him on the half-moon battery, and gazing around him with wonder and delight, he took off his hat and waved it in the air. The lofty and advantageous situation which his Majesty then occupied, commands perhaps the most extensive and diversified prospect in Scotland-certainly one of the finest in the world. The royal spectator, with evident emotion, exclaimed, "This is wonderful !"*

Nor has our present most gracious Sovereign yielded in any respect to his royal predecessor, as to the favour he has been pleased to evince for this portion of his dominions. Since his Majesty's accession to the throne, he has given a distinguished proof of his condescension, by adopting the idea of assembling together all the Crown jewels of Scotland. On the 17th December 1830, by command of his Majesty, Sir Adam Ferguson, keeper of the Regalia, arrived from London with his precious charge, and next day deposited in the Crown-room of the Castle several ancient and curious jewels which belonged to the Stuart family while swaying the sceptres of England and Scotland. These reliques are now exhibited in the Castle, under the same precaution as the other parts of the Regalia.

In August 1830, while some workmen were engaged repairing the wall of that part of the building between the Crown-room and the west entrance into the square, about the centre of the wall an aperture, dextrously concealed, was discovered, and in clearing it they destroyed a coffin, in which were the bones of a child, and fragments of velvet embroidered with the initials, J. R.; these last, we understand, are preserved by the officers of the 71st regiment, who were then stationed in the garrison.

In this age of investigation and research, it is wonderful how very little curiosity this discovery excited, and scarcely any notice was taken of this mysterious inhumation. That the remains thus discovered have some connection with the

* Historical Description of the King's Visit, by the author, p. 34.

Stuart race, is highly probable from the embroidered initials, which are executed in the style of the 15th century, and therefore inyolves a mystery which succeeding ages can never be able to discover.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

OF THE

CASTLE OF EDINBURGH.

BEFORE the invention of artillery, the Castle of Edinburgh was deemed impregnable. It stands on the western extremity of the ridge on which the Old Town is built, and terminates upon the south in an inaccessible rock, the top of which, bearing the line wall of the fortress, declines a little towards the north-west.

Before the drawbridge is a row of pallisadoes, forming an angle; from the point of which to the buildings of the city, is a space of 350 feet in length, and 300 broad on the summit, called the Castle-Hill, which forms a beautiful parade-ground, as well as a place of resort for the inhabitants desiring the benefit of free air.*

On the south side of the Castle-hill, a fine stone wall has been lately erected in furtherance of the completion of the new western approach to the city, which is now in progress.

The valley on the north side, formerly part of the North Loch, is beautifully laid out in public gardens, and has a most delightful appearance when viewed from the Castlehill. Here the inhabitants of Prince's Street resort in great numbers; and in summer the walks are enlivened

* The top of the Castle-hill was formerly very narrow, not exceeding the breadth of the street leading to it.

with large parties of fashionables, inhaling the sweets of this delightful and romantic retreat, which, like a second Eden, has sprung up in the middle of the city.

The hill commands a most beautiful and richly diversified prospect of the river Forth, and shores of Fife, from Queensferry as far as Fifeness, with its southern bank covered with towns and villages, which King James very aptly compared to a mantle with a gold fringe. On the south and east are the Meadows, or public walks, Heriot's Hospital, the stupendous rocks of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags. At a few miles distant to the south, the Pentland Hills, and those of Muirfoot. On the east, the delightful plain called the King's Park, extends itself, and the ancient towers of Holyrood are seen in the valley below.

The space inclosed by the fortifications is of an oval form, and measures, from the north-west angle to the angle formed by the pallisadoes upon the outside of the drawbridge, 920 feet; but the breadth from north to south is only 475 feet.

On entering the Castle, we pass the drawbridge through an outer gate of immense strength, and well secured. On the left is the guard-house, and adjoining to it is a well plentifully supplied with water.

Proceeding a little farther is a second deeply arched gate-way, strongly built. When the gate was shut, two huge iron portcullisses were let down behind it: one recess is still to be seen in the wall; the other has been closed up with wood. This archway, which was originally finished like a tower with embrasures, is surmounted by two grotesque figures; the building above this archway was the state prison. In 1745-6, this gloomy habitation was occupied by many a lord and gentleman, and even ladies, who were charged with being attached to the Stuart cause. Immediately within this gate on the left, is a space where that remarkable piece of artillery, well known by the name of " Mons Meg," formerly +.

N

lay. This cannon now stands on the Argyle battery, at the north corner of the new barracks. Near the coal-yard on right, it is supposed the subterraneous passage betwixt the Castle and the Palace commenced. Tradition has it, that a Highland piper undertook to explore it, and succeeded (playing his bagpipes all the time,) in gaining as far as beneath the Nether Bow, when the noise of the bagpipes ceased, and he fell a victim in his enterprise.

On the left, after passing the gate, is another guardhouse, and about 230 feet westward is the Governor's house; on the right of it the cannon, Mons Meg, is placed, which, as it is one of the principal curiosities connected. with the Castle, we shall describe.

This remarkable piece of artillery, which resembles an old mortar, such as are to be seen in Germany, was made at Mons, in Flanders. It is small in the breech, and large at the mouth, and is composed of a number of thick iron bars, which appear to have been walded; they are besides bound together by strong hoops; and the whole seems to be of immense strength. It is in length 13 feet, and is 2 feet 3 inches diameter at the muzzle, the bore of which is 20 inches wide, tapering inwards, and the whole gun weighs 4000 stone. There is a breach in one side, said to have been occasioned by its bursting at the siege of Roxburgh, on the 3d August 1460.* This account is evidently traditional, and not to be depended on, for Mons has been used on several subsequent occasions.

In 1651, the rapid advance of the English army rendered it expedient that the Regalia of Scotland should be conveyed to a place of security more remote from the scene of war than any of the royal castles; and Dunnottar, a strong baronial castle built on an insulated rock, was chosen by the Scottish Parliament as their destination. A garrison was placed there, and amongst other royal artillery transported for the

• Grose's Antiquities, vol. I.

defence of the Castle, we find Mons Meg particularly mentioned. The large embrasure in which this piece of artillery lay, is still pointed out by the old man who shews the Castle of Dunnottar; tradition asserts, that a shot from this cannon dismasted an English vessel in attempting to enter the harbour of Stonehaven, a distance of 1 miles. Cham. bers, in treating of this subject, considers the above ac count as purely traditional, and thinks that the gun denominated the Great Mag" contained in the list of ordnance taken in the Castle of Edinburgh on the 24th December 1650 by order of the Parliament of England, is the very identical Mons Meg.

The history of Meg, like many others of our national antiquities, is obscure in tradition. Although it is expressly mentioned by ancient historians that this piece of ordnance was burst at the siege of Roxburgh, in the accounts of the Treasurer during the reign of James IV. we find that this cannon was transported from the Castle of Edinburgh, probably on some occasion of national festivity, to the "Abbay of Hallyrude House," on which occasion it appears, that "the gunner of the Abbey received ilk nicht III S."

On the 10th of July 1489, Mons Meg was carried by this king to the siege of Dumbarton. Mons, however, from her enormous size and weight, seems to have proved exceedingly unmanageable, and after having been brought back from Dumbarton, she enjoyed an interval of eight years inglorious repose. When James, however, in 1497, sat down before Norham, the great gun was, with infinite labour and expense, conveyed to the siege. The construction of the new cradle or carriage for her, seems to have been a work of great labour. In the Treasurer's Books the following entries are made: "July 24th 1497. Item, to pynouris to bere the trees to be Mon's new cradell to her at St Leonards, quhare scho lay, iii sh. vid. ;"" July 28th, Item, for

* Chambers' Walks, p. 61. Scott's Prov. Antiq. p. 21.