The Van Buren press., 1897-05-01
OLD EDINBURGH.
The scotch City at the Close OF she
Last Century.


Last Century.
The Edinburgh of the early years OF
George III. was very different from the
prim. regular spic-and-span, reputable
CITY of to-day. Itwas still mainly hemmeo
within the Flodden wall, hastily thrown
nm after the defeat a. defense against
English invasion. Thus. it consisted oil
High street on the steep ridge to the
Castle rock; of the Gowgate IN the nor
low to the south: of the narrow and TOT
tuous wynds and Yennels running up
tn High street on one side, and on the
other down TO the edge of the Nor
Loeb; of the Grass market; and, be,
vond the ancient limit, of the Canon
gate. which continues the main thor
oupbfare down 10 Holyrood. Some 6,Ooo
indwellers were squeezed into these
narrow tone by one and quarter
miles, limits.
The town grew upward, not outward
The houses were high lands" from SIX
to ten stories high, where poor folk
huddled at the top, while the Weather
citizens dwelt below. Scarcely room
in the city but held its open or con-
eealed bed. Sanitary arrangements
were conspicuous. even for that era, by
their primitive rudeness. Water was
scarce. and was laboriously carried up
those endless stairs on the backs OF
caddies. as the curious and distinctive
class of water bearers Though the
title was not theirs alone) was called.
But slops, house refuse, filthy bits OF
all sorts, were hurled on the
street. aGardv-loo" "a corruption, the
learned affirm. of Care leauD, yelled
the housewife into the night as she
stood at her lattice high, the odoriferous
bucket poised in her hand. And, when
that voice from the clouds smote the
ear of the belated wayfarer. how it sped
bis tagging stepsl "Haud your han,
guidwife, till l win by was his pite-
Gus entreaty. All too often the splash
"froze his swift speech with sorrow
and amaze" and he needs must stagger
onward. an unsavory admonition of the
need for wary walking.
The streets were horribly unclean
They were scayengered by pigs unhar
ried save by frolicsome children, who
mounting their backs, drove them hith'
er and thither despite their shrill pro
testings. The stranger scotfed, but the
citizen was unmoved. THE elartier the
cosier" was an apothegm oft in his
mouth. A sagaeious burgher perma
nently enriched his lands by earting
thereto quantity of street scourings
so potent was the compost. The upper
stories of the houses oyerlapped, and
! as the closes at the bottom were fal
from being broad aloft the opposing
mansions almost touched; thus thu
| rooms were imperfectly lighted, and {
continuous twilight mantled the uni
versal disarray.
The ways of life were simple. Tw'
o'clock was the faYorite dinner hour
! Supper, the great social meal, was Otter
taken out of doors. The tavern wa.
the sole meeting place. In the tavern
business was done by day. Nearl.
everybody drank too much, washed to-
little, swore horribly and lived roughly
And some made long prayers whicl
changed their habit no whit. De
spite it all, Old Edinburgh WIS an anus
ing place. Life was anything but dull
everybody knew everybody else; ther
was much goodfellowship; there wer
the best of claret, the best of talk, an
the best of stories. The pathetic an
heroic memories of the place, its 81
perb position and surrounding
kindled the imagination. There was a
old and famous aristocracy, whose yer
names were instinct with romanc'
Moreover, there was high breeding
there was learning, there was genius
for in that strange city, during, the SEE
ond half of last century, lived men VIII
have profoundly influenced the though
and literature of the world.-New re
viayV