The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-07-03
Romans. Scott, Ia the "Lady of the
Lake" mentions the castle as
1e towers NitEin whose circuit dread,
A Douglas by his sovereign hled.n


| the window into the most below. This
room hes been made a sort of museum
ard many curiosities are here shown ;
including pulpit aud communion table
used by John Knox, some chairs used by
James II aud James vi and also a col.
lection of battle axes, lances, pixies, etc.
ing Castle was practically the history OF
Scotland. It has been occupied by Wal.
lace, Bruce, Baliol, David II, James II,
III, w. 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
to many heroic swell as many dark deeds
barracks for a few companies of Her
Majesty's troops.
Some one has spoken of Edinburgh as
Morrill," 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
Princes street and G%sorge % street, street the the
business centre OF the New Town"
The railroad depots arc In the valley and
much of the unoccupied land On both
sides has been laid out iu 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 a most
unique appearance. Many of them are
from eight to twelve stories high with
narrow outside stairs dangerous apparent.
ly TO both lie and limb. But it 10 as the
Modern Athens that Edinburgh peo.
pie prefer to have their city regarded ::
and here too they have strong claims, re.
Ierripg with pride to such names as
Dugald, Stewart, Hume, Playfair and
many others well known in the world of
science and literature To tourist the
Castle and Holyrood Palace arc 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 Edinbure
has been crowned with q fortress for
many years, but the greater part of the
present buildings are only about 800
years old. est. Margaret" Chapel, how.
ever. specimen of pure Norman archi.
lecture, dates back to the eleventh GEN.
tury; having been built by David I.
On the south, west and north the Castle
Rock is inaccessible and this fact doubt.
less gave it much of iis importance as
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,
whera her son, James vi, was born and
from the window OF which he was let
down nearly 800 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 wi
England IS doubtless much mere hensGs
cial to the country than separate nation.
al existence could be.
Passing down from the castle, through
the Lawnmarket, High 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 a 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 ard private apartments; but the
only portion which can claim much au.
tiquity 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 RiEzfo's assassins ascended to
Mary's apartments also has q door in
Darnley's room. The upper portion of
the tower was occupied by Queen Mary
and the visitor is fint shown large au.
dience chamber, decorated NTH tapestry
and with handsome oak pnneled ceiling.
Just beyond is her bedroom, which con.
tains her bed, her work box, picture, of
Henry VIII and Elizabeth and m any
other interesting relics. The supper
room in which Rizzio Mes murdered
communicates with the bedroom. AL.
though the rooms have been kept as
nearly as possible as when che 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 magniicence Within ito
roohess walls are buried several of the
kings and princes Of Scotland.
Nearly north of Holyrood and at the
east end Of Princes street is Calton Hill.
on which are the observatories and sever.
al public monuments. From it's 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. It was
demolished early in the present century.
Near by is St. Giles Cathedral, where
Janny Geddes threw her stool at the head
of Dean of Edinburgh, ,and thus aroused
o 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. X.
are all the monument yet erected in Ed
inburgh to this wonderful man. The
old Grey friars Church, made memorable
by the Solemn League and Covenant y
is In the southern part of the town and
many other places Of interest can be
found bat other localities claim our at
tention and we must "move on" .}