Litchfield enquirer., 1844-02-15


 minutes walk Edinburgh Castle adds much to the beauty as well to the interest of this Wque city Among the objects of interest exhibited here are the regalia and Mons Meg; the former consisting of crown, sceptre, and a sword of state. There is also the badge of the Order of the Garter with its star, and one of fhe Stle both beautifully set with brillants and otEfes precious stones The crowni is placed on a scarlet velvet cushion trimmed with gold cord and tassals, and all of them dazzling to behold, They are exhibited in a small round room with no lights save those kept burning to display them to visitors from twelve to three every day; and though one cannot view them without great interest as belonging to nation unquestiona- ply brave and capable of governing themselves, yet to see them exhibiting cTO1Cn without hing seems something like bsaLesga;e upon royalty; as If in the crown and not in the head lay the object Ot adoratlon These insignia of kings and queens have been recently discovered in on old iron chest Tn the room in which they are now exhibiting af- ter having been lost to the world for a hundred years or more There is long story attached to them which have not time to relate. Mons Meg is very old cannon, so called because made in Mons in Flanders. It is formed of iron hoops bat tered together, and made about the year l4S0, of course before America was discovered, and 1t Is famous one in size. I think Edinburgh should be called the Monumental City; for there are many monuments and statues on Carlton hill. Ca summit m the midst of the city) from the top of whichyou have fine view of Edinburgh and all the surround ing region of country. There is very tall column with the statue of Nelson on the top three in the form temples with statues within; one to Burns, one to Playfar the mathematician, and one to Du- gald Stewart. There is also called the Nation al Monument, intended to commemorate the heroes
 who fell at the battle of Waterloo. It is fac si- mile of ahe Parthenon at Athens, but for want of funds not completed. There Is also splendid one erecting now in memory of Sir Walter Scott-a sort of gothic temple with statue of himself within. In every public square, and before every public
 ckr.o arIr thop- -ta af,loc We visited likewise Grayfriar's church-yard, (the r1dest probably in Scotland,) where we saw the nr.ves of George Buchanan, (the stern preceptor of flames VI,) Allen Ramsey the poet. Dr. Black the chemist Dr. Blair the rhetorcian, and last but not 1east the graves of the Scottish martyrs who were a1a;n and buried between the years 1860 and 1868, 1s ooO in number-very many buried in one spot to whom monument is erected. It is supposed that the ground of this burial place has been raised upon an average ten feet in some places and eighteen Tn others. by the dust of the millions who have moul. dered beneath the sods of the valley ana you de- scend some ten steps to the door of Grayirlar's 1b,-ch. which stands in the midst of thls o;tu of the illnstrious dead It IS supposed thot tho church-yard was once level with the green syard about #. Itcertainly was most interesting snot surrounded by the monuments, arms and es- cutcheons of all the ancient nooihty ol Scotiano'- bv water to Stirling nil miles distant to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Forth, winch we oio ac, cordingly Unfortunately for us 1t cor1nlcnceo raining, and as it not unusually happens here Scotch mist accompanied the rain, so that how ever willing to encounter the rain for the sake of the scenery, we could not see through the impenetrable mist, and were obliged to content ourselves with comfortable seat in the cabin throughout the whole passage, for the rain fell un ceasingly till long after we arrived at Stirling Stirling Castle stands on a rocky eminence like that of Edinburgh, though on smaller scale, and alol :,la bx,c cboJ,y hno1 fully laid out from the town up the emincnce to the Castle. On one side from the ramparts you sec mounds and dtches oVergrown with grass, and which were once beautiful gardens, the pleasure grounds of the Jameses. On another side is arocky eminence called the Lady's Rock where the former Queens and ladies of the Court used to sit to see the tournaments held in the field below. A short distance beyond Is the field of Bannockburn s the Marathon of the North on which was fought the battle between Edward 2d and Robert Bruce. This ground is all made classic by Scott the ' Bens," |" Locks" and @ Friths' of the Highlands are hal lowed by his muse This Castle has been the birth place of some of the Scottish kings and in the chap el we were shown the pulpit from which John Knox preached at the baptism of Prince Henry ,son of James 9th. The Pal0ce is quite a splendid building, ornamented on all sides with huge, and some of them grotesque statues. The date of the Castle is lost in antiquity, but the PatGce was built by James 9th (father of the unfortunate Ma ry Queen of Scotts) A window is shown in the south part of the Castle from which James 2d shot Earl Douglass. Father of 'sthe Lady of the Lake," On the east side you have view of the Forth winding in and out in the most crooked maAner imaginable. We descended in contrary direction from that of our ascent and passed by spacious and handsome building called Argyies lodging, built by the Earl of Stirling and now hospital. We saw also the outside of Greyfriars church erected by James 4th in 1494, and still used for public worship.
 The ground over which we passed on our way from Stirling to the Highlands may be called the Thermopyle of Scotland, passing the fields of so many battles where the independence of Scotland was so bravely contested. There is Cambus- Ken meth Abbey near which, on bridge, was fought a terrible battle between Sir William Wallace and the English commanded by Cressingham, who was slain in the engagement, and who had ma de him. self deestable to the Scotch that they took his skin and made gsths for their horses. Nine miles from Stirling is the village of Doune, in which is very ancient fortress situated on a green bank washed on one side by the Teith. It was garrison ed in the rebellion for Prince Charles, and among the prisoners placed there Home, the author of the tragedy of Douglass. It was in this neighbor- hood that Sir Walter Scott spent much time in his younger days, and acquired his knowledge of High land character, and his love for their beautiful nery. With his !" Lady of the Lake, in your hand you follow these creatures of his imagination step by step through these Highland passes and need TO other guile. It is delightful to find how we'll the lowest classes in these parts acquainted with all the scenes described in his poems and how fa- miiar they are with his poetry. To hear them re- peat (with the Scotch accent) page after page, as we did, descriptive of the scene, and point to the spot where the incident described took place. was indeed delightful. They point to the mountain pass where FitZ James lost his horse and laments over him.
 Woe xvorth tha rhaae Uoe xxorfh tho dov