W a t s o n ’»
HO S P I T A L .
M e r c h a n t s -
M a I D E N -
HO SP IT AL »
prefent a hundred and three. Within is a handfome Equate,
the ftatue of the founder. In the council-room is his portrait)
half length, by Scougal: in his hand are fome jewels; for to I
branch of his bufinefs he owed his fortune, particularly by the I
fufion bought for the wedding of the princefs of Bohemia. He!
member of the Englijh parlement; and died, aged 63, in the |1623.
In the fame room is a head of William Aytonne, mafon, and builj
o f the Holpital.
Behind this is another fine foundation, called Watfin's kfd
a building with twenty-one windows in front. The founder owl
his rife to the charity of a relation, eftablifhed this houfe, fori
fupport of about fixty boys, fons and grandfons of decayed ml
chants of Edinburgh. They are educated here, and apprenticed out
and after having ferved their times with credit, and remainj
after that three years unmarried, receive fifty pounds to fetl
with. ■
The Merchants-maiden-bofpital lies north-eaft of Wat fin's. It owl
its inftitution to the merchants of Edinburgh, and the fame Mil
Mary Erjkine before mentioned, for the maintenance of the girls I
diftreffed burgeffes. It fupports about fixty, who appear on A|
days in a drels truly /implex munditiis, in dark brown gowns, blacl
filk handkerchiefs, and black filk bonnets.
The private ads of charity are alfo very confiderable. Eveii
Sunday a col lection is made for the lick and neceffitous. Such j
religious refpeft do the common people pay to this fund, that M
thing but extreme diftreis will induce them to apply for relief I
feems to them a fort of facrilege to partake unneceffarily of a bounl
deftincl
lined for the miferable ; and children will undergo any labor to
■vent their parents from becoming burthenfome to this parochial
■The New Town is connected to the city by a very beautiful
bridae, whofe higheft arch is ninety-five feet high. This bridge is
w over a deep glen, once filled with water, and called the North-
) but at prefent drained. To the eaft and to the north of this
dge, is a motley affemblage o f churches, methodift meeting, hof-
|tals,’and playhoufe. The old Trinity collegiate church, founded
bv Mary of Gueldres, mother to James III. is a Gothic pile. Near it
is an hofpital, founded on the diffolution of the former : it maintains,
a moft comfortable manner, numbers of aged perfons of each fex;
for befides good diet, they have the luxury of a garden and library.
Leith, the port of Edinburgh, is feated about two miles to the
¿ft, is now a confiderable town, divided into two pariihes, called
|rth.and fouth Leith, feparated by a river of the fame name. The
fjriginal name was Invefleith, and is firft mentioned in 1329, in a
■rant of it to the citizens of Edinburgh, under whofe jurifdiftion it
Its. They appoint out'of the old magiftrates a baron bailif, who
jith the affiftance of other officers direeds the affairs of the place. It
las for fome time the refidence of Mary of Lorrain, queen regent,
Irho, followed by her court, gave rife to feveral handfome buildings
Bill exifting. The fame princefs, when fhe called in the affiftance
I f the French, fixed their forces, here, and caufed it to be fortified,
In account of the convenient harbour and its vicinity to the capital.
Kert Mary-Stuart landed on her return from France, in 1561, and
In two years after deftroyed the independency of the place, by mort-
Igaging, for a great fum of money, the fuperiority of it to the city of
K k 2 Edinburghu
L e i t h .