBURGH. the state prison, approached through an arched gateway protected by strong iron gates. Nearly in the centre of the castle, and occupying the more elevated portion, of the rock, are the ancient erections of the old castle alluded to above, including the palace of Queen Mary, built in 1565 ; the crown-room, containing Bruce' s gold crown, the sceptre, sword of state, presented by Pope Julius II., and other portions of the regalia of Scotland, formerly supposed to have been secretly conveyed to London, but found in 1818 stored away in a strong chest. Hcrt is also the room in which James VI. was born (1566). Below these buildings, and perched on the slope of tho lock, arc the new barracks, a huge unsightly pile, erected in 17%, and resting in the rear upon piazzas. Another range of buildings called the North Barracks are now being reconstructed, the order for which was given by the War Office in 1803. These, according to the designs of Mr. R. W. Billings, to whom the contract is entrusted, will include the parallelogram of the original building, which had been dismantled some years ago to make room for improvements never accomplished, with E. and W. wings, protected by projecting facets crossing the op- posing outer angles. The building is three stories high, and on each story will be two large well-aired barrack- rooms; the sergeants' quarters being formed in tho wings. The walla will be topped by a bold outline of turret and battlement, which will give effect to the building in the distant view, and especially on the N. side, where the back outline, in tho centre of which is to be a tower, terminating in a carved thistle-top, is conspicuously seen from Princc's-street. Tho tender also includes a smaller building in the upper quadrangle, giving additional barrack accommodation, and the amount of tho estimate is 4,100, exclusive of the fittings for heating and ventilating, which will be sup- plied by the War Department. Next in antiquity is the venerable abbey of Holyrood, by prescription a sanctuary for debtors. It was originally founded by David I. in 112S, solely as a religious house lor Austin Canons, who had Canongate assigned to them, but like Other abbeys of tho time it was furnished with apart- ments fur hospitably entertaining strangers, both rich nd poor, who might seek the shelter of its roof. Among its early visitors were several of tho Scottish monarchs, who came to visit the castle, being .one of the strongest fortresses of tho kingdom. Bruce and Baliol held their parliaments in tho abbey, and James I. frequently resided here with his family. In 1513 this then vener- able pile was destroyed by the English under the Earl of Hertford, who burnt the abbey and gutted the church, but it was shortly after restored, and James V. added apartments solely for the use of the royal household, portions of which buildings are still standing, and go by the name of James V.'s Towers. At this time the palace and abbey consisted of five courts, covering an area much more extensive than the present building, but ini'e:-;nr in architectural display. The most imposing part of the structure was that which now forms the N. wing of- the present W. front, including the apartments of the unfortunate Queen Mary, whose furniture and embroidery still remain undisturbed. It was here she married Darnley, and in one of the chambers they show the marks of Rizzio's blood. In the garden is still pre- served her dial, a solid of twenty sides on a pedestal and six-sided base of three steps ; the remaining portion of the old building consists of the picture gallery, 150 feet long, hung with 106 pretended likenesses of Scottish kings. It was in this apartment that Prince Charles Edward Stuart (the young Pretender) held his receptions in 1745, and in it the representative peers are chosen. The other three sides of the quadrangle were rebuilt at the Restora- tion by Sir W. Bruce, and enclose an open court in the centre. The E. and S. fronts have been recently fH-:.-d with polished stone, and the state apartments en'.ircly refitted for the reception of Queen Victoria, who, since 1S50, has passed several days at Holyrood every year, on her way to and from Balmoral. Near tho N. side of tho palace stands the ruin of tho Abbey Church, eloquent in its desolation, and containing the dust of many members of the royal line. Its fate seems to have been sealed at the Revolution, when the mob, maddened by the performance of the mass within its walls by James II. of England, better known in Scot- land as James VII., gutted it more completely than the Euglish had done in 1543, and left it a permanent ruin, part of the royal chapel, the W. door and towers, with the bare walls alone remaining. But what is more to be regretted is tho disafforesting of the royal demesne, which was accomplished in the time of Cromwell, who suffered the tastefully laid out gardens to be ploughed up, and tho park converted into meadow land. Some portion of the ancient park, including Salisbury Crags, David Dean's House, near St. Leonard's, Arthur's Seat, rising 820 feet above the sea level, covered with a great variety of herbage, and St. Anthony's Well and ruined chapel, have been reclaimed for the public. Tho Old Town is also tho seat of the College of Justice, founded by James V. in 1532. It includes the supreme court, called the Court of Session, tho courts of admiralty, jury, ex- chequer, &c., under 13 judges, who combine the highest civil and criminal jurisdictions. The first of these courts consists of an inner and outer house; tho former composed of two divisions, severally presided over by the Lord Justice General, who is head over the whole court, and by the Lord Justice Clerk ; while the outer house forms a kind of subordinate court, composed of the five lords ordinary, who are called to the inner house as vacancies occur. The judgment of either division is final in Scotland, but may be appealed from to the House of Lords, as tho supremo court of judicature for the whole empire. In 1859 the number of appeals was twenty-five, of which ten were in matters of real property, thirteen in matters of per- sonal property, one real and personal, and one in a matter of divorce. The winter session commences on the 12th November, and terminates on the 20th March ; the summer session extends from the 12th May to the 20th July. The Court of Justiciary, or supreme criminal court, the admiralty, the exchequer, and the teind courts are also composed of members of the Court of Session, who are chosen according to seniority or ancient usage. The inferior courts consist of the sheriff's court, the justices of peace, and the small debts courts, each differing in material respects from the similar courts in England, and having their special privileges guaranteed by the Act of Union, which secures to Scotland its separate national and legal organisation. Tho entrance to these courts is by a magnificent hall, 122 feet long by 49 feet broad, with an oak roof. The hall contains a statue of Henry Dundas, first Lord Melville, by Chantrey. The inner court occupies part of tho old parliament house, built in 1632-40, where is a statue of President Blair, by Chantrey; while tho outer court adjoins it, with a statue of President Forbes, by Roubilliac. Next this hall is the Advocates' Library, founded in Ifi82, and containing the largest and most valuable collection of M.SS. and books in Scotland : the former amount to 1,700 volumes, including a Vulgate Bible of tho 4th century from Dunfermline Abbey, and the original Solemn League and Covenant ; the latter amount to above 150,000 volumes, including one of tho earliest printed Bibles, by Faust. The Signet Library adjoins Parlia- ment House on tho N., and foi-ms a handsome Grecian building, containing two spacious apartments on different stories. The upper one, 139 feet long by 39 broad, is said to be the most elegant room in Scotland, supported on each side by a range of twelve Corinthian pillars, and in the centre a cupola. It was used by George IV. as his reception room on tho occasion of the banquet given in the parliament house, arid is at present appro- priated to the library, which numbers 60,000 volumes. These libraries are respectively the property of the Faculty of Advocates and of the writers to tho Signet, who have their separate incorporations and privileges, but are managed with such liberality that any respect- able person is admitted to study in tho apartments, and even strangers are permitted to survey tho library stores