EDI

EDI

metropolis of ScotLothian, about a mile S. from the Frith of Forth: in Lon. 3.0. W. Lat, 56. o. N. The old town is built upon a fteep hill, rifing from E. to W. and terminatag in a high and inacceffible rock, upon which the cattle ftands. At the E. end or lower extremity of this hill ftands the abbey of Holyrood houfe, the ancient royal palace, diftant from the caftle upwards of a mile; and betwixt which along the top of the ridge, and almost in a straight line, runs the high #rect. On each fide, and parallel to this hill, are other two ridges of ground lower than that in the middle, and which do not extend fo far to the E. that on the S. being intercepted by Salisbury Craigs, and ARTHUR'S SEAT, a hill about 800 feet high: and that on the N. by the Calton hill, confiderably lower than Arthur's Seat: fo that the fituation of this city is moft fingular and romantic; the E. or lower part of the town lying between two hills; and the W. or higher part rifing up towards a third hill, little inferior in height to the higheft of the other two, upon which the caftle is built, and overlooks the town. The buildings of the town terminate on the W. about 200 yards from the caltle gate; which space affords a moit delightful as well as convenient and healthful walk to the inbabitants. The profpect from this fpot is perhaps the finest any where to be met with, for extent, beauty, and wariety. In the valley or hollow be twixt the mid and the fouth ridges, and nearly parallel to the high street, is another street called the Cowgate; and the town is now extended over moft part of that fouth ridge alfo. Betwixt the mid and the north ridges was a lake, called the North Loch, which, before it was drained, terminated the town on that fide. And, if tradition may be credited, there was formerly a South Loch in the valley where the Cowgate now ftands; which indeed appears extremely probable from the name of the North Loch. From the high ftreet down to the loch on the N. and to the Cowgate on the S. run narrow crofs ftreets or lanes, called wynds and clofes, which grow fteeper and fteeper the farther weft towards the castle; fo that, were it not for the clofenefs and great height of the buildings, this city, from its fituation and plan, might naturally be expected to be the beft aired, as well as the cleaneft, in Europe. The former, notwithBanding thefe difadvantages, it enjoys in an eminent VOL. VIIL PART 1.

degree; and every poffible means has been used and with confiderable fuccefs. The fteepnets of the afcent makes the accefs to the high street from the north and south very difficult; which no doubt greatly retarded the enlargement of the city. To remedy this inconvenience on the north, and with a view to extend the town on that quarter, a inoft elegant bridge has been thrown over the north loch, which joins the north ridge to the middle of the high street, by to eafy an afcent as one in 16; and in purfuance of the defign, a plan of a new town to the north was fixed upon, and is now nearly finished, with an elegance and taste that does honour to this country. In like manner, to facilitate the accefs from the fouth fide, a bridge has been thrown over the valley, through which the Cowgate runs; which, if not equally elegant with the north bridge, is certainly as convenient.

(2.) EDINBURGH, ANCIENT ACCOUNTS OF. The Romans, during the time they held the dominion of part of this ifland, divided their poffeffions into fix provinces. The moft northerly of thefe was called Valentia, which comprehended all the space between the walls of ADRIAN and SEVERUS. Edinburgh, lying on the very out-fkirts of that province which was most expofed to the ravages of the barbarians, became perpetually fubject to wars and devaftations; by means of which, the time of its first foundation cannot now be gueffed at. The caftle, however, is certainly very ancient. According to our earliest hiftorians, it was built by Camelon king of the Picts, about A. A. C. 330. Be that as it may, it was in the hands of the Anglo-Saxons, from the invasion of Octa and Ebufa in 452, till the defeat of Egfrid king of Northumberland in 685 by the Picts, who then repof fessed themselves of it. The Saxon kings of Northumberland reconquered it in the 9th century; and it was retained by their fucceffors till the year 956, when it was given up to Indulfus king of Scotland. In 1093, it was unfuccefsfully befieged by the ufurper Donald Bane. In 1128, K. David I. founded the Abbey of Holyrood-house for certain canons regular; and granted them a charter, in which he ftyled the town Burgo meo de Edwineburg," my borough of Edinburgh." By the fame charter he granted thefe canons 40 fh. yearly out of the town's revenues; with 48 th. more, from the fame, in cafe of the failure of certain du

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