I. A FEW REMARKS ON THE PORTRAITS OF SIR . BY DAVID LAING, ESQ., F.S.A. SCOT. n ScotlandI name th , f Sieo n WILLIAM WALLACE will neve forgottee b r u So n; xhtos oiivor o7i£iT«/.' His fame having survived with undiminished lustre the changes of more than five centuries, it may well be averred he needs no Monu- ment. Yet if the people of , rousing themselves from their apathy, think that som f ouworthieed o ol r equall}e sar 7 deservin f nationago l comme- moration eithes a , r statesme r warrior o ne presen th f o s t agee movementh , t is one which ought to meet with support; and I hope the Wallace Monument will, in good time, be followed by others,—for Knox, Buchanan, Napier, men of whom any country might be proud. proposee th e sitr eTh fo d monument e summie Abbeth , th f o ty Craig near 1 whof " O renow e mth n will never perish."—Homeri lliai, lib. ii. . 325,v . ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND. 309

Stirling perhaps i , l chosenil t sno ; althoug groun actuaw e lo th e n dlo hth battle - field might be more appropriate. What the monument itself should be, is a question that may depend much upon the amount of subscriptions to be realized. Without presuming to give any decided opinion on this point, I would never- thelessuggeso t g unioe be s th t f architecturno e with sculptured bas-reliefn i , stylee th t withoubu , slavisy an t h imitation famoue f somo th , f eo s monuments of Grecian art I hav. e howeve vera r y decided opinion tha Wallaca t e Monu- ment ought not to be, as some have proposed, either a gigantic cairn, or a huge, shapeless bloc f graniteko r eve o , n emblematia n c lio f heroio n c size, looking towards the south, and stretching out its paws, as if waiting the approach of " our auld enemies." Every one seems agreed, that any attempt at a bodily representation of our Scottish hero must be abandoned; and that an ideal figure, like that which exists in the neighbourhood of the beautiful grounds of Dry- burgh Abbey mornot e,is absurd than migh colossua antiqube tthe sin e garb, or wit garo hn t allba . But leaving these general remarks, it may be considered strange that so few nominal Portraits of Wallace should be known. I shall briefly refer to such as have been discovered poinn I .f dat o t eI woul d place firscarvee th t d head, one of the series of oak carvings, known as the Heads. In the temporary museum of the Archasological Institute, during their meeting held in this city four months ago, severa f theso l e carvings were exhibited, includine on e gth referred to, which is now in the possession of Mr Campbell of Monzie, Perth- shire. This series of heads is usually, but I presume to think fancifully, sup- posed to represent portraits of distinguished persons at the Court of James the Fifth the d engravee yan ;ar volum e th n di e entitled " Lacunar Strevelinense: Collectioa Headsf no , etche engraved dan d afte carvee th r d work which formerly decorate e King' th e roo f th do fs Roo n Stirlinmi g Castle." This wors kwa published at in 1817, and the portrait called " Wallace" is engraved e edito Th f thio r . s 7 r Gibso volum. M s No ns wa e a Lockhart sayso wh , , '' This is evidently intended to represent some personage equally conspicuous for prudence and for valour. The owl on his breast-plate, and the lion on his shoulder, see e emblematicat mleasb a o t t f suco l hy qualitiesma t i f I . be permitte hazaro t d da conjecture t improbabl, no thi s i s ylikenesa r Si f so William Wallace e featureTh costumd . an s e resemble considerabla n i , - de e gree, those of the print commonly prefixed to Blind Harry, which is supposed to have been taken from an original picture executed during the residence of Wallace in France. In this case the lion on his shoulder may perhaps refer to the popular story respecting Wallace, that he was continually attended by an animal of that species while abroad." (P. 9.) 0 31 PBOCEEDING SOCIETE TH F F SO Y O

paintingl Ofoi particularn i so thertw e ear , which have been regarde origis da - nal portraits, and which, however dissimilar, are evidently intended to embody idee th f Wallaceao thesf O .e portraits firse ,th t had somr fo , e indefinite period previously to 1783, been in the family of Sir Philip Ainslie, when the Earl of Buchan employe e well-knowdth n Scottish artist, David Allan mako t , e th e drawing in sepia which his Lordship presented to our Society, and is now ex- hibited, a copy of which is given in Plate VI.* From this drawing there is a very indiiferent print prefixed to Morison's edition of Henry the Minstrel's Lif Wallacef eo , printe whict Perto da t Lockharr e hM on ine th 1790 td an , refers. It probably also served as a guide for the statue already mentioned as put up at Dryburgh by the Earl of Buchan, which is intended to be seen fro mdistanca e acros e valleyth s I hav. e been favoured wit followine hth g descriptio e oilth f paintingno , which I presume, s stili , l preserve cole th - n di lections of the Ainslie family :— " The portrait is decidedly an original, and, I believe, unique. It is painted on coarse Italian e canvascolourinth d drawinan d , gan g perfect s heaHi s di . covered wit closha e round skull-cap (iron), claspe n undeo d e chith r n witha broad solid band. Over his shoulders hangs a tartan cloak, which is fastened in front by a round brooch, upon which is (within the circle) the following legend or inscription :— RERVM LIBERTA OPTIMAT SES . He is in close-fitting armour (but without glaives), which comes down to his waist r s rathe hipso belod ,hi an o ,t rw whic ~buffa s hi continuatios a t bu n; the portrait is a kit-kat length, the under portion of the dress does not ap- lefs hi t pear e basket-hilten sidth O s e.i d claymore, suspende leathera y db n belt acros s cloa s shoulderhi shi ky b untit d whic hi bu ,t descend i l s hi s below chests s righholde hi hi H n .ts i han roll,da eithe representins a r gbatona r o document uppee th left-hand n an rI . d pictur e cornee followinth th f o s ri e g legend:— GVLLIELMI VALLECI DE ELLERSLIE. It appears to nie that this is the work of an Italian or foreign artist. The flesh (particularl hande yth beautifulls )i y painted drawine th ; e perfects gi th d an , softnes colourind san whole th f ego show han e mastera th sf canva e do Th . s Iiss a ,sai d before, coarse Italian." This portrait I have often seen in the possession of the late Lieut.-General Ainslie, a learned member of our Society, who spent the latter years of his life in Edinburgh. I must confess I was never much impressed with the idea of its antiquity, considering it to be of no greater age than the seventeenth century. ANTIQUARIE1 31 SCOTLANDP SO .

e Exhibitioth d Ha f Nationano l Scottish Portraits taken anticis placewa s -a , pated, this, howeverothey an rd allegean , d portrait f Wallacso e would have been object peculiaf so r interes carefua r fo t l compariso examinationd nan . The other portrai I havt t seenI shoul t no e bu , d conjecture tha t likewisi t e migh referree b te seventeent th o t d possessioe th h r n centuryi Si s i f no t I . John Maxwell of Pollok, Bart., and is well known by the excellent lithograph lately published by Messrs Schenck and Macfarlane. It is on canvas, and has the inscription "DoMiNus GTTLIELMUS WALLAS, Dux SCOTOKUM." The original, we are told, " is said to have been sold by Cromwell from the Royal Collection of Charles First."e th Thisafely callese ma yb erroneoun da s assertiond Ha . any such portrait been in the collection of Charles, or sold by Cromwell, it must of course have appeare e catalogueth e royan di th f lo s pictures which were dispersed after the death of that unfortunate monarch ; but there is no indica- sucy tioan h f nportraio t ever havin groyae beeth n li collection. Many years ago, I bought in the Cowgate for a few shillings an old portrait, thapannele n sai b f o Wallace to s o d t wa ,badls t whicI splitwa .d yd hha an , mendedmoreoves wa t I rubbeo .s r covered dan d with trai l thanoi I soot n lost conceit of it, and transferred it to Mr Kirkpatrick Sharpe. What became t knowe namno Th f o Wallaceo ed . I ot i f I nee, d scarcely addquites wa , gratuitous. In the gallery of Newbattle Abbey, among the numerous portraits of Scottish kings attributed to Jamesone, there is one bearing the name of Wallace. But these head certainle sar t improbablyno misnames i t i d ean thed; y formed part of the pageantry prepared for Charles the First's visit to Edinburgh in 1633.. Of engraved portraits of Wallace I have not been able to discover any of an early date. Without attempting a complete enumeration, I beg leave to specify exhibid an t engravingse somth f mezzotine o Th . 1 . t perhapheay n dma a e sb unfinishe engraver'o n s d ha proof t i latet ss nama ,no r s i dater tha eo d e nth an , middl lase th t f centuryeo . Anothe2 . r mezzotint abou same tth e date alsd oan , without any engraver's name, with the inscription " Gulielmus Vallas de Ellersly, Miles, Gustos Regni Scotia t Ductoe r Exercituum ejusde Principb msu e Sere- niss°. Johanne Balliolo. smalA . 3 l "engrave d oval Bannermany b , , belongs o Guthrie't s Histor f Scotlandyo , 1767- indifferenn 4A - tsame copth ef yo head Walkery b , , whic previousld hha y appeare n Smollett'i d s Historf yo England. There is also a mezzotint,'by T. Watson, professing to be " from a painting at Holyrood House." It is not uncommon, but I have no impression whicheade y th sa f t hso o i resemblest , oit f . Wallace howeve placo n s e ha r in the Royal Gallery of Holyrood, an honour not greatly to be regretted. But it may be considered as -no improbable conjecture, that one or other of the por- 2 31 PROCEEDING SOCIETE TH P P SO Y O

traits referred to may have been painted "by De Witt, as a companion to that wonderful series of portraits of our Scottish kings, commencing with Fergusius and Teritharius, who reigned three centuries before the Christian era. I wilt troublno l e Societeth y witmory han e remarks, excep stateo t , that the costume of the helmet, plaid, and mail, in these portraits betokens a compa- ratively recent period attache e thad b faito n an n ,t ca hsuco d t h Portraits a s furnishin actuay gan l resemblanc Scottise th f eo h Champion. Tha likenesta f so Wallac takes n Francei ewa n s t leaswhila wa s i pleasin,a te eh g fictiont Bu . the existing portraits are evidently fanciful, and moreover present no features worthy to be recognised as those of '' the illuster and vailzeand Campion," as ouBlind ol r d Minstrel terms him whoo t , m indeed Wallac e saib o dt y ema have owed no small share of bis popular fame.

[Since this communicatio Societye reamors r th o no dwa e t e on ,allege d por- traits of Wallace have been brought into notice. In particular, one at Nid- drie House, engrave r " dPaterson'fo s Lif f Wallace,'.eo ' wher states i t ei o dt have been specifie n inventora n i d y upward a centur f o s yfollowe agoTh . - g descriptioin f anotheo n r portrai n extraca s i t t froe Brechinmth Adver- tiser: "The Brechin Portrait of Wallace. At a late meeting of the Anti- quarian Societ f Scotlando y e interestinth , g e portraitsubjecth r f Si o tf o s William Wallace was brought befor e Societth e Daviy yb d Laing, Esqn I . additio e portraitth o t n s of-Wallace- in mentione y r LaingM ma y t i b d, terest stranger knoo t s w that ther s anothei e r so-calle then i de th ' hal f o l Mechanics' Institutio t Brechina n e picturTh . s aboui e fee2 t2y b ^t feet n sizei representd , an , a strons g muscular personage between fort fiftd yan y year agef so , with short beard, long moustaches bolda d ,an ,fir m expressiof no countenance. The dress is composed of a buif coat, with steel gorget, orna- mented with bras witd san h fringe f crimsoo s sleevee th nuppee d silth ,an k; r par f whico t s openi h s linei , d with crimson e leftTh .han d (the onle yon shown) is covered with a steel gauntlet or glove, and rests upon the hilt of a round-headed sword with crimson tassel. The right side of the back-ground is fille witp du hrouna d shiel lancd dan e leaning againslefe th t n o walla t d an , is a curtain, betwixt which and the warrior's head appears a distant view of the ocean t neeI . d hardl saie yb d thaname th t e " Wallace misnomea s "i thio t r s picture, and that it had been so called merely from the peculiarity of.the dress and expression of the countenance ; for it cannot certainly lay claim to higher antiquity tha 17te nth h century frod resemblance an m, th costumee th f eo , &c., t oheroee thath f thef o ts o . Thirty Years' War, perhap t representsi e th f o e son followers of Gustavus Adolphus. The picture, which had been lined at some ANTIQUARIES OP SCOTLAND. 313

timo, is an original work of art belonging to the Dutch school; anJ, as a whole, finese th f to pictureMechanicse e halth e on f th s o li n si ' Institution which were presented, along with the building, by the late Lord Panmure ; and " Wallace" pictureo tw f o than si e t on hal s i l which were latgivee th e o noblnt e donoy b r his mother, the Countess of Dalhousie."—December 29, 1856.]