Description of the View of the PARLIAMENT SQUARE of THE frontispiece to our present number contains a view of the most striking objects in the Parliament Square, as they formerly stund. Such a view is rendered intesting, not only by the number of remarkable objects in which this place abounds, above all others in the metropolis; but by the great change which is now taking place in it. We have been favoured with a view of the whole range of new buildings, destined for the accommodation of the Courts of Justice, with which we intend to present our readers next month, accompaaied with an account of their internal arrangement, and the different purposes to which each part is to be applied. The present engraving, which exhibits an important part of the range for which these new buildings are to be substituted, appeared to us a proper preliminary Among the objects included in this view, the most remarkable is the church, anciently cathedral, of St Giles. This is the finest remain of Gothic architecture of which Edinburgh can boast. The edifice measures 206 feet in length, and in breadth from 129 to 76. Its greatest ornament is the spire, resting on a square tower in its centre, and ris ing to the height of 161 feet. The workmanship is of a beauty seldom equalled. When this magnificent structure was first erected, it is now impossible to ascertain. It is said, about the middle of the ninth cen tury, to have belonged to the bishopric of Lindisfarn, or Holy Island, in Northumberland. The first mention of it, however, in any public deed, occurs in 1359, when David II. by his charter under the great seal, granted to the chaplain officiating at the altar of St Catha hear a sermon in it, previous to execution; and Haddow's Hold, supposed to be named from its vault having at one time been the place of confinement to Lord Haddow. The great aisle of the choir is ap rine's chapel, in the parish church of St Giles's, all the lands of Upper Merchiston, &c. In the year 1380, there appears a contract of the provost with some masons, to arch over a certain part of the church; and, seven years after, a considerable ad-propriated to the meetings of the dition was made to it. Hitherto, General Assembly of the Church. however, it had been only a parish church, the patronage of which belonged to the abbot of Scone; but, in 1466, James III. erected it into a collegiate church. The chapter then consisted of a provost, curate, sixteen prebendaries, a minister of the choir, four choristers, a sacristane, and a beadle. St Giles being, thus raised to conspicuous notice, the zeal of the opulent citizens of Edinburgh manifested itself in an extraordinary degree, by founding, altars in it, and making provision for chaplains to attend them; and a great part of the lands in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh were, by degrees, appropriated to this pur W pose, t At the time of the reformation, this edifice happily escaped from the work of destruction, which was so actively carried on in other parts of Scotland. All its wealth, how ever, was either seized by the laity, or employed in its own reparation. Being too large to be employed as a single protestant church, it was divided into four: The New, or High Church, which has ever since been the principal one in Edinburgh, and which contains an elevated seat for his Majesty, annually occupied by his Commissioner to the General Assembly: the Old Church: the Tolbooth Church, from the barbarous custom which formerly prevailed, of bringing in condemned criminals to In front of the church, and concealing the view of a part of it ap pears the beautiful equestrian statue of Charles II. It was placed here by the Magistrates, immediately af ter the Restoration, in celebration of that event, and supplied the place of one of Oliver Cromwell, which had been in forwardness, but was immediately thrown aside on the downfall of his family. This view includes, likewise, the east front of the Parliament House; where, previous to the Union, the legislature of Scotland sat, and since occupied by its Courts of Justice; but which has now given way to a modern erection. Here was anciently the principal entrance; and over it were the arms of Scotland, well cut, in stone, with the allegorical figures of Mercy and Truth, for supporters, and this inscriptionStant his felicia regna. Under the arms was the motto-Uni unionem. This gate led into the great hall, in which the Scottish Parliament sat, and which is now used as the Outer-house; that is, the hall where the Advocates assemble, and where the Lord Ordinaries pronounce judg ment. The Inner-house, which formerly accommodated the whole Court of Session, and now the first chamber, was originally appropri ated to the meetings of the Privy Council. Both these apartments, under the new system, remain as before. ཟླ་ཟ་ཚེས་པ OBSERVATIONS RESPECTING LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN SCOTLAND. To the Publisher of the Scots Maga- lowing observations on Lunatic Asy zine. SIR, By inserting in your periodical work, which has long had the credit of tending to support both the honour and interest of the nation, the fol THE kingdom of Scotland has long been distinguished by the number of its charitable establishments, intended for the relief of the -aged, the indigent, and the diseased. In every parish, without oppressive and ill-managed poor-rates, provision is carefully made for poverty, particularly when combined with sickness. The metropolis of Scotland is, in an especial manner, distinguished by a variety of humane and useful institutions. But it is a singular fact, that, to this hou, it has never contamed any proper receptacle either for the pauper or criminal maniac; and it may almost be said, that there is not yet any commodious establishment of this kind, in any part of Scotland. 1952 It has long been the earnest wish of "the intelligent and humane to wipe off this national disgrace; and, accordingly, laudable attempts have lately been made, not only at Edinburgh, but also at Dumfries, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, and, in a particular manner, at Montrose, to provide both for the comfort and cure of the unhappy maniac; and there is reason to hope, that, by due per severance, these attempts will be ul timately crowned with the wishedfor success. Both at Edinburgh, and at Glasgow, some progress has at least been made; which may, in no long time, lums, you may do some benefit to the public; and will at the same time oblige, your constant reader, A SCOT. Edinburgh, 30th June, 1810. give rise to establishments in these cities, which will afford accommodation, for the cure of insanity, not inferior to any in the British Empire. "Excellent plans for proper lunatic hospitals have been gratuitously presented to both these cities, by two ingenious architects, Mr Robert Reid and Mr William Stark; and in both cities liberal subscriptions have been received from the benevolent for beginning these much-wanted buildings. A sufficient sum, however, is not yet obtained at either; and the object of the present address is to recommend these institutions to every inhabitant of Scotland, whom Providence has blessed with the means of affording, without injuring themselves, some aid to the relief of the wretched. In the kingdom of England, this subject has so far engaged the attention of some enlightened patriots in the British Senate, that a proper provision for pauper and criminal lunatics has lately been the subject of investigation in the House of Commons. A very interesting Report from a Select Committee has been printed by order of the House. As an appendix to that Report, there is annexed the following plan for the division of the kingdom of England into districts, for the erection of Lunatic Asylums: Plan |