Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-03
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN
Spot Where the Grim GuiIIOtine
Once Stood.
SPOOKS OF OLD EDINBURGH
Old Tolbooth Prison, Immortalized
by Sir Walter Scott.
MANY RARE OLD MANUSCRIPTS
Scenes About the Courts of Scot
lands Principal City-Relics of
Robert Burns and Scott.
BY WILLIAM +. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
EDINBURGH, September q. 1905
High street in Edinburgh is one of the
most interesting thOroughfares in the
world and almost every building on either
side is historic. 1t runs from the castle
for about mile and a half to the pal
ace of Holyrood-broad and of a gentle
slope; well paved and inclosed on either
side by tall and, in many cases, imposing
buildings. which for centuries were occu-
pied by the people of the court. including
many men of fame. There were great
doings on High street in the olden days
in the time of Mary Queen of Scots and
the six kings by the name of James. her
ancestors. who ruled over Scotland in
succession. Sometimes they lived at the
castle at one end of High street. and
sometimes at Holyrood Palace, at the
other, as happened to please their fancy
and danger seemed to threaten them.
There is an old story of a subterranean
passage under High street between the
castle and the palace. and it is said that
a bold Highland piper once volunteered
to explore it, This tale was readily be-
lieved, because it was customary in that
semi-barbaric period OF conspiracy and
feuds for the lairds of the north to have
underground passages by which they
might make their escape in case their
strongholds were assaulted by forces too
powerful to resist And it seemed per-
fectly natural that the kings should want
a line of retreat from one of their resi-
dences to another in case they should ever
need it.
1t is said that this bold piper made his
entrance by the upper end, playing
stirring air 4 crowd of people followed
him down the street, tracing his descent
by the sound of the chanter from below
the surface, until all of a sudden the
strathspey ceased in the neiShborhood of
ST. Giles Cathedral, and that piper has
never been seen or heard of since. Wheth-
err he stumbled over some obstacle and
broke his head. or was choked with
noisome gases, or fell into a hole, or
was seized and carried away by the evil
one, nobody can say, and there are those
who do not even believe the story.
Some Haunted Houses.
There are several historic spots and
houses on High street that are worth
chapter to themselves and many of the
old-fashioned palaces in which the dukes
and carls and princes lived in olden times
have ghostly visitants, but all houses in
which men have lived and died are
haunted houses. and there seems no rea-
son why the spirits of the tough old
Scotchmen who used to be so energetic
in life should not continue their interest
in modern affairs.
In the center of a wide place in the
street under the shadow of the statue of
the Duke of Buccleuch. is the form of
heart made with colored stones in the
pavement 1t is called The Heart of
Midlothian" and around 1t was the
meeting place of popular assemblies for
centuries Here stood the guillotine, the
maiden that l wrote you about the other
day in connection with the historical
museum, and hundreds of people were
executed upon tns spot-the nobiest
victims, the Earl of Morton, who was
regent under James VI. and was hated
by everybody: the proud Earl of Mont
rose and the two Dukes of Argyll father
and son, whose executions were thirty
years apart The heads of these and
thousands of lesser men were impaled
rounded the place. That grewsome spec
tacle was quite familiar to the people OF
Edinburgh at one time.
Here stood also the old Toioooth. the
prison which Sir Walter Scott has i'm
mortalized in his story called The Hart
of Midlothian and which tells tho terri
BILE experience of Ellie Dean.
Midlothian is the name of the county,
and many people suppose that this heart
in the pavement is it's geographical CEN
ter but Mr.. w. ]. Hay, an authority upon
Edinburgh history, who now resides In
the house that was occupied for many
years by JOHN Knox, says that the name
originated from a souvenir formerly man
ufactured by goldsmiths located in that
vicinity to sell to the numerous pilgrims
who visited the shrine containing an
arm bone of st. Giles.
Presented to st. Giles.
This sacred relic was presented to the
cathedral about 144O. incased in silver
casket, in the shape of an arm, and an
nually. on ST. Giles day, it was borne
aloft through the streets in procession
headed by the lord provost and all the
municipal and ecclesiastical authorities.
After the reformation the manufacture
and sale Of this souvenir was forbidden.
hut the goldsmiths produced substitute
in the form of a double heart, which Is
still a popular souvenir for tourists under
the name of the Heart of Midlothian.
The building that was formerly the
meeting place of the Scottish parliament
is now the seat of the highest courts of
the land. and many of their customs are
quaint and curious, having been preserved
from ancient times. The rooms in which
the trials are held are small and stuffy
and entirely unsuited for their purpose, for