Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-08-09
LETTER FROM EDINBURGH.

| 10 INC LuNOT " 0tt oO" 'e,ss
1t would indeed nave anorded me great
pleasure to have written the Journal few
letters about my return trip from Vienna to
Scotland, giving a brief description of the
Rhine, Munich, Strasbourg, and other places
that visited, but so much has been done in
a short time that it would be quite impossible
to give readable account of the journey in the
space given to a letter of correspondence, but
| will, however, intrude upon the space of this
letter, by saying that encountered the Shah
again at Paris. The Shah of Persia goes
about like pillar of cloud by day, and of fire
by night. The meaning is, you see, that a
great dust is made throughout the city in the
day time, and in the night grand illumina-
ton in honor of His Majesty. The tourist
has become quite resigned to having the Shah
follow him about over the Continent; indeed,
wherever the tourist goes, the same question
is asked: "The Shah is coming, ar'nt you
going to stay and see him?" Having finished
London and Paris, the Shah is now in
Switzerland and Italy. He was thinking of
going to Vienna, and perhaps he may if the
cholera abates, or, if it does not, he will be
governed by good advice and stay away.
| The fact that cholera has been and is now in
Vienna has been SO well kept from the public
that many have visited Vienna supposing i.
perfectly safe. Until after had left the city
the fact was not known to the public that
during that week, the second in July, the
number of cases in one day had reached as
| high as So, the larger part of them proving
| fatal. The cholera was in q filthy part of
the city, and perhaps that may account for
the fact that it was kept so long from the
public. 1t is now known to be on the de-
| crease, but still the fact of its presence in the
city will keep many away who have been
! intending to take in Vienna with their Con-
tinental tour.
| To the tourist Scotland has many charms.
month in Scotland we'll repays the trouble.
The climate is very mild, and the evenings
are so long, the seeker for pleasure, or for
retirement, finds comfort in the long twilights
by sailing on the lakes, or watching from his
window the streaks of light along the north
western horizon, between the hours of nine and
eleven, as they gradually fade, and, at last,
sink behind the hills. Although the climate
and scenery of Scotland please the tourist, yet,
| if he is an antiquarian, in Edinburgh he will
find attractions claiming his attention for
many days. There is no city like Edinburgh,
new and old, for the beauty of its situation,
the grandeur of its hills, and the romance of
its history. 1t is the seat of learning and the
| tomb of scholars. The fine arts also, have
fourished here, and with its surroundings, l
venture to say, in no city on the continent
will one find such variety and beauty of
architecture, both ancient and modern. Be-
| fore me now, as l am writing, is SCOTS
monument. l have locked upon it many
times during the past five days, but every
| time some new beauty strikes my eye, and
am of the opinion that there is variety enough
in its architecture to please the eye for
month or two, studying it closely every day.
| 1t is regarded as the finest monument in the
world, but some however, consider the AL
bert Memorial in London, quite its equal.
No Scotsman, however, will admit it, and for
my part should agree with the Scotsman.
The monument is so situated that it can be
seen from any part of the city. Edinburgh is
built on two hiils-the old city on one side
and the new on the other. Between the two
is valley, now arranged into public park
and garden. In the centre of this park rises
| this monument to Sir Walter Scott Under
tie canopy of the central arch, in sitting
position, is the statue of Sir Walter Scott.
| BY his feet is his favorite dog. On his knee
is closed book held in an upright position
by both hands with finger between the
leaves to keep the place. His eye is looking
down upon the city in mood OF study. Per
haps the cut represents him sitting on the
Salisbury Crags, where he frequently walked
| and seated himself, as the tourist does, to
gaze on the city beneath or on the Pentland
Hills in the distance, the scene of hard fought
battles where the Covenanters were slain.
The Salisbury Crags form the front to
Authur's seat, so called from the fact that the
British Prince Arthur gained victory over
the Saxons in this neighborhood, in the ninth
century. One feels that he is treading on
holy ground as he walks around the hill, or
even in the valley beneath, which, could it
speak, would tell of battles fierce and long
between the Roman and the Saxon hosts.
Arthur's seat affords commanding view of
the country for miles around, as well as of
the entire city beneath. No words can des-
cribe the contrast between this hill and the
city better than Sir Walter Scott has in his
Chronicles of the Canongate." "a nobler
contrast there can hardly exist than that of
the huge city, dark with the smoke of ages,
and groaning with the various sounds of
active industry or idle revel, and the lofty
craggy hills, silent and solitary as the grave;
one exhibiting the full tide of existence,
pressing and precipitatng itself forward with
the force of an inundation: the other resem-
bling some time worn anchorite, whose life
passes as silent and unobserved as the slender
rll which escapes unheard and scarce seen,
from the fountain of his patron saint. The
city resembles the busy temple where the
modern Comus and Mammon hold their
court, and thousands sacrifice ease, indie
pendence and virtue itself at their shrine
the misty and lonely mountain seems as a
throne to the majestic but terrible genius of
, feudal times, when the same divinities dis
pensed coronets and domains to those who
had heads to devise and arms to execute bold
+ enterprises"
n On the left-hand side facing the city, at the
- foot OF Cotton hill, is Ilolyrood Palace and
Abbey-the home of Mary Queen of Scots.
1t IL was here that Rizzio, her secret lover, was
10 seized and murdered. Even the stained floor
at Inc head OF the stairs where he was left,
Is, pointed out. The story is familiar one.
a. Inc life of Queen Mary was one of constant
q excitement and trouble, but to see her lover
III torn from her feet and murdered by Lord
'" Darhley' was more than she could bear.
OF Hiose beside the palace are the ruins of
rs iiolyrood Abbey. Like Melrose Abbey some
~ twenty miles out Of the city, it was DESTROYED
I" ahd rebuilt several times during the religious
e. wars. Thousand come here yearly to see these
he grand old ruins. 1t is worth the time for one
to coTe and spend weeks with history in
his hand, and read it on the very battle fields
ne where the armies met, and the contest was
lSok