Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-27
"BOyNIE DUNDEE"

II is disheartening, after all these
,aars, and after 1t has been celebra ted IN
ys-se 70 find ont from modern phlIoio-
s;sts that Bonnie Dundes" means nei-
ise- s very beautiful nor very pleasant
'Isce. The epithet 'bonnie." they now
iav neither applies to beauty of aspect
~ amenity of situation, bat Is simply
ne ,be French adjective bonne, good, ana,
= concurrence with the extensive prac-
,;.e az o,den times, was merely com.
,1;n,entary expression applied to the
ssa,gn as represent ing the inhabitants.
nha town of Dundee itself was ugheFed
80 existence by an accident, and tra-
I,.;on has il that the Latin significance
e the name is the Ibid of God" so
oared bv the brother of the Scottish
T;nc who landed there after dreadful
ssay,n on his return from the holy wars.
Tois TOOK place in liza, and 50 pleased
uas the King at meeting his brother
,bat he at once sigualiZed the event by
,naking Dundee burgh. From time
;1emer,oriai Perth and Dpndes have
bean Jealous of one another, but of late
ysars Dundee has altogether outstripped
her sister city OF the lay. In the Six
taenth century the representatives of
tbsse two cities actually fought for the
eecond place in a royal procession, and
90 deIiohtful circumstance "a street
foht was not so rare in those good old
t,@es az to prevent the populace from
hlariouslv Joining therein. Its said
that Dundee got worsted and that the
citizens ragged considerably at this loss
~ DIGNITY. But before this the bitterest
snimosity had existed through dispute
as to the limits of their respective ports
on the Tay, the inhabitants of Perth
maintaining that their port included
the whole river, and that no ship ought
10 break bulk until it reached the bridge
of Perth. In this quarrel, which was
carried OF at times with bloodshed,
Dundee triumphed. But while Perth
ami Dundee might have fought over
which city contributed proportIonaEely
the greatest number of criminals, there
was no doubt that of the prison that
held them Dundee was rightly proud,
and Perth and all Scotland beside en-
yious. Saws DR.. Doran: at was the
boast of honest men and the despair of
feIons that II was the strongest prison
in all Scotland. There Was no getting
ont of it by "breaking." A toad might
as easily break from the center OF the
stone in which it has been iInmured for
centuries The Jailors had jolly
time. They locked up their prisoners
at night and repaired TO their lodgings
in town, returning in the morning IN
time 10 prepare breakfast for their in
voluntary guests.
Ii has been truly said that of all the
gatherings in and about the town of
Dundee none is of more powerful inter
est, more picturesque in detail, or more
illustrative of the time and people, than
those of which the heroic reforIner,
George Wishart, was the central figure.
The east gate of the town, when the
other gates were abolished, was allowed
to remain in honor of the old mission
ary's last sermon during the plague of
l5ii. At the risk of his life, and against
the entreaties of his friends, he had
gone to the plague-strioken city, for,
said he, they are now IN trouble ana
need comfort" He was met by an iSf-
mense crowd, and mounting the para
pct of the wall. he addressed both the
afflicted and unaffected, the afflicted
being outside lodged in huts and booths,
long called the "Sick Mems Yards, and
the healthy within the gate. lt was
striking rcene, the crowds of eager. up
armed faces on either side of the old
gateway, and the tall figure of the
preacher swaying on the top. ''By this
Ermon,- says Knox, che raised up the
harts of MI that heard him that they
regard not death, but judge them more
happy that should depart than such as
should remain behind Not long after
this Cardinal Beaton, lying on velvet
cushions in tho palace of st. Andrews,
looked down with implacable hatred
upon his enemy, chained to the stake,
and heard him proclaim. This grim
FIRE fear not" and as the noble Wis
hart spoke the powder exploded, the
faggots blazed up, and soon, amid tho
cries and groans of the spectators. the
scorohed and strangled body of the
martyr was reduced to ashes.