The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-08-31
THE EDITOR ABROAD.
Random Notes of Foreign Travel

Random Notes of Foreign Travel
EDINBURGH, Aug. 5th, 1850.
While some few old landmarks are
still to be found on old High street, yet
the progress of improvement during the
last halt century has made sad havoc
with the picturesque old houses which
once lined this old street with their
quaint gables. S.. Giles Church is the
most important relic of this old high
way. Though often spoken of as a
Cathedral it was never that in the true
sense of the term. 1t is a historical
fact that the attempt of Charles the
First to make it Cathedral cost him
his throne. 1t is an historic old church
associated with many interesting events
during the twenty-seven years struggle
between Prelacy and Presbyterlanlsm,
despotism and political liberty, and
which only ended with the Punishment
of the Stuart dynasty and the Revolu-
ton settlement. | have only time and
space to reclte one very interesting Incl
dent which occurred in it. One Jenny
Goddess who kept huckster S stall
brought her stool to church with her
on the memorable day in 1857 when
the obnoxious liturgy was to be intro
duced by authority into Scotland. The
Bishop OF Edinburgh had just asked
the Dean to read the Collect for the
lay, when Jenny exclaimed, "colic,
said We the Dell collie the wame o'ye /;
wud We say mass at my lug2" then she
lifted her stool and sent it flying at the
Deans head. DR.. McCrie prominent
Presbyterian afterwards said, "that it
was well for the Dean that he had
learned to jouk," or the consequences
might have been more serious. The
memorable stool is to be seen in the
Antiquarian Museum in Edinburgh, and
| looked at it with no little interest.
The ancient cemetery attached to this
old church, but now covered by the
buildings and pavement of Parliament
Square, is the spot where John Knox
was buried. No monument marks his
resting place, only the initials 81. X, "
and that is the only monument the
"Modern Athens" yet shows to the
memory OF the man who was once its
greatest citizen. The old city Cross,
the restoration of which has recently
been undertaken by Mr.. Gladstone, the
spot on which the old Tolbooth stood
where the slttings of the Scottish par
Lament were held, now marked by a
heart on the pavement, Indicate local.
ties of unusual interest to the student
of Scottish history. The Advocates
library under the Parliament House is
a place of unusual interest at least it
was to me. 1t contains about 10000 I
volumes and a copy of every book
published in the United Kingdom is
sent there. 1t contains many valuable
manuscripts, among which are several
copies of the Solemn League ano Cow
enant with signatures written with the
blood of the subscribers. John Knox's
house stands on this street in a good
state of preservation. Over the door
is this inscription, "Lufe God abuf all,
and ye nychtbour as yiself." Knox
occupied this house from 1860 to 1877.
He died IN it on November a4th 1872
in the 67th year of his age. In the
| Canongate churchyard on this street
are buried the remains of the Poet
Robert Ferguson and Adam Smith the
| first apostle of Free Trade and author
of the "Wealth of Nations" Ferguson
died young being only IN his 23d year,
and when Robert Burns visited Edin
burgh in November 1886, the first place
he visited was Ferguson's grave, where
he uncovered his head and wept like a
child. With the receipts he received
from the Edinburg edition of his poems
he erected the monument now standing
to Ferguson's memory. Burns wrote
this inscription which you read on it.
mo sculptured marble here no pompous lay
| No storiet animated bust
This simple stone directs pale Scotas way,
| To pour her sorrows DER her poets dust"
But of all the historic monuments in
and about this beautiful city none ex.
cited SO deep an interest In my breast
as that awakend by the associations of
HOLLYWOOD Palace. 1t is not necessary
for me within the limits of these hastily
written letters, to attempt description
of it. Early in my life, Prot Ay,oun in
his noble monologue of Boutwell,, had
impressed deeply upon my mind the
events of poor QIeen Mary's life.
Boutwell, you will remember was her
third husband, he having assassinated
Darnley. her second husband, she hav-
ing married first the Dauphin of France
Boutwell, died in the Castle of Malmoe
and | reproached myself for Lot hav
ing shipped that very entertaining little
volume into my gripsack when leaving
h ,me. When entering the palace you
are shown INTO the banqueting room or
the walls OF which hung the portrait:
of the Scottish Kings. Slme of then
bear date $50 years before Christ. The
authenticity OF these portrails beginning
with Fergus, every one can judge fol
himself. The portraits the most o.
them at least are strikingly alike, anG
are not of a high order of art, having