neither smell to my flowers, nor touch my victuals, nor impertinently trouble me; and indeed my provision is barely sufficient to satisfy my own appetite.”

"God forbid," cried Mesrour, "that it should ever be satisfied! May he never give meat or drink to such a miserly glutton! By the Lord, we never before met with such a selfish churl." Basem no sooner heard these words, than with rage in his countenance, turning to Mesrour, "You contemptible beggarly rascal," exclaimed he, "whom divine power has dyed black, what have you rascals brought along with you? I pray heaven you may never prosper. It would have been well had you sent some present before you; but you are pitiful fellows, a salt sea, of which no one ever drank: you never, even by mistake, brought any thing to employ one's teeth; never thought of bringing your supper to eat here; you pretend too to be merchants, but you are the most niggardly rascals that God ever created." The Khalif could not help laughing heartily; but speaking softly to Giafar; "After all," said he, "the man has some reason to complain; you have come three nights empty-handed; make up matters with him Giafar, speak gently, and promise to behave better to-morrow-night." "I beseech you, Hadgi Basem," said the vizir, with great humility, "forgive what is past; we have been to blame; but to-morrow night we will bring such a splendid supper, as we hope will make up for all former deficiencies." A splendid supper!" replied Basem," you lie, you niggards, I do not believe a word you say. Your bottle companions (as the song says) perish from thirst, and the guests at your table pine with hunger, your dog is mangy, and your door bolted against hospitality."

It was not in the power of the Khalif to prevent laughing immoderately: but Basem returned to his wine, and without taking notice of his guests, continued to regale himself, till he became to all appearance intoxicated. "Giafar," said the Khalif, 66 our friend seems to have nearly done for himself; now is the time to learn of him by what means he procured the five drachms this day." Hadgi Basem!" said the vizir, in a submissive tone of voice. "What would you have," replied he, " you fellow with the old bear's whiskers!" "Hadgi," continued the vizir, "we take a lively interest in every thing concerning you; we grieve when you are distressed, and rejoice when you are happy." "Well, well, what then, what is it that you require of me!" " Only to know," said Giafar, "what happened after you found this morning that all the bagnios were shut up." "Now for once, I will tell you, but upon condition, that you do not disclose what I shall communicate." Giafar assured him that he had nothing to apprehend, and that they were on the point of departing from Bagdat. Basem then entered into a circumstantial detail of all that-day's adventures, and having concluded, "The Khalif," said he, "may, if he pleases, shut up the mahkamy, and provoke the populace to an insurrection; but for my part, my resolution is fixed to

die, by God's leave, an officer of justice." He then filled a bumper, drank it with the usual ceremony, but happening at that moment to beich, "and this," he cried, "in the beard of the Khalif," To-morrow, thought the Khalif, I will make an example of this drunkard, which shall furnish conversation for all the inhabitants of Bagdat. (To be concluded in our next.)

IN

ACCOUNT AND DESCRIPTION

OF THE

CHAPEL OF ROSLIN, &c.

Concluded from Page 254.

N the west gable there has been a very large arched window, now entirely filled up with stone and lime.—Opposite to this window, streight up from the second pillar down from the face of the altar, is another large arched window, out of which one could look over the roof of the altar. This window is likewise filled up with stone and lime, except a small part at top. On each pilaster of this last window, there are two nitches for statues almost as big as the life.

Streight up from the capital of each large pillar, in the middle area of the chapel, half way up to the top of the high roof, is a nich for a

statue.

Round the whole chapel within, is a belt or line of a vast variety of wreathing-work in basso relievo, proceeding in an horizontal and perpendicular way, the better to humour the soles of the windows; but it is arched over the tops of the two doors.

The inside of the high arched roof is all cut out into squares of various figures in flower-work, particularly roses, foliage, &c.

The west gable is extended farther than the side-walls of the chapel 26 feet south, and as many north, and on the east-side of each extension there are two pillars equidistant from one another, and from each corner, which have been intended to run up into turrets or spires; from all which, it plainly appears, that a much larger building has been designed to the west, of which the present chapel would have been only the choir. And indeed the marks on the west-gable are very plain, from whence the side walls were to have been advanced, whose foundations have been discovered, in plowing up the ground, a good way west-ward. These marks are about 91 feet distant from each other, and a small part of the north-wall, about three feet from the west gable, is actually built.

On the outside of this gable, you see three large doors all filled up with stone and lime, whose lintles and some of the jambs are cut out

into foliage and flower-work, and others of the jambs are figured into pillars with flowered-capitals; the south pilaster of the south door and the north pilaster of the north door running up, each from its flowered capital, into small genteel pillars, equally high in their capitals with the tops of the inner side-walls of the chapel.

There are several fonts curiously ornamented on the outside of the west-wall, particularly two, one on the north, the other on the south of the three doors, each of which is inclosed within two very pretty. little flowered pillars or spires, ending in top with pieces of sculpture resembling small flowered vases.

Between the said north and middle-door, as high as their hyperthyrons, there is the figure of a man standing, and tied to a rock by his middle and ancles, with his hands tied behind his back, and having a human figure sitting at each foot, and holding the rope with which he is tied. Of this figure I can conjecture no other meaning, than that of St. Michael upon a rock; which receives strength from the consideration that the princely founder of this chapel was honoured with being one of the knights of the Cockle, after the order of France, which, among other emblems, has a medal hung upon the breast, representing St. Michael upon a rock, whence they are called Knights of St. Michael. Hay, vol. II. p. 234 and 313.

There are also some cherubs on the outside of the west gable, with scrolls waving from hand to hand.

WILLIAM ST. CLAIR, Prince of Orkney, Duke of Holdenbourg, Earl of Caithness, &c. &c. &c. Baron of Roslin, &c. &c. &c. the 7th of the name from the days of Malcomb Kenmore, and descended of noble parents in France, founded this most curious chapel or college, for a provost, six prebendaries, and two singing boys, in 1446, and dedicated it to St. Matthew the apostle and evangelist; but Slezer erroneously says in 1440, and gives an outside view of this rare edifice from a copper-plate, which, by the bye, seems inferior to those, only in pen and ink-work, given by Mr. Hay, vol. II. p. 362, 527, and 531.

The sacristy, or vestry, was founded by his first lady Dame Elizabeth Douglas, formerly countess of Buchan, and daughter of Archibald, the second of that name.

Prince William endowed the chapel with the church-lands of Pentland, four acres of meadow near that town, with the Kips, and eight sowms of grass in the town of Pentland.-A successor of his, also William of Roslin, endowed it, by his charter of February 5, 1522, with some portions of land near the chapel, for dwelling houses, gardens, &c. to the provost and prebendaries. Hay, vol. II. p. 505, &c. And yet such is the instability of human affairs, just 48 years after this last endowment, in 1571, February 26, we find the provost and prebendaries resigning, as by force and violence, all, and every one of the several donations, into secular hands unalienably: and withal complaining, that, for many years before, their revenues had been violently detained from them; insomuch that they had received

little or no benefit from them. Quemadmodum, say they, multis jam annis elapsis, a nobis violenter detentæ fuerunt, ut inde vel parum vel nihil proficui receperimus. To this deed of resignation, or charter, as it is actually called, the seal of the chapter of this collegiate church was appended, being St. Mathew in a kirk, red upon white wax, as also the seal of the then Sir William St. Clair of Roslin, being a ragged cross red upon white wax. Hay, vol. II. p. 350, who adds, The subscribers can SCARCELY write, and they are Dominus Johannes Robeson, præpositus de Roslin, Dominus Johannes How vicarus pensienarius de Pentland, manu sua, Henricus Sinclar prebendarius. W. Sinclar of Roslin, knight. Coram bis testibus (says the copy of the charter), Magistro Jobanne Henryson de Bengor, Patricio Douglas, Roberto Kile.

In the charter of February 5, 1523, four altars are particularly named; first, That of St. Matthew. zdly. That of the Virgin Mother. 3dly. That of St. Andrew: and, 4thly. That of St. Peter; which two last, perhaps, have been lesser altars placed at two of the pillars; or rather, I am inclined to think, as formerly hinted, that the large altar has been divided into two or three; which, with the high altar, and that of the blessed Virgin, which has been, I suppose, in the sacristy, though there be no vestige of it now, make four or five in all.

That this noble design might be executed according to taste, and with the greater splendor, the Prince invited the most accomplished artificers, masons, carpenters, smiths, &c. from foreign parts, and that they might be the more conveniently lodged, for carrying on the work with the greater ease and dispatch, he ordered them to build the village or town of Roslin, where it now is, nigh to the chapel, having been formerly half a mile distant from its present situation; and he gave each of them a house and lands in proportion to character. Besides he gave to the master-mason 40 pounds, and to every other mason 10 pounds yearly; and rewarded the other workmen with such wages as their labours intitled them to.

About that time the town of Roslin *, being next to Edinburgh and Haddington in all Lothian, became very populous, by the great concourse of all ranks and degrees of visitors, that resorted to this Prince at his palace or castle of Roslin; for he kept a great court, and was royally served at his own table in vessels of gold and silver; Lord Dirleton being his master-houshold, Lord Borthwick his cup-bearer, and Lord Fleming his carver; in whose absence they had deputies to attend, viz. Stewart laird of Drumlanrig, Twedie laird of Drumerline, and Sandilands laird of Calder. He had his halls and other apartments richly adorned with embroidered hangings. He flourished in the reigns of James I. and II.-His Princess, Elizabeth Douglas,

*It is now very much decayed; it contains, however, a small ale-house, and one good inn, whose principal supports are derived from the vast number of visitors, who almost daily repair to this place, in order to view the remains of this most curious fabric.

already mentioned, was served by 75 gentlewomen, whereof 53 were daughters of noblemen, all clothed in velvet and silks, with their chains of gold and other ornaments, and was attended by 200 riding gentlemen in all her journeys; and if it happened to be dark when she went to Edinburgh, where her lodgings were, at the foot of the BlackFriar-Wynd, 80 lighted torches were carried before her. In dignity she was next to the Queen. Hay, vol. II. p.234.

The village of Roslin was erected into a burgh or barony by King James the Second, at Strivelin, June 13, 1456, with a weekly mar ket on Saturday, a yearly fair on the feast of St. Simon and Jude, a market-cross, &c. The same is confirmed by King James the Sixth, Jan. 16, 1622; and by King Charles the First, May 6, 1650. Hay, vol. II. p. 284.

The princely founder and endower of this chapel died about 1484. Hay, vol. II. p. 477, before the chapel was finished; which was done by his eldest son of the second marriage, Sir Oliver St. Clair of Roslin, whose mother was Lady Margery Sutherland, descended of the blood royal, her great grand-mother, Jane Bruce, being younger daughter of King Robert Bruce. So that the building of this glorious edifice, worthy of a crowned head, tho' the work of a subject, has employed at least 40 years; and it is a pity we cannot now come to the knowledge of the total expence, which must have been a very great sum in those days. The father was alive for certain in 1476, as we find him granting charters on September 9, of that year, to his son the foresaid Sir Oliver. Hay, vol. II. p. 289 and 296.

Of late years this chapel was in great danger of becoming quite ruinous through the injuries of weather: but to the great honour of General ST. CLAIR, the present proprietor, be it remarked, that he has happily prevented that, by putting new flag-stones on the roof, and new wooden casements with glass into all the windows. He likewise laid the floor of the chapel with new flag stones, and rebuilt the high wall round the cemetery; so that one may venture to say, these repairs have cost a very considerable sum.

POSTSCRIPT.

A little to the west of the above chapel are the remains of another building, in the middle of the ground at present occupied as a cemetery, by the inhabitants of Roslin and the neighbouring country: whether this has been appropriated to religious purposes or not I cannot say; neither do I know whether it is of a prior or later date than the chapel itself. South from the chapel stands the castle of Roslin; concerning which, we must refer entering into particulars till a future opportunity,

5794.

J. S.