"MINE XXIX. SCOTT'S EDINBURGH. [INE own romantic town," "Edina, Scotia's darling seat," "Queen of the North," exclaimed the poet, with enthusiasm that may well be inspired by view of this noble and beautiful city, to which this tour is supposed to conduct us now, and in which we may pleasantly make many explorations. While these are made, we may find ourselves assisted by having in mind a more complete sketch of Edinburgh than that given in the Introduction (page 14). Accordingly, even at risk of describing what may be very familiar, the features of the city may be traced here. On the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, and about two miles from its broad waters, is a narrow and not very deep ravine, extending nearly east and west, formerly called the "North Loch," and now traversed by a railway, the station of which is about midway in it. Above this ravine, on the south side, abruptly rises a rocky ridge, the crest of which gradually ascends from low land eastward, about a mile, until it attains an elevation of 445 feet above sea-level, and abruptly terminates in precipitous crags of trap-rock. On this ridge is built the Old Town, ancient, lofty, crowded, smoky, with tall, dark stone houses, the Victoria spire, the crowned tower of St. Giles, and, chiefest of all, at the highest point westward, the great and famous Castle. At the end and base of the ridge, eastward, and in a rather wide and low vale, is Holyrood, with its square palace and turreted angles, and its ruined abbey. Almost north of it is Calton Hill, an irregular eminence, with steep, rocky, or grassy surfaces, reaching a height of 344 feet, crowned with monuments, and girdled with castellated or modern classic buildings. From this hill, the wide and imposing Princes Street, one of the noblest in Europe, extends westward, bounding the northern side of the ravine already described, and presenting towards it a long array of often elegant modern houses and shops, the front of the New Town, that stretches northward from it over comparatively level ground. Gardens or public buildings line the southern side of the street, and partly occupy the ravine. Out of these, most conspicuous and beautiful of all objects, rises two hundred feet an elaborate brownstone Gothic spire, in the style of a mediæval cross, and noblest example of that style ever reared, indeed, one of the noblest open-air monuments on earth, the just and honorable memorial of Scotland to Sir Walter Scott. And there, between the Old Town and the New, that both look on it, sits the gloriously canopied marble form of the genial man and manly genius who loved them both so well, and who, in the spirit allowed to abide upon earth, watches over them and fills them with a strange and pleasant fascination. If we would obtain a wider and more complete, and perhaps the best, view of this his "own romantic town," and of the not less romantic country around it, we should obtain the view from some commanding height. The most commanding, in or near the city, we shall find south-eastward from it. Not far beyond Holyrood, and in that direction, rises, nearly six hundred feet above sealevel, a vast range of dark crags sweeping in bold curve forward towards the town, and presenting, along their tops, precipitous walls, from which steeply slope long trails of débris. These, the Salisbury Crags, composed of greenstone interposed among successively upheaved layers of sandstone, are the shattered ends of mighty strata thrown up at a sharp angle, and dipping as sharply eastward. Directly beyond the Crags, and rising yet higher, is Arthur's Seat, a huge double-headed hill, presenting, from some directions, peculiar resemblance to the form of a recumbent lion. Its summit, eight hundred and twenty-two feet above sea-level, the highest in or near Edinburgh, should, if possible, be reached by travellers. The ascent is not difficult, either from Salisbury Crags, or by an easier route from Dunsappie Loch, on the other side,—that traversed on foot by Queen Victoria herself. The hill is a worthy, even if a merely traditional, memorial of the great British Prince, Arthur, who is said to have defeated the Saxons on or near it. Composed largely of porphyry, veined with jasper; of basalt, and trap-rock breaking upon sandstone formations, and bearing upwards of four hundred species of plants, it presents much of interest to the naturalist, while the view commanded from its summit, embracing a wonderful variety of picturesque natural objects, and of historical and legendary scenes in chorographical comprehensiveness, is pleasing to almost every one. One who, on a clear day, looks out, over its bare grassy or rock-bound slopes, sees a panorama of great extent and of really national character. Nearly westward, in the middle distance, rises the nobly picturesque Castle, dominant over the city, and reached by the ascending crest of the Old Town, with its dark-gray tone of coloring, and the smoky veil suggesting its name, - Auld Reekie. There, too, are seen the sharp lofty spire of Victoria Hall and the crowned tower of St. Giles and the long ranges of the High-Street buildings. Left of these are George Heriot's magnificent Hospital, and the green trees of George's Square, where Scott lived in early life, and the “meadows” and Bruntsfield Links. Just at the foot of the slope of the Old Town, and seen over the crest of the Crags, appears Jeanie Deans's Cottage. A little to the right is the fresh, stately New Town, athwart which rises the glorious spire of the great monument to Sir Walter Scott. Further on, to the right, is the Calton Hill, studded with monumental structures. Then, yet farther, in a deep, quiet valley, is Holyrood with its palatial quadrangle and ruined chapel. Beyond it are seen, in more distant range, the broad, bright waters of the Firth of Forth, bordered, northward, by the hills of Fife, - among these, the East and West Lomonds, near Loch Leven, and, left of them, the dim, gray Ochils. Towards the west, over Linlithgowshire, the smoke of Stirling (more than thirty miles distant) may be seen, and, far beyond this, the pale-blue summits of Ben Ledi and Ben Lomond. South-west, rising perhaps most prominent of all the many heights in sight, are the green, forest-grown Pentland Hills, abounding in ravines. And nearer and more southward are Braid Hills, at the eastern end of which (unseen) is the village of Libberton (Reuben Butler's home), with its little square, pinnacled, gray church-tower and cottages nestled among trees. Nearer is Blackford Hill, whence Marmion saw arrayed the army of James IV., be.ore its march to Flodden, and the hill of which Scott wrote: "Blackford! on whose uncultured breast, A truant boy, I sought the nest, Or listed as I lay at rest, While rose on breezes thin The murmur of the city crowd." Not far eastward are places suggesting the "Heart of Mid-Lothian." There is the reputed farm of Dumbiedikes, with its house imbosomed among dark-green trees, upon a slight knoll. And there, also, is the very fork of the roads where the Laird, pursuing Jeanie Deans when she started for London, offered her "siller" and his heart and hand. South-east are the church and hamlet of Dud dingston, with its pretty loch. Farther away are the heights around Lasswade, where Scott lived during his early married life. Closely east of these is Dalkeith, where is a seat of the great Scotts of Buccleuch. Far away, over these, towards the south-eastward, is the long, broad range of the bare, green Lammermuir Hills, that gave name to the "Bride" of one of Scott's most perfect compositions. Throughout these many scenes extends one of the richest, greenest, and most peaceful of rural countries. Far away, more duly east, gleams the wide German Ocean, out of which towers the distant, precipitous Bass Rock. Near it stands the conical NorthBerwick Law; and northward are the distant Isle of May, and, again, in sight, the hills of Fife and waters of the Forth. Close by and near the shore is the long gentle slope of the field of Prestonpans, perhaps yellow with grain, where, in 1745, Prince Charles Edward routed the "Hanoverians," under Sir John Cope; where Scott lived in 1777; and where a portion of the action in "Waverley" occurred. Near by, also, is Banktown, where lived the noble Colonel Gardiner, who was killed in that battle. The whole country, indeed, is crowded with historical sites, that render recital of their names almost an epitome of Scottish history. Not far south from the field so important to the Jacobite cause is Carberry Hill, where, in 1567, Queen Mary found herself betrayed to the captivity that ended at Loch Leven. Almost in the range of Prestonpans field, and nearer, is Pinkie, where, in 1547, the Scottish army was defeated by the English, under command of the Duke of Somerset. On heights south-east, Romans encamped; south-west encamped opposing Picts; and on more than one site visible have Cromwell's forces been posted. On one side of the spectator is the lofty, dominant, well-kept Castle of Edinburgh; on the other is retired and ruined Craigmillar. In another direction, and visible in almost a single glance, are Holyrood and Linlithgow and Stirling; the last two faintly marked, it may be, but yet combining, in this single panoramic glance, to present thus at once the three chief royal palaces of the old kingdom. And many and brilliant or exciting are the names of the men and of the women whose fame lingers amid these wide scenes, and yet animates or glorifies them. With honest pride may natives regard them; and one, even though foreign to the country, can but join in Scott's intensely patriotic outburst: "O Caledonia! Meet nurse for a poetic child! Think what is now and what hath been, I love them better still." Proudly and truly might all Scotchmen exclaim with him, — "Breathes there a man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, 'This is my own, my native land!'" Many places or objects within the city of Edinburgh are described or mentioned in various chapters of this book, relating to works of Scott with which they are associated. Besides these places or objects are others connected with the story of his life. Among all the scenes that suggest his living or his creating there are variety and space enough for more than one excursion. The first may be, quite properly, to the site of his birthplace, in College Wynd (page 14), reached from the New Town (where travellers sojourn), by the North and South Bridges: the former of which crosses the ravine described on page 255; and the latter, another similar valley on the opposite (or southern) side of the Old Town. Farther on in the same direction (southward) is George Square, "built in 1766, in rivalry to the scheme for forming the New Town," then being developed on the other (the northern) side of the city. In the last century, this square was occupied by persons of rank. At No. 25, Scott's father lived many years. The house, like most of those on the square, is built of rough stone, with smoothed yellowish sandstone window-cases, quite plain, and with rustic quoins. Each side of the front door is a pillar supporting a small entablature, of no particular style. The height is three stories; the plan, that of many common block-houses. In front, in the area of the square, are trees and shrubbery; but the whole neighborhood bears a cool, severe aspect, not stimulative to imagination. Here Scott informs us, in his autobiography, was his 'most established place of residence until" his "marriage, in 1797." On the sunk floor of this house was a little "den," a room that was young Scott's own peculiar domain, where he commenced his museum of curiosities and relics, that afterward became so remarkable at Abbotsford. Close to the site of his birthplace stands the College, where he was a student during the four years 1789-92, when he was studying "with great ardor and persever 66 |