The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

336 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
and feeders. I can more easily forgive myself for these follies, than for
others of a still more blameable kind, so indifferently cloaked over, that
my poor mother thought herself obliged to leave my habitation, and betake
herself to a small inconvenient jointure-house, which she occupied till her
death. I think, however, I was not exclusively to blame in this separation,
and I believe my mother afterwards condemned herself for being too hasty.
Thank God, the adversity which destroyed the means of continuing my
dissipation, restored me to the affections of my surviving parent.
My course of-life could not last. I ran too fast to run long; and when I
would have checked my career, I was perhaps too near the brink of the
precipice. Some mishaps I prepared by my own folly, others came upon
me unawares. I put my estate out to nurse to a fat man of business, who
smothered the babe he should have brought back to me in health and
strength, and, in dispute with this honest gentleman, I found, like a skilful
general, that my position would be most judiciously assumed, by taking it
up near the Abbey of Holyrood.* It was then I first became acquainted
with the quarter, which my little work will, I hope, render immortal, and
grew familiar with those magnificent wilds, through which the Kings of
Scotland once chased the dark-brown deer, but which were chiefly recom* The reader may be gratified with Hector Boece's narrative of the original foundation of the famous Abbey
of Holyrood, or the Holy Cross, as given in Bellenden's translation: -
" Eftir death of Alexander the first, his brothir David come out of Ingland, and wes crownit at Scone, the
yeir of God mcxxiv yeiris. and did gret justice, eftir his coronation, in all partis of his realme. He had na
weris during the time of King Harv; and wes so piteuous. that he sat davlie in judgment, to caus his pure
cormonlis to have justice; and causit the actionis of his noblis to be decidit be his other jugis. He gart ilk
juze redres the skaithis that come to the party be his wrang sentence; throw quhilk, he decorit his realm
with inony nobil actis, and ejeckit the vennomus customre of riotus cheir, quhilk wes inducit afore he Inglisnlen. quilen lthay corn with Quene Margaret; for the samin wes noisum to al gud manerisi makand his pepil
tender and efferinat.
"In the fourt yeir of his regne, this nobill prince come to visie the madin Castell of Edinburgh. At this
time, all the boundis of. Scotland were ful of woddis, lesouris, and medois: for the countre wes more gevin
to store of bestiall. than ony productioun of cornis; and about this castell was ane gret forest, full of hans,
hindis, toddis, and sicklike maner of beistis. Now was the Rude Day cumin, called the Exaltation of the
Croce; and, becaus the samin was ane hie solempne day, the king past to his contemplation. Eftir the messis
wer done with maist solenptlitie and reverence, conlperit afore him mony young and insolen baronis of Scotland, richt desirus to half sum plesur and solace, be chiace of hundis in the said forest. At this time wes
with the king ane man of singulare and devoit life, namit Alkwine, channon eftir the ordour of Sanct Augustine, quhilk wes lang time confessoure, afore, to King David in Ingland, the time that he wes Erle of Huntingtoun and Nortlhumhirland. This religious man dissuadit the king, be mony reasonis, to pas to this huntis;
and allegit the day was so solempaie. be reverence of the haly croce, that lie suld gif him erar, for that day,
to contemplation, than ony othir exersition. Nochltheles, his dissuasion is littill avalit; for the king wes
finallie so provokit, he inoportune solicitatioun of his baronis, that he past, nochwithstanding the solempnite
of this day, to his hountis. At last, quhen he wes cumin throw the vail tha lyis to the gret eist fira the said
castell, quliare now lyis the Canongait, the staik past throw the wed with sic noyis and din of rachis and
bugillis, that all the hestis were rasit fra their dennis Now wes the king cumin to the fute of the crag, and
all his nobilis severit, heir and thair, fra him, at thair game and solace; quhen suddenlie apperit to his sicht,
the fairist hart that evir wes sene afore with levand creature. The novis and din of this hart rinnand, as
apperit. with awful and braid tirdis, maid the kingis hors so effrayit, that na renzeis micht hald him; hot ran,
perforce, ouir imire and mossis. away vith the king. Nochtheles, the hart followit so fast, Ihat he dang baitll
tie king and his horse to the ground. Than the king kest abak his handis betwix the tindis of this hart, to
haifsavit him fra the straik thairot'; and the haly croce staid, incontinent, in his handis. Thle hart fled away
with gret violence, and evanist in the same place quhare now springis the Rude Well. The pepil richt
affravitly, returnit to him out of all partis of the wod, to comfort him efter his trubill; and fell on kneis,
devotly adoring the haly croce; for it was not cumin but some hevinly providence, as weill apperis: for thair
is na man can- schaw ofquhat mater it is of, metel or tre. Sone eftir, the king returnit to his castell; and in
the nicht following, he was admonist, be ane vision in his sleip, to big ane abbay of channonis regular in the
same place quhare he gat the croce. Als sone as he was awalkinnit, he schew his visione to Alkwine, his
confessoure; and he na thing suspended his gud mind, bot erar inrlammit him with maist fervent devotion
tliairto. The king, incontinent, send his traist servandis in France and Flanderis, and brocht richt crafty
Inasonis to big this abbay; syne dedicat it in the honour of this haly croce. The croce remanit continewally
in the said abbay, to the time of King David Bruce; quhilk was unhappily tane with it at Durame, quhare it
is haldin yit in gret veneration "- Boece, hook 12, ch. 16.
It is by no means clear what Scottish prince first built a palace, properly so called, in the precincts of this
renowned seat of sanctity. The abbey, endowed by successive sovereigns and many powerful nobles with
munificent gifts of lands and tithes, came, in process of time, to be one of the most important of the ecclesiastical corporations of Scotland; and as early as the days of Robert Bruce, parliaments were held occasionally within its buildings. We have evidence that James IV. had a royal lodging adjoining to the cloister;
but it is generally agreed that the first considerable edifice for the accommodation of the royal fanmily erected
here was that of Jamres V., anno 1525, great part of which still remains, and forms the northwestern side of
the existing palace. The more modern buildings which complete the quadrangle were erected by King
Charles II1. The name of the old conventual church was used as the parish church of the Canongate from
the period of tlie Reformration, until James 11. claimed it for his chapel royal, and liad it fitted up accordingly
in a style of splendour which grievously outraged the feelings of his Prestbyterian subjects. Thle roof of this
fragmlent of a once magnificent church fell in the year 1768, and it has remained ever since in a state of desolation -For fuller particulars, see the Provincial Anliquities of Scotland, or tile History of Holyrood, by Mr.
Charles Mackie.
The greater part of this ancient palace is now again occupied by his Majesty Charles the Tenth of France,
and the rest of that illustrious family, which, in former ages so closely connected by marriage and alliance
with the house of Stewart, seems to have been destined to run a similar career of misfortune. Requiescat
in pace!