The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-07-03
Romans. Scott, in the "Lady of the
Lake" mentions the castle as
aye towers within whose circuit dread,
n,,oJo, 1,1, b;o sorero;on h1nd -

"Ye towers within whose circuit dread,
A Douglas by his sovereign bled."
And the douglas Room" is still shown
to visitors, where James II stabbed the
Earl of Douglas and threw his body from
the window into the moat below. This
room has been made sort of museum
and many curiosities are here shown;
including pulpit and communion table
used by John Knox, some chairs used by
James II and James VI and also a col
lection of battle axes, lances, pixies, etc.
For many centuries the history of Stirl.
ing Castle was practically the history of
Scotland. 1t has been occupied by Wal.
lace, Bruce, Baliol, David II, James II,
III, ~, V, VI. Mary Queen of Scots
was crowned here and here her son,
James vi, was secretly brought from
Edinburgh when only six days old and
baptized. 1t stands, grand monument
to many heroic as we'll as many dark deeds
of past ages. 1t is at present used as
barracks for few companies of Her
Majesty's troops. -,
Some one has spoken of Edinburgh as
"the most picturesque town in all the
North" and its claims to that distinction
are very strong. High street, the centre
of the "Old Town" runs along the ridge
of hill eastward from the castle. Just
north of this ridge is deep valley with
another hill beyond, along which run
Princes street and George street, the
business centre of the "New Town."
The railroad depots are in the valley and
much of the unoccupied land on both
sides has been laid out in pleasure
grounds, known as Princes Street Gar.
dens. The buildings of the city are
mostly of stone and very substantial
those in the "Old Town" having curious
gables and roofs which give them most
unique appearance. Many of them are
from eight to twelve stories high with
narrow outside stairs dangerous apparent.
ly to both life and limb. But it is as the
Modern Athens" that Edinburgh peo.
pie prefer to have their city regarded
and here too they have strong claims, re-
ferriDg with pride to such names as
Dugald, Stewart, Hume, Playfair and
many others we'll known in the world of
science and literature. To a tourist the
Castle and Holyrood Palace are probably
the principal points of interest, and a
majority doubtless visit the castle first,
not only on account of its associations
but also for the fine view of the city
which can be there obtained. Like
Stirling, the Castle Rock of Edinburg
has been crowned with a fortress for
mary years, but the greater part of the
present buildings are only about 300
years old. "St. Margaret" Chapel, how
ever, specimen of pure Norman archi.
lecture, dates back to the eleventh cen
tury; having been built by David |.
On the south, west and north the Castle
Rock is inaccessible and this fact doubt
lese gave it much of its Importance as a
stronghold, before the invention of can.
non. 1t is still kept in fortified state
and several batteries frown on the city
below. Most of the buildings of which
the castle is composed are Of but little
interest to the traveller We are shown
the rooms occupied by Mary and the
small apartment, scarce ten feet long,
where her son, James vi, was born aud
from the window of which he was let
down nearly 300 feet in basket and
taken to Stirling for baptism in the Ro-
man Catholic faith. The Crown Room,
where the regalia are kept, is also open
to visitors, and although Scotchmen are
Justly proud of these insignia of their un-
conquered independence, the union with
England is doubtless much more benefi-
cial to the country than separate nation
al existence could be-.
Passing down from the castle, through
the Lawnmarket, High b street and the
Canongate, all of which form continu-
GUS street about mile in length, we
reach Holyrood Palace. What history
that street has had. The palace at one
end and the prison at the other, and as
it was but step from the Capitol to the
''Tarpean Rock" so it was but step
from the power and glory of the palace
to the humiliation and ofttimes death OF
the dungeon. The rooms of Holyrood
are divided into picture galleries, state
rooms and private apartments; but the
only portion which can claim much an
tiuuity is the northwest tower, in which
was Queen Mary's apartments. We are
shown Lord Darnley's rooms, containing
various interesting relics of Queen Mary
and several portraits. The private stair
by which Rizzios assassins assembled to
Mary's apartments also has door in
Darnley's room. The upper portion of
the tower was occupied by Queen Mary
and the visitor is first shown large au-
dience chamber, decorated with tapestry
and with a handsome oak paneled ceiling.
Just beyond is her bedroom, which con-
tains her bed, her work box, pictures of
Henry VIII and Elizabeth and many
other interesting relics. The supper
room in which Rizzio was murdered
communicates with the bedroom. AL.
though the rooms have been kept as
nearly as possible as when she left them,
the hand of time has done its work and
the tapestries are faded, the bed on which
she slept is dropping in pieces and the
sadness of her history is supplemented
by the sadness of the surroundings.
Adjoining the palace are the ruins of the
old Abbey which still show some remains
of its original magnifcence. Within its
rooHess walls are buried several of the
kings and princes of Scotland.
Nearly north of Hoyrood and at the
east end of Princes street is Calton Hill,
on which are the observatories and sever.
al public monuments. From its summit
and also from "Arthur's Seat," southeast
of the city, fine views of the surround
ing country can be obtained. In High
street formerly stood the old Tolbooth,
which has been immortalized by Scott in
his "Heart of Mid Lothian" An i'm
mense heart in the pavement now marks
the spot where the prison stood. 1t was
demolished early in the present century.
Near by is St. Giles Cathedral, where
Jenny Geddes threw her stool at the head
of Dean of Edinburgh, and thus aroused
mighty popular uprising against the
introduction of the obnoxious liturgy of
Laud A stone in the pavement south
of St. Giles marks the spot where John
Knox was buried and the initials j. K.
are all the monument yet erected in Ed
inburgh to this wonderful man. The
old Cireyfriars Church. made memorable