HISTORICAL AFFAIRS. Trial of John Skelton, for Robbery on the Morning of the New Year's Day....... 179 The Observer. No. 24.............. 174 PROCEEDINGS OF PARLIAMENT. THE Scots Magazine, AND EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR MARCH 1812. Description of Largo House. HIS elegant mansion is situated county of Fife. It lies on the west side of Largo Law, at the distance of a mile from the sea, and commands one of the finest and most extensive prospects in Scotland. A little to the north are the remains of the old house, which consist almost solely of a single round tower. The barony of Largo has been repeatedly possessed by persons distinguished in the histofy of their country. During During the reign of James III. it was held in tack by Sir Andrew Wood, the brave and faithful commander of the Scottish army. In consideration of two signal victories obtained by this officer, James IV. conferred upon him the final property. So entirely was this eminent person devoted to the habits of a seafaring life, that he formed a canal between his house and the church, to which he sailed in a barge. Largo came afterwards into the family of Durham, by whom it is still held. One of the most distin guished of its members was Mr Alexander Durham of Largo, who, from being Captain of dragoons, became one of the leading suporters of presbytery, in the reign of Charles I. He was minister of the high church of Glasgow, and was also appointed chaplain at court. When Oliver Cromwell was at Glasgow, Mr Durham had the boldness, in preaching before him, to animadvert severely on his conduct in the invasion of Scotland. In the town of Largo, was born Alexander Selkirk, whose singular story is well known to have suggested to Defoe the idea of his popular romance of Robinson Crusoe, An original document, and some other particulars relative to this noted personage, will be found in our Number for Sept. 1805. In the middle of a plain near Largo house, there are three remarkable stones, standing upright, and measuring six feet above the ground, and, as is supposed, as many in depth. There are also fragments of a fourth stone, of similar dimensions. |