I.

QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. By SIR DANIEL WILSON, LL.D., P.K.S.E.

Before successive improvements' commissions followe e anotheon d r e woriuth f erasureko d EdinburgOl , singularls wa h y ric n historii h c buildings, with their traditional associations perpetuating named an s events replete with interest. Bur upwardfo t a centur f so e civiyth c reformers have been at work; and now, when too late, a younger genera- tion looks back with vain regrets on the erasure of many memorials intimately associated with nationa d buildingol l tha w e storyth t No s. have been swept away, as in the majority of cases was inevitable; and even their sites have undergone such e transformatioth x ta o t s a n imaginatio e efforth o identift n i tn y them wit e eventth h f earlieo s r centuries, it may be wisest to let oblivion work its will. There are, however, still localitie f o exceptionas l interest froe historicath m l significanc evente th f so e enacted there frod an m; among thos eI selec t some specially associated with Queen Mary's last days in Edinburgh. The interest in such seems to be ineradicable. Edinburgh is the city of St Margaret, with her venerable oratory still crowning its Castle rock. It is the city of the Fourth James, and the poets of his too brie t brillianbu f t reign; happily, wit e Croshth s restore o perpetuatdt e the tragic mystery and romance associated with the warning of the Flodden king. Gawain Douglas r DaviSi , d Lindsay r Scottisou , h Caxton Walter Chepman e Regenth , t Murray, John Knox, and— 6 41 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , APRIL 14, 1890.

perhaps more than all,—Walter Scott locae , th liv ln i eassociation f so his "own romantic town;" but preeminently Edinburgh is the city of Mary Stuart. And yet the duration of her reign as actual Queen and ruler, into whic o manhs y strange incident d wilsan d deed f violencso e are crowded, is embraced within the brief term from her landing at e 19tLeitl th Augusf ho n o i t r surrende156he o 1t t Carberra r y Hiln o l 15te th f Junho e 1567 I proposrevieo t . w w no e e mos somth f teo memorable events of the last year of her reign in their relation to the localities hitherto assigned to them. It is still within the recollection of many citizens of Edinburgh d Floddeol whe e th n wall, extending along tlie lin f Drammono e d Street, stood nearly intact, forming the southern boundary enclosing the Koyal Infirmary grounds e towe Th r bastion.o r e see, b whic ny ma h Edgar'in othesand r older map cityviewthe sand , midwasof y between the Pleasance and the University buildings, had been removed as an obstructio e thoroughfareth o t n s siteit t , directlbu ; y facing Roxburgh Street, was traceable from the difference in the masonry; and this served a landmar s a n connectioi k e strangesth f nd o mos witan e t ton h memorable deeds of violence of the sixteenth century: the murder of Lord Damley. The attendant incidents of that singularly barbarous assassination, ane actiodth nearlyf e participatorno th l al , havit n esi been minutely recorded; and contemporary drawings preserve many details of the scene. The birth of a prince, the son of Darnley, heir to the Scottish, and, as it proved, to the English throne, on the 19th of June 1566, had been welcome a solutio s a d f manno y difficulties t servei o t n n Bu di . degre o alte t ee conduc th r Lorf o t d Darnley somd an ;e evidencw eno adduce s beeha d n assume throo dt w fres hdissolute lighth n o t e course e consoroth f f Queeo t n Mary. monthw Onlfe d elapseya ha s d since birte th f thei ho when so r n Lord Darnle s attackeywa d wit hvirulena t cutaneous disease, which at first led to a suspicion of poison. The current belief at the time is vividly reproduced in Knox's narrative. Darnley had gone to Stirling, and was actually lodging in the Castle baptises time e Greawa th th e n t n a wheti dso Hals nhi le therth y b e Bishop of St Andrews; and yet he absented himself from the ceremony. QUEE LEGENBLACE E N TH TH MAR KF D D O TURNPIKE YAN 7 .41

He " soon after went, without good-night," says Knox, " toward Glasgow, hardls fathers wa Sterlitf o hi yo mile a t H .eou n whe poysoe nth n (which beed ha n given him,) wrough upoo s t n him verd , ha thay e greah t t pain and dolour in every part of his body. At length, being arrived at Glasgow blistere th , s brake blewisa out f o , h colour e Physitianth o s ; s presently kne e diseaswth combrougho s et w poysony wa lo eb e o s tH . that nothin t deat expecteds gbu hstrengte wa s youtth hi t t f ye ;a ho h last did surmount the poison."1 Whether correctly or not, the disease was finally pronounced to be smallpox. At Glasgow he was tended under the care of his father, the Earl of Lennox. There the Queen visited him persuaded an ,remov o t m Edinburgho dhi et , proposing that he should take up his abode for a time at Craigmillar Castle. It was a favourite resort of Queen Mary, as it had been of former sovereigns; but Darnley viewed the proposal with distrust. As Crawford, a con- fidential Eare adviseth l f o expresser , "dit takin r husbanhe g o t d Craigmiller instead of his own place of residence was odd. It seemed as if she was going to take him more like a prisoner than a husband." , afteSo r partial recovery broughs wa e o Edinburgh ,t t d lodgehan n i d housProvoste e th th f eo Collegiate deanr ,o th f o , e Churc Mart S f hyn o i the Field, which, from its vicinity to the Palace, and its open site, surrounded with gardens, seemed well adapted for the reception of the invalid. Here Queen Mary visited Darnley, and even tarried over-night, un- deterre e infectiouth y db s characte e diseaseth f d o contemporarr an ; y eye-witnesses describe with graphic picturesquenesr e he Quee th sd an n traie Palace theith n bacy o n o Blackfriarst y kwa rb , e ' Wynth d an d Canongate lase th t n fatao , l night jusd , ha whet e partesh n d fror mhe husband, and was thus seen by some of the agents of Bothwell: "gang- and before them with licht torches as they came up the Black Freir Wynd."2 Of the locality specially identified with the extraordinary dee f violenco d r worthlese Queeehe th thaf d o nri t s consort very circumstantial data have been preserved, including a minutely de- tailed contemporary drawing. This appear o havt s e been executed

1 Knox's Hist., vol. ii. p. 537. Pitcaira'8 s Criminal Trials, vol. i. part ii. p. 493. VOL. XXIV. 2 D 418 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APBIL 14, 1890.

immediately after the event; and purports to show the scene of the murder successioa d an , f incidentno s occurrin mornine th n go g aftes it r perpetration. This drawing was forwarded to the English Court, and is still extanState th en i t Paper Qffi.ce n engravin s A givei . t i n i n f o g Chalmers' Life of Queen Mary ; and another, and more accurate one, in the Megistrum Domus de Soltre. The ruins of " Our Lady Kirk of Field," which e remaineassassination th e dat th f o et a d d beeha , n d UniversitOl replace e th y ydb Buildings when Gordo f Eothiemao n y executed his bird's-eye view of Edinburgh, in 1647. But the garden of Provose th t Mary'S f stils o t slwa open eves i ground t i n d assumean ; d that the ruins of the Provost's lodging had been allowed to stand, and are there represented , howeverso f I . , this must have bee nmera e con- jectural restoration wholls i t i r y fo ;inconsisten t wit e contemporarhth y evidence of the destruction of the house. Its actual site appears to have been considerabl ruinee th ease f th o d t o yt buildin g e showth n no plan, and its destruction was seemingly complete. In the letter for- warded by Queen Mary immediately after the event to the Archbishop of Glasgow, then residen r representativhe s a t Frence th t ea h Courte sh , thus writes:—" The matter is horrible, and so strange, as we believe neveliks e th countryey wa ran hearn i f .d o This night past, being the 9th of February, a little after twa houris after midnight, the house quhairin the King was logit was in ane instant blawin in the air, he lyand sleipand in his bed, with sic a vehemencie that of the hail loging, wallis otherd an , , ther nothins ei g remainit stana t eno , abon,na e another, but all either carrit away, or dung in dross to the very ground stane." This fully accords with the evidence of the contemporary drawing, and therefors i e inconsisten truiy wit an ne ide th hf survivino a g inte th o following century. .From the description of the Provost's lodging it appears to have been a building of very moderate size for the deanery of the Collegiate Church of St Mary. But an exaggerated significance has been given to this, as otheo welt s a lr features connected wit . hit "Th e Provost's house," says Burton, "seem o havt s e been singularly destitut f defenco ea r fo e buildin f thago t age, eved "an zealouo ns champiosa f Queeno n Mars ya Mr John Hosack make mistakesa n additio s deit f encelesneso nt e th y sb QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. 419

statement that " a hous beed e ha Darnley'r n fo fitte p u d s reception i n the southern suburbs of the town, just outside the walls."1 In reality, it stood withi well-enclosena d area, wit ciththe y souther its wal for l n boundary; and was selected after the original destination of Craigmillar Castl beed eha n abandone compliancn di e wit e objectionhth Darnlef so y and those of his confidant Crawford, by whom that stronghold was looked upon as a prison. Whatever may be thought of the Provost's lodging, the choice by the Queen of Craigmillar Castle was in every way unobjectionable. Its embattled walls and keep, combined with its fine airy site, had led to its frequent selection as a place of residence by the Scottish Kings; and there accordingly, shortly before, the Queen, when herself an invalid, had been seen by the French ambassador, Le Croc, under the care of her physicians. The detached character of the ridge surmounting the low valley of the Cowgate, surmounted of old by the monastery of the Blackfriars and Our Lady Kirk of Field, is now largely concealed by the bridges and avenues of lofty houses that connect it with that on which the High Street is reared. The Collegiate Church, which has long been displaced by the University buildings, was founded before the close of the thirteenth century sixteente t tilth ,lno thoughs wa h t i centur y that i t assume statue Collegiata dth f o s e s preben Churchit d s sucha A - t hi . daries and choristers, who were lodged in a group of buildings forming quadranglea , wit Provost'e hth s soute housth hn eo side coverea ; d well in the centre, and on the north an alley leading by " Our Lady Steps " to the kirkyard. The whole ground extending eastward from the Provost's wale hous "thf th o l o et e Black Fryars"—th Higd eOl h School Yard f lateso r times,—wa gardenn sorcharn i a lai t d dou an sd bounded by hedges. The buildings thus forming the church-close are shown of various sizes largee ,th thef ro m with crow-stepped gables, dormer windows, d projectinan g deanere staircasesth f o yt itsel bu e ;drawin th f g shows only a ruined pile of stones. As the residence provided for the Provost, assumee b y havo ma t d t ei forme chiee dth f buildin closee t th I .n g i was two stories in height, probably with an attic and dormer windows. Of its three doors, the one entering from the quadrangle gave access to 1 Mary Queen Accusers,r of He Scots d . an 241i . 420 PROCEEDINGS OF THE.SOCIETY, APRIL H, 1890.

groune roome th th n staie o sd th rflood leadin an e rfloor th o gst above, where was Darnley's chamber. A door which seems to have adjoined e doorwa th adjacene th n yi t tow cellara e thir no t Th wald . d doole l r opened into the garden. By this entrance the Queen is described as going there, in the evening, in company with Lady Keres, to sing and take recreation, which implies an unusually mild springtide in the early days of February. The house, it thus appears, though of limited extent accordin r moderou o t gn ideas eithea deaner f a royao r r o yl lodging, was large enough for the Queen to find accommodation when she incline tarro dt y over-night more sh es a ,tha n once did. e dimensionTh e retreath f so t thus selecte invalie th r ddfo husband e Queeoth f e variouslar n y estimated accordin leaninge r th he o gt f o s assailant defendersd san e smal th e d Provost'l th sizan ;f eo s houss ha e been unduly dwelt upon by historians. The little chamber still shown in Holyrood Palace as that in which the Queen was seated in company with the Lady Argyle and Eizzio, when the latter was dragged forth by his assassins; and the equally straitened dimensions of the apart- ment in the Castle of Edinburgh where she gave birth to her son furnish the most trustworthy standard by which to test the adequacy of the accommodation provided for Lord Damley. As to the fittings, e amplth e details betray no evidenc f neglecto e ; whether thie b s ascribed to regard for the patient, or to policy on the part of his enemies tapestrye Th . daie f blacth ,o s k velve chaid an f tstate o r e th , turkey carpet, velvet cushions, &c.; the bed that had belonged to the Queen-mother, hung with violet-brown velvet pasmented with gold and silver embroidered an , d with cypher flowerd an s needleworn i s f golko d and silk; the wardrobe, cabinet, &c., as enumerated in the Queen's inventories,1 seem in no way indicative of purposed neglect of all due requirements. depositioe th n I f Nelsonno , Darnley's page e describeh , s ." that door quhilk passit throuc e tou e th scella nth hd wall.an r " This archway e walcoul th lase ln e see th i dtb opposit o nt e Roxburgh Streete Th . road had been so much raised as to bury the old doorway to half its height t itsbu , position fully accorde mapd ddrawingsd ol wit an se hth , 1 Invmtaires Saynedea l Descosse, . xcixp . QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TUKNPIKE. 421

an notes di doorwae Arnoy db th s a t y leading int Provost'e oth s house. faro s , n thereforeI genuiny an s a , e interest attache specifie th o st c scenes of memorable historical events, there can he little hesitation in identify- murdee th thag f in f o Henryto r , Lord Darnleyt i difficul s i n r i t no ; imaginatio o recalt ne long-vanisheth l d church-clos d welle an eth , Provost's lodging, and the garden reaching down the eastern slope to anciene wale th th f o l t monastery founde Alexandey db . A.DII r . 1230. . The mode of assassination resorted to by the murderers of Darnley was in its clumsy violence peculiarly characteristic of the chief actor, the Earl of Bothwell; though also, no doubt, consistent with the unrefined countryd an e ag manner. e th Wit f victie o sh th m still prostrate from the effects of a disease so generally fatal, his death might have been easily accomplishe y meanb d s that would have effectually prevented discovery d evean ,n disarmed suspicion e deedTh . , howevers wa , perpetrated by Bothwell after his own fashion. He and his accom- plices were tracked fro e lodgine Lairth mth f Ormistonf o do g n i , Todrick's Wynde garden e th Dominica th o t , f so n Monastery, already describe lyins da g immediatel ease e Provos f th th that o t S o f yt o t f o t Mary's e detaile preparationth Th f . o se barbarou th r fo s s deedd an , subsequene nearlth l yal t proceeding f Bothwelso s hirelingshi d an le ar , on evidence. Their metho f proceduredo , indeed, defied concealment. Some two hours after midnight a loud explosion awoke the citizens, and gave the first warning of the deed that proved scarcely less fatal to Queen Mary than to Darnley. The drawing in the State Paper Office shows more than one phase in successioe th f eventsvictie no bode th f Th ms representeyi o . d lying in the adjacent garden, and again in process of transportation to the e prebendalargesth f o t l buildings, designate e drawingth n i d ,e "Th hous whicn ei e Kin kephs th gwa t afte e murder.th r e bods Th wa y" embalmed; and on the evening of the 15th of the same month of February was deposited in the royal vault in the Abbey Church of Holyrood, wher Queen'the e s father, James V.firshis , t consortthe , Princess Magdalen, along with older representatives of the royal line, had been laid. Birre lDiars .notehi yn i s tha a tsolem ne th mas r sfo e King'reposth f o es -sous performe wa e l23r th f Marco dn o dy b h 422 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APEIL 14, 1880.

command of the Queen; and so, with obsequies not unfitting his rank, he was laid to rest. There, accordingly e bod th ,f Darnleo y y repose a coupl r f fo do e centuries e royaTh l. vaul indees wa t d broken revolutionara int y ob y mob in 1688, and the leaden coffins opened; but perhaps rather frorii curiosity than violence, as the bodies appear to have been left undis- turbed 1776n I . , Arnot historiae th , f Edinburghno see d royae ha ,nth l remains, including those of James V. and his first Queen, Magdalen, exposed in their open coffins; but two years thereafter the Abbey Church was covered with a roofing of heavy flagstones, the weight of which broke dow groinee nth d arching reduced an , nave th druino et . Arnot, writing in 1779, thus describes a second visit to the royal vault sub- e roofsequentth e falf . o th l o t " Wha escaped e ha tth fure f th dyo mob at the Eevolution became a prey to the rapacity of the mob who ransacked the Church after its fall. In A.D. 1776 we had seen the body of d Jamesoman . e sV other thein i s r leaden coffinscoffine Th .s were now stolen. The head of Queen Magdalen, which was then entire, and even beautiful skule th Darnleyf o ld an , , were also stolen." 1 Th ee fai heath r f youno d g princess, whose untimely death, Drum- mond tell , excitesus nationada l sorrow greater than Scotland had ever before e skul knowno mor th f n Darnle o t ls e Bu wa ,hear y. of dcam e into the possession of Mr James Cummyng, Clerk in the Lyon Herald Office, and the first secretary of the Society of- Antiquaries of Scotland. n eccentria s d unmethodicawa an c e H l a official,miscellaneou d an s collector of curiosities, objects of antiquity, and natural history. The troubles resulting from the indiscriminate mingling of his own private collection wit he Societ th tha f narrative dule o t fort ar yth se y n i h e prepare r DaviD y db d Laing d printee thiran ,th dn i dvolum e th f eo Society's Transactions. On the death of Mr Cummyng in 1793 his

collectio s sold d alonnwa an ; g wit t manhi y 2 objects belongine th o t g Society, owing to the eagerness of the deceased Secretary's executors to tur e wholnth profitablo et e accoun r themselvesfo t . repute e ts oth A d skull of Darnley retentioe ,th , afte it rifline f th rno g : . Arnot's Hist, of Edinburgh, p. 255. l' Archxologia Scotica, vol. iii. p, xii. QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. 423

e royaoth f l vault, especiall Governmena y yb t officiala grav s - in ewa , e beeh nd inclinedha fractio scarcels e lawd th wa an f ; n o t i , y possible havo t em fo transferrehi r historicae dth lSociety'e relith o ct s Museum. Evet i was s na , that unscrupulous functionar t whollno d ydi y escape retribution s sacreligioufohi r s deeds acquisitioHi . relie th cf no cam e to the ears of a rival custodian; and his life was said to have been ren- dered miserable by the persecution of the shrewish cicerone of the Abbey haunteo wh ,murderee lik ghose m th eth hi df o t d Darnleyd an , levied blackmail by trading on his fears, under the threat of exposing him to the Barons of Exchequer. After Cummyng's death the skull was traced to the studio of an Edinburgh sculptor; and on my noting this "y i Memorials,nm " wit remare hth k tha l furtheal t beed ha rn t clui o et lost I ,learne d froe latmth e Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpd e ha tha t i t been subsequently secured by one of the Frasers of Lovat. The subject had long passed out of my mind, when, on a visit to Londo n 1878i n I ,availe d e facilitiemyselth f o f s kindly offereo t d me by Professor Flower, F.E.S., the Curator of the Museum of the Eoyal College of Surgeons, to make a careful study of the collection of Crania illustrative of the diversities of type in aboriginal races. In the cours thesf eo e investigation y curiositm s s awakenewa y skula y f db lo exceptional character, to which I was puzzled to assign any specific ethnical classification referrinn O . g accordingl cataloguee th o yt I rea, d with some surprise the following entry:—"No. 5957 B. purchased by Mr Belt at the sale of Messrs Sotheby & Co. (March 2nd, 1865), of a collection of fossils and minerals, &c., formed during the last century by the Hon. Archd. Fraser of Lovat, and described in the catalogue as: 'Skull and thigh-bone of Lord Darnley'; presented to the R.C.S. by G. T. Belt, Esq., 1869." Here then, to all appearance, is the reputed skull of Darnley, the second husban f Queedo n Mary, which, afte e intervath r centura f o l y from the date of its theft from the royal vault in Holyrood Abbey, has found strange resting-place amon e illustrativth g e crani f barbarouo a s tribes from every quarter of the globe. If race could have helped him, Darnley was sprung from a noble stock. He inherited whatever Stuart, Tudor, and Douglas blood could transmit to that worthless scion of the 424 PEOCEBDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL U, 1890.

royal lines of Scotland and England. He was, in courtly and heraldic designation Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Earl of Boss, Duke of Albany Kind an ,f Scotsgt o Histor Bu . y leave o roon s o questiomt n his equal right to the attributes of vice and folly ascribed to him. If, then authenticite th , skulle th f y,o thus " mated with narrow foreheads," ma assumee yb e evidenc th adduced n objecw n do a t no onles i no t y t i , of curious interest, but of historical significance. I write of it now wit ha vivi d remembranc e impressioth f o e miny n m this da lefn so t strange " Stuart relic" lay before me. But I am also able to refer to careful notes of its most remarkable characteristics made at that time. Alik n cerebrai e l capacity d whatevean , r indication f intellectuao s l expression could be inferred from its contour and relative proportions, the skull seems fully to accord with the character that History assigns to Darnley. It is stained dark brown, perhaps as a result of the process of embalming. The forehead is depressed, low, and receding. The face is broad, and the orbits or hollows of the eyes unusually large, wit o projectiohn e superciliarth f o n y ridges t wit indentation bu ,a h n at the nasal suture. The larger development is in the occipital region, which extends behin mastoie dth d processe unusuan a o st l length. r JameSi . s Melvil, durin Englis e s stath ghi t ya h Cour 1564n i t w sa , Darnley under all the advantages of rank and royal favour, when, as nearest prince bloodth f e bor eo h creatio,e e swor th th e t da Lorf no d Robert Dudley as Earl of Leicester. He was then a youth of only nineteen year f ageo s , whom Queen Elizabete hth pointeo t t ou d Scottish Ambassador as "yonder long lad"; and who is still more graphically depicted by Melvil, when, in reply to the Queen, he said that " no woman of spirit would make choice of such a man; for he was very lusty, beardless d lady-faced."an , J With every allowancr efo politie th c dissimulatio botf no h speakers, such references, spoke thes na y were with the subject of them in sight, could not have been made with- out some manifest justification; and they suggest elements of comparison wit reputee hth d skull. smootHere th s ei h low forehead, sloping dowo nt the eye, with no superciliary ridge : unintellectual, effeminate, and with 1 Melvil's Memoirs, Hann. Club, . 122p . QUEE E LEGENE BLACN TH TH MAEF KD DO TURNPIKEYAN 5 42 .

n overmasterina g predominanc e animath f o el passions. With these, stimulated by unrestrained indulgence in later years, we seem to look upo e capriciousnth , heartless, dissolute fool whom Queen Mary wedded on the 29th July 1565. He was at that date still a raw youth, three years her junior; while she—a woman of rare intellect, trained from childhoo e Courth f Henrt o a dt y II., with amplest experiencs it f o e Italianised refinemen d dissimulation,—musan t t have speedily learned to view with contempt the vacillating, brainless profligate, who proved the ready tool of any faction that cared to play on his • selfish vanity endsn ow .fos it r The skull which now t altogethe,no r unfitly, occupiee a placsth n i e cabinet Eoyae th f so l Colleg f Surgeoneo s wit e typicahth l - craniun f ao tutored savages, accord r witfa ho s wha knoe w t f Darnleywt o i t Bu . is marked with other exceptional features, which also merit considera- tion. The right side of the skull is largely affected with caries. Holes, single runnind an , g togethe groupsn i r , outeoccus it n ri , plateif d an ; as I surmised from the appearance of the bones, they indicate virulent syphilitic disease, they hel caspo t luria t dclose lighth Darnley'f eo n o t s worthless life. Burton says of his illness: " Poison was at first naturally suspected disease Th s speedil. ewa y pronounce e smallpoxb o t d t bu ; bees ha n t i conjecture havy d f ma thaethoso t beei e t e on nform f o s contamination which had then begun to make their silent and mysterious visitatio n thini s country; whil e immediatth e e caus y whicb e h they were communicated was yet unknown."1 The historian thus sums up e result th carefua f so contemporare lth studl al f yo y evidence concerning Darnley's habits :—"He indulged every vicious appetite to the extent s physicaohi f l capacity. 'He overate himself d dranan , k hards Hi . amours were notorious and disgusting; and they had not the courtly polish which would entitle them to the compromising designation of intrigues broke h sevente r eth fo ; h commandment wit e mosth h t dis- solut degradedd ean , because they wer than eo t accoun e mosth t t acces- sibl f theieo r s sex.manifesti t I " , therefore, thae coursth t e pursued by Darnley was in every way calculated to result in the more formidable aspect of the loathsome disease which manifested itself with such viru- 1 Burton's Hist., ed.o . ,8368v volp . .iv . 426 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 14, 1890.

lence befor e e fifteentmor th close th th e f el o eal h t i , centuryso f I . reasonably accounte arrangementth r fo s o providt s e invalith e d with apartments elsewhere than in the Palace; and on his objecting to Craig- millar Castle, the selection of the lodging of the Provost of St Mary Kirk of Field, with its adjoining pleasure-grounds, and its vicinity to Holyrood, would commend itself to every impartial student of history, were it not for the tragic climax. The defenceless condition of the lodging at the Kirk of Field is of minor significance whe e incidentth n f Bizzio'o s s murder, e anth d neglect of the most ordinary means of secrecy by Bothwell and his hire- ling assassins recallede ar , thoseo T . , indeed assumo , wh complicite eth y e Queee latteoth fth n rni deed, Holyrood would have better sufficed for purposee s inconceivabli th t i r fo ; e thae trainee Courth on tf t o a td Catharine de Medici, and familiarised with the refinements of Italian duplicity, could favour an act of brutal violence that seemed by its very metho couro dt t publicity. That Queen Mar contemplated yha d seekin ga divorc e from Darnley s unquestionablei t i wer f i e d possiblan ; o erast e e from histore th y evidenc r infatuatehe f eo d e passiorudth er fo nEarl o resortewh , o t d such direct means for ridding her of an unfaithful and worthless hus- band, there woul little db e reaso r censurinfo n lacy f mournino gan k g e twic pare th o nf th e o t widowed Queen r experienceHe . matrimonn si y had been singularly unfortunate whateved e an fina; th le b verdicr s a t to her complicity in the proceedings that freed her from so hateful a bond, she must be judged by the standards of her age. Moreover, in estimating her conduct at this period, we have to think of a woman of brilliant intellec higd an th culture wedded under exigencie f Statso o et the low-browed, coarse libertine, whose vices had apparently culminated in a loathsome disease that helped to render him equally repulsive physi- call morallyd yan . deee Th d thus perpetrated wit strango hs n admixtura e f mystero e y d recklesan s violence mark a memorabls ee tragicrisith n ci s career of Mary Stuart. The locality of the murder has still a historic interest, in spite of the changes that Time has wrought on its old features; nor is there any difficulty in identifying the spot, or even in picturing to the QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. 427 d monastiol e mind'th ce gardeney s , wit e Provost'th h s lodginn o g southere th n Cowgat e slopth f eo e ravineotherwiss i t I . e with another of the old Edinburgh localities associated with the final crisis that brought to an end the reign of Queen Mary, and her connection with e capitar royath he f lo lrace . The final parting with Bothwell, and the surrender of Queen Mary to the Confederate Lords at Carberry Hill, followed the incidents already referre withio t d nwonderfulla y brief period e datTh ee . oth f birt princea f ho , whic d seemehha a dsolutio o mans f no y difficulties, and in whom the rival crowns of Elizabeth and Mary were ultimately united, is the 19th of June 1566. The baptism of the child at Stirling, the absenting of Darnley from the ceremony, his withdrawal to Glasgow, illness hi l crowded deathal s an e ar , d inte followinth o g monthsd an ; courses 15te it fulth f Juna n ho e n lru o ,e er yea d 1567ha r e Queeth , n was brought captiv o Edinburght e passed an ,r lashe dte nightth d an , closin r g e r Simohous reignSi th hourhe f n o f ei no , s Prestone th , Provost thaw No t . reforming commissioner d "Time'an s s effacing fingers " have combine eraso t d e e architecturanearlth l yal l remainn i s Old Edinburgh associated with such historic events, it may seem scarcely worth whil discuso et s ane e preciswth e localit unhappe th f yo y Queen's lodging on that memorable night. But the persistency with which spitn i , f changeo erasured ean a specifi, c s sitbeeha e n assigned to that event, shows tha t lessenetno tims e interesha th de t which associates the tragic romance of Mary Stuart with Old Edinburgh. For upwards of a century no doubt has been entertained as to the precise spot rendered memorabl thay eb t event. Tradition, indeed, busied itself in the fabrication of much more venerable associations with the locality. Tilyeae th l r 1788, when Improvements' Commissioners were busy with greae th t arterial avenu biseco et thas Hige th twa th Street superd an , - sede the ancient southern thoroughfare by Leith Wynd and the Pleas- ance, there stood on the site of the comer land, at the junction of the High Street and Hunter Square, an ancient building styled the Black Turnpike. It was of unusual extent, finished throughout with polished ashlar, with a turnpike or spiral stair fronting the street, and with s pointeit d window d doorwaan s y surmounted with decorated weather '428 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 14, 1890.

mouldings, finished with croquets and finials. In the rear the old build- received ha g in d addition latea f so r styl dated ean s appeare a , d froma characteristic decoration. On the lintel of the uppermost of three entrances to the mansion from Peebles Wynd was this inscription, with the accompanying date :—

PA X. INTEANTIBU S. SALU S. BXEUNTIBU S. 1674 . Buearliee th t maie r th dat nf o ebuildin g frontin Hige gth h Strees wa t manifest fro s architecturamit l f detailsthio sd precisan , e evidencs i e adduce historiaMaitlandd y db ol e f EdinburgTh no . h faile appreo dt - ciat interese eth t that later generations would attacabodee e th th o hf t so chief actors and participators in the history of elder centuries. It is a proof of the conspicuous architectural aspect of the Black Turnpike, that (wit e exceptioh th e other on d stil f an ,lno more noticeable lodginn gi Blyth's Close, which he notes for its " ancint chapel, or private oratory, belonging to Mary of Lorraine, Dowager to King James V. and mothe o Maryt r , Quee f Scote onlno th ys si buildin "t )i f thigo s class notice himy db . Writin n 1753i g e thuh , s describes it:—"Ae th t north-west corner of Peebles Wynd is situated a magnificent edifice de- nominate Blace dth k Turnpike; which t partl, werno yt ei defacea y db false wooden front, it would appear to be the most sumptuous building perhaps in Edinburgh ; which, together with its front in Peebles Wynd, with three turnpikes thereunto belonging, no doubt is owing its being sai havo dt e been buil Kiny b t g Kenneth lase f whomth ,o t , callee dth Third, died in the year one thousand. This relation being not in the least probable I applie, Malcolo t d m Brown, a principal proprietof ro e saith d edifice r somfo , e accoun s originit f o ts kindl , whewa e yh n pleased to shew me a principal sasine wherein George Eobertson of Lockhar acknowledges ti d Bailiee an th n y f Edinburgdso b s o e th e b o ht hei f Georgo r e Robertson, burges f Edinburgho s builo e saiwh th ,t d tenement. The sasine is dated the 6th of December, Anno 1461, which intirely refute idle th se stor f Kinyo g Kenneth." Such popular legends, however, are little affected by documentary evidence, and it is curiou o watct s e procesth h f theio s r growth. When Dr Eobert Chambers wrote n i 1825, e venerablth , e buildin d beeha gn long QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OP. THE BLACK TUKNPIKE. 429

demolished. But he notes: " Tradition assigned to it the most distant antiquity, and affirmed that it was built by King Kenneth, the extir- perioe beePictsd on e e residencpato th th dt ha d tha na f t an ,o ri t f eo Eober Bruce.e th t " 1 Maitland assume youngesthe s Kenneth the reputethe of t for sd builder t Chamberbu , s carrie bacs su k more tha ncentura halfa d ,yan to Kenneth MacAlpin. But what is of more significance now is that Maitland, while discussin e trustworthinesth g e Kennetth f so h legend, says nothing about Queen Mary ; thoug recalle h e associatioth s f o n r mothehe tha f o tr wit e Queehth n Regent's lodgin n Blyth'i g s Close. The earliest notice of Queen Mary's name in association with the Black Turnpike tha I havt e been abl recoveo t e r occur lettera n i s , dated September 20, 1787, quoted in the Gentleman's Magazine of the following April, in which it is remarked : " The old house where Queen Mar sais y i o havt d e e pullelodgeb o t ds d i dow dayn eighn ni te r so t hence." An engraved plate of it is introduced accordingly, with the title of " The house at Edinburgh where Mary, Queen of Scots, was con- fined." In the accompanying description it is spoken of as " the ancient provost's hous n Pebblei e s Wynd, d agai "e an moss " a th n t ornamente s houstimey it d bein an f an ,eo f traditioy o dgb e housth n e in which Mary, Queen of Scots, was confined after her surrender at Carherry Hill." 2 The house, it is obvious, was notable among those of the wealthiest burgesse Edinburghd ol f so , s extenalikit r d architecturaefo an t l finish. It is probably the same that is referred to by Calderwood, when " upon Tuesday, the 26th of March (1594), James Murrey of Powmais was e eaptataikie guardeth th y f nd b threno an ; e craftsmen, taylers, were taikin by the proveist, for receaving waiges from Bothwell. James Murrey was imprisoned in the jayle of Edinburgh, and examined by the Maister of Glamis and others of the Counsell; and after lett out unto Johne Eobertson's house, upon requeest, wit he guardsomth f o o et e keepe him."3 John Kobertson's name repeatedly appears as an in-

1 Traditions of Old Edinburgh, i. p. 186. 2 Gentleman's Mag., vol. Iviii. pt. i. p. 312. Calderwood's Hist, of the Kirk, vol. v. p. 294. 3 0 43 PKOCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , APKI , 189014 L .

fluential citizen, and one of the bailiffs or magistrates; and he may be presume havo dt e succeede inheritancy db e Eobertsoth o t e n tenement. But there is no evidence that it was ever possessed by Sir Simon above Prestonth f i e surmisd an ; correcte eb incompatibls i t i , e with any such ownership. The tradition is referred to as a mere bit of hearsay, at the time of the demolition of the old mansion; but it becomes ever more definit t eacea h repetition. Creech, describin Johr Si ngo t Sinclair the completion of the South Bridge and its approaches, says :—" By this change Mddry's, Merlin's Pebbled an , s Wynds were annihilatedd an ; oldese th t stone buildin Edinburgn gi s pullewa h d down, where Queen Mary lodged the night after the battle of Carberry Hill. It was then the house of Sir Simon Preston of Craigmillar, Lord Provost of Edin- burgh, 1567."l Skene repeats the statement in the notice accompanying Towd Ol s etchin ne hi Guarth f go dadjacene th Hous d an et buildings; and thee referth no t slong-demolishe d Blacke Turnpikth f o e "s on a e most remarkable objectcite Edinburghf th yo n i s largese th ;mos d an t t ancient of its buildings-; having been erected in 1461 upon the site of a structure ascribe Kinto d g Kenneth." Then follow detaiin s the l account of the Queen's incarceration in " a wretched apartment to the street f 1o ,3 feet squarfee8 d t high.ean same Th "e statement reappears in the Traditions of Old Edinburgh, with the addition that "this fact is perfectly authentic." It is amusing thus to follow surmise as it grows into tradition endd an becomin,n si g authenticated fact. Having reached thi appropriatn a s s stagewa t ,i e culmination when 1886n i , r ,M Sydney Mitchell reproduce e mosta groudth f o p interestind an g characteristi Edinburgd Ol towd ce ol features "na e Th hth f Street,o s " erected in the area of the Western Meadows, the Black Turnpike occupied a prominent place. It was described in Miss Alison Dunlop's d Edinburgh. Ol Book f o e s statel"a Th y tow nr SimoSi hous f o ne Presto Craigmillard an f tha no k Il t , Provos f Edinburgh;o t s i t i d an " added, " fro s windowmit s Quee r kingdom' he ne las f th Maro t w sysa capital." In revising, after an interval of more than forty years, my Memorials of Edinburgh e Oldenth n i Time—in whic I hals o became responsible 1 Edinburgh Fugitive Pieces,. 65 . p QUEEN.-MAKY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. 431

for the statement that Queen Mary "was lodged in the Black Turnpike, towe th n Provoste housth f eo r Simo Si , n Preston,"—I have o t bee d nle review the evidence on which this and other statements of a like kind restd havan , e satisfied myself thae Blacth t k Turnpike traditios i n inconsistent with contemporary s lateevidenceit n ri o forn d s mi an ; older tha e eighteentth n h century; thoughr fa s wil a ,e s seeni b l t i , from improbabl s origiit ed genuinn n i tha ha t i t e tradition. Were it not possible to replace the erroneous identification with a more probable substitute t wouli , d see ma pit disturo yt bpicturesqua e tradition that has long assumed the aspect of accredited, if not authentic history. But the venerable structure has vanished generations ago, and possibly the tradition can be located anew on an equally acceptable site, without robbind localit s ol genuin it e f gth yo e associations with Queen Mary. The following are the most definite contemporary references to that last miserable nigh f pooo t r Mary Stuart's reign u CrocD e .th , French ambassador, writins masterhi o t g , Rulet, says:—" Voilla les deux armees ensemble qu e retirens i n ceste t e vill Lislebourguee ed t e , logerent la Eoyne en la maison du Prevost. Je suis bien lire, que se nom de Pre1 vost sera bien odieux en France; mais en ce pays e'est la principale maiso a ville.l e nd " Again commanded ha officen a ,o wh r d the French garrison, writes :—" L'on la mena souper au logic1 du Prevost. Mais combien qu'elle n'avoit mange de xxiii heures par avant, ne voullet onques rien goutter; ains s'en chambre."a alis au r JameSi 2 s Melvil's statement simply is :—" Hir Majeste was that nycht convoyed to Eden- bourgh e provesti e toune th midi th th logid n f i ,o n an s,i t s loging." 2 But to this we have the more definite addition in the narrative of Arch- bishop James Beaton : " Thay logit hir Majestie in the provest's loging, fomen e croceth t gait.e , th upo f "norte o *nth d hsy From the contemporary notices here produced, the two facts apparently present themselve s: tha Queee lodgeProvost's e th t th n wa n di s house; e nortth n e hstreetano th s sidd f thao wa e, t oppositi t crosse t eth I . readils i y ascertainable from other source sdate tha th Queef eo t ta n Mary's surrende e Confederatth o t r e Lord r SimoSi s n Presto Provoss nwa f o t

1 Papiers A'Etas, 8vo. . 319ii , . 2 Teulet, . 166ii . . 3 Melvil's Mem., . 134p . 4 Laiug . 113ii , . 432 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APEIL 14, 1890.

Edinburgh e figureH .e n adversarie 155i sth a lisf e o 0tn th i f o s Keformation maintainere th d an , f impietyso , denounce Johy db n Knox in his most trenchant style of vituperation; " Blasphemous Balfour, now called Clerk of Register; Sinclar Dean of Kestalrige and Bischope f s sauleboithe bodyo ohi f th t Brechinn i n ebu ;,i e ei ,e blynan f do John Leslye, preastis gett, Abbo f Londorso t d Bischopan e f Kosso e ; Symon Preastoun of Craigmyllare, a right epicureane, whose end wilbe, or it be long, according to thare warkis."l Sir Simon Preston accordingly figures among the most trusted of the Queen's party; and when, shortly afte r marriagehe r , Knox took advantag f Loro e d Darnley's presencn ei t Giles'S s churc e governmeno speat hth f o k f wickeo t d princes, who, for the sins of the people, are • sent as tyrants and scourges to plague them; and then more pointedly added that " God sets in that room (for the offences and ingratitude of the people) boys and women." The historian add s: " Within four days aftee Kin Queed th r gan n seno t t e Counselth f Edinburgho l , commanding the o mdepost e Archibald Douglas, and to receive the Laird of Craigmillar for their provost, which was presently obeyed." 2 Sir Simon Preston accordingly filled the office of Provosn ow t r e housfrohe th f mo o et 1566s wa o 1568t 't i d ;an chosen nominee that, under such altered circumstances captive th , e Queen was brough than o t t fata n l1567i Juny da e. kepe Thib o tst facs ha t in remembrance in estimating the statements relative to " the wretched little apartment to the street," assigned by the Provost to his royal guestr fortunHe . e coul t havno d e seemed a singl n i , e day irreo ,s - trievably desperate as to induce him to put upon her any needless slight. The probability rather is that the Queen was lodged in the best room at his disposal; and this is confirmed by the fact that the little chamber windos it d ha w lookin Hige th ho g t Street. More thawell-authenticatee non d visi f Queeo t n housee Marth o yt s of Edinburgh citizenrecorn o e dar s durin briee gth f perior rulehe f .do Foremost among those is one in the brief bright days of her joyous welcom r subjectshe y eb , when, shortly after landinhe r t Leithga e th , Diurnal f Occurrentso notes: " Upou f Februaro e neyn th ny da t t a , even e Queenith , e remanensth gracd an et lordie an s n i com p u e 1 Knox's Hist., vol. i. p. 235. 2 MA., vol. ii. pp. 497, 498. QUEE LEGENE BLACE N TH TH MAR F KD DO Y AN TURNPIKE 3 43 .

honourabil le palicth mane f o Halyrudhouo ofr r e Cardinalith o t s s ludging in the Black Freir Wynd, and were their feasted and entertained." From the same contemporary diarist we learn of another visit to an Edinburgh mansion under greatly changed circumstances. On her capitareture th o nt l with Darnley e 18t th f Marc ho n o , h 1566, while the incidents of Eizzio's murder were still fresh in her mind, it is noted that they " lugeit not in thair palice of Halyrudhous, bot lugeit in my Lord Home's lugeing, calli aule th td bischop f Dunkelo e s luginghi l , anen sale th t tron." This designatio f Lorno d Home'ss it hous d an e locality enables us unhesitatingly to identify it as "The Clam Shell Turnpike," a substantial tenement that stood immediately to the west e Blacoth f k Turnpike s earliesstylee i th d n dan i , t extant titlee "Th old land formerly of George, Bishop of Dunkeld." The Queen, it will e rememberedb s thewa ,n anticipatin r confinementhe g r nexHe t. lodging was in the royal apartments in the Castle, where the little chambeshoww no n which i ns i r , three months from that datee th , prince was born, who, while still an infant, was to usurp his mother's throne Queee resore th Lord Th f no an .t d Darnley theih o , r returo nt the capital thao t , t lodginHige th hn i gStree t " anen sale th tt trone " in preference to the neighbouring palace of Holyrood, so recently stained with the blood of her favourite secretary, could not fail to leave s impres e it populath n so therefors i r mint i fror d dfa eman ; improb- able thalatee th t r assignmen immediatele th f o t y adjoining buildins ga e placth f duranceo e captivth f eo e Quee e survivas baseth nwa n o d l of a vague tradition of her actual lodging in Lord Home's house at the earlier date referred to. When the demolition of the adjoining building, noticeable as among the most ornate and substantial of the old civic mansions, became inevitable genuine th , e local associatio s revivednwa , and assigne . it Henc o dt e legenBlace eth th f kdo Turnpike. The identification of the actual house of Sir Simon Preston can only be determine accesy db title-deedo st whicn si s namhhi e appears, either as owner, or in the specification of the boundaries of adjacent properties. But it is possible that another tradition of the eighteenth century s origi it a vagu d n ni ha e reminiscenc e lasth t f lodgino e f Queego n r capitalhe Mar n i y. When Dr Kobert Chambers undertooo t k VOL. xxiv. 2 E 434 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 14, 1890.

collect the traditions of Edinburgh, the identification of the Black Turn- pike as the town mansion of the Laird of Craigmillar had become such a universally credited articl e annale cityf faitth th eo n ,f i ho stha t i t t thaa t questioo t Ye e date memor on . th e n it y t occuan no y o t d r di e famouth of s Corp f Crochallao s n Fencibles, founde y Williab d m Smellie e authoPhilosophye th , th f o r f Naturalo History, translatod an r of Buffon, was still fresh; and with it a tradition that connected the name of Queen Mary with their favoured haunt. This clu s associatei b d wit he foremosth som f o e t d nameOl n i s Edinburg s beeha n ht i celebrate circled an s; Burny b d s bot n proshi e ane distinguishedth verset Bu . d characte s membersit e f th o rd an , novel aspect of their festivities, prevented attention being directed to older associations with the scene of these meetings. It had become a matter of course that they habitually dated their circulars from "Queen Mary's Council Boom thei"n i rAnchoe heahaune th th f do t ra t Close; and a tradition of the Queen's presence there was cherished with such exaggerative zea perhaps a l s helpe preveno t d s receivinit t seriouy an g s attention. In an account of the Anchor Close and its occupants, printed by Mr Alexander Smellie, the son of the founder of the old Club, in 1843, it is stated that "the Society of the Antiquaries of Scotland held their anniversary meetings here, in the room which bore the name of e Crownth . Wha somewhas i t t remarkable, there was, about forty years ago—i.e., about the beginning of the century,—a niche in the wall where Queen Mary's crown was said to be deposited when she sat in the Council. e occupantNonth f e taverno eth f o s , although they always wrote [read ?] the word ' The Crown,' on the top of their tavern bills, ever knew why it was so called. The windows in this building are extremely long and narrow. The fireplace in the Crown Room is also uncommonly large;" and the niche in the wall was no doubt one of the sculptured ambries, such as stood alongside of the large Gothic fireplaces Marn i f Guise'yo s lodgin Blyth'gn i s Close otherweln s cite i ,a s th y la f so dwelling e samth f eo speriod . Here we find a tradition of Queen Mary, but overlaid with extra- vagant and childish additions well calculated to prevent its receiving any serious e attentionlocalit th r accord fa t o ys Ye s. with Archbishop QUEEN MARY AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TURNPIKE. 435

Beaton's description of the lodging "foment the Croce, upon the north syde of the gait," the scene of the brief durance of the captive Queen, thavague th t e traditio r presenche f no es origi it therhav y d nma eha in the associations with the actual site, in a neighbouring tenement, of that memorable last night's lodging of Mary Stuart in Edinburgh. I am indebte r PeteM o rdt Miller Fello a ,Societye th wf puttinr o fo , g m possession ei e evidencth f no e which enable identifo t e m precisse yth e historical site. Fro ma carefu l researc e Eegisterth n i h f Sasineso s , confirme othey b d r proofs t i appear, s thae Prestonth t f Craigmillaso r retained possessio tenemena f no e nort th n he Higo t th sid f heo Street from 142 1718 o 3t n Edgar' I . s Map, Stewart' Pearson'd an s s Closes Eoyae th site f appeath eo l w Exchange wha n wesno e o r s th f i t o to T . this was Mary King's Close, not even now wholly effaced. In a Sasine of 149 e tenementh 6 f Henryo t Cour s i bounde te easy th b t n o d Pearson's Close; and that tenement constitutes the eastern boundary of r SimoSi n Preston's lodging e positioTh d .measurement an n e th f o s old properties are still preserved on the Government Survey Sheets of 1759, and suffice to show that the old provost's tenement, and the last lodging of Queen Mary in her Scottish capital, occupied the site of the present entranc Royae th o lt e Exchange , directly " fomen Croce,e th t " in accordance with the explicit statement of Archbishop Beaton, whose letter was written within a day or two after the events that he described. The Prestons owned property in other parts of the town, and more thareference on n e occur e rentatheo st th mf n certaii Altare o l th f no s of St Giles's Church. Among the gifts to the Altar of the Holy Cross e followingith s : " Fro e tenemenmth t formerly hely Johb de d n Quyltness, lying on the south side of the Burgh of Edinburgh, between e tenementh f Walteo t r tenemene Menty th e east r d th Si n an , f o no t Simo e Prestond n , Knight e lat, th froee gif f foresaith mo t d John, 4 Ib. xiii s. iiii d." The rental to the Altar of St Nicholas also includes a gif eighf o t t shillings annually " fro e tenemenm th r SimoSi f e o d nt Prestoun, between the tenement of John de Quyltnes on the east, and e tenementh f Joho t e Fentou nd e west,th n o n" leavin doubo gn f o t Provost'e th ecclesiasticae s th zea r fo l l syste whicmo t Queen'e hth s party adhered.