Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-07-28
Letter from Edinburgh


Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette
EDINBURGH, Juty 20 r, ,1S9l.-We arrived
bers on Tbursaay srd thiua this the most
bsautifu ci:y ever saw. Just opposite me-
are he Cesie Gardens, down ia Vel'sy
from which rires on the ether aide 'errace
On terrace OF msen 6oeat buildings wif5
Ediuburgh Gaelic on mighty rock, 800 f5at
high, raisirg Its frowning battlements
eeail g. the szure sky. To our lsft is the
beautitul monument to Sir Walter Soott-a
Gothic structure, W bose slender spire e a.
most In front OF our window. We left Glas-
gov on Wednesday 70 make tour OF Rbat
is called "The Lady of the Lake Distriot,"
and visited ell the romantic plscss men ton
ell In Scou's beautiful poem, Passing no
Looh Lomond in little stesmar called Bob
Roy, we took coach st the head Of the Lnch
10 LcCb Kstrne, ar6 thence On aUother
steamer to visit EleD's 1se. On our wsy
we saw cn cur rigat Beu Veuus and .he
Goblln's cave, on tu: left BsD A'hn raised
hia bald and ragged brow and soon the little
is!et came in sight, group Of t'ses en0
rocks, where we noted the "anolent oak"
where the fair Ellen Douglas and the knight
OF Snowden landed, snd jusS opposite there
The Isl yer strand" Thare hs f:et gszed upon
her ss
ain listening mood she seemed to atand
The guardian Lsisd OF the strand"
They ca = took coach for Aberfres whsre
we net our trsin 10 Sririeg, end the next
N orning drove to visit the castle. Un
high hill through an cid street where llvcd
the Earl of Boutwell,, Darnley AID Mar,
past Greyfrisrs Church where Mary was
crowned Queen of Scots to plateau In front
of the csstie. There stands fine statue OF
Robert the Bruce, who still looks out over
the scene Of bis victory not far away-ihe
battlefield of Banuockourn. Ios:ds the cas-
tie we were shown the Douglas Room where
the Earl was murdered by his sovereign and
then vent ont 10 the bsttleme1ts to get the
view from the Queens Walk. Through
beautiful neadowe, some green and some 8
vivid gold. The s!lVery waters OF the "Wind-
ing Forth" take their way. As far as the eye
can reach it TURKS and wind, In ard cut
twenty times In the twenty-one miles In
sight. % an eminence near where he
fought the hattie of Stirling stands o
splendid monpment to Wallace and In the
distance lhe mountains rice on al sides like
gaosliy sentne!s guarding tie b, a1tifu vale.
From Stirling we came here end vest rday
started out for more sights to zee
Driving up High street which vas al
Que time considered the handsomeet street
n tho kingdom, AID where lived oil the no.
bllty of the time OF Mary. Now OILY the
poorest and lowest c!ase o: Edinhurgh's pee
pie live thers, whose weeks wash, on slen-
der poles, waved from every window above
our heads az we drove past 81. 0ilee Church,
where preached John Knox and where be
is buried. past the house where he llved-s
quaint little place, low oelled and diamond
paned-to Edinburgh Csstls. This is much
the ssme ss the Sterling Castle, perohed on
a mighty rock which overlooks the city, and
there we saw the iioy room used by Mary
Queen of Scots ss her bedroom. It .is only
Sx6 feet and has one little window Looking
out towtrd, the Kirk OF Field. Here. on
the 19:h OF June, 325 years ago, James vi
was born. From The csetle we drove to
EolyrGod, and there lived over the life of
its beautiful and unfortunate queen. 10 her
little supper room we saw the spot where
r zzIo was murdered, and 10 her dressing
room stood before the mirror which had re-
hscted her feir face 90 many years ago. In
the audience chamber thought of the cruel
treatment to poor Mary, of the brutal and
fanatic John Knox, and 1 nearly frightened
the life ont OF Church of Englaud clergy.
man, who was visiting there, By saying that
John Knox was brute. 10 the Chapel
Royal the royal vault contains Dsrnley's
tomb, and there. before the great window.
on sions we'll preserved, be and Mary
were married
We leave here this afternoon and shall
stop en- route 10 London at Meiroee Abbey
and Abbotsford, the home OF Sir Walter
Soctt. Ever since I have been travelling
over here have had an enormous appetite,
end now, when we live on the Enropean
plsn, and pay for what we eat, 1t ls very in-
convenient. &.