SlEGBS.
ground it does at prefent; therefore William can only be ftyled the I
Reftorer, not the Founder, of this fine city.,
It foon became confiderable, not only on account of its being a I
royal refidence, but likewife by reafon of the vaft commerce which its I
fituation on one of the firft rivers in Nortb-Britain would naturally I
convey. Its importance foon gave it walls and fortifications. Mu-1
jor * calls it the only walled city in Scotland. The caftle ftood neatl
the Skinner-Gate ftreet. The importance of the place made it fre-l
quently experience the calamities of war. Edward I, when he I
over-ran Scotland, pofiefled himfelf of this city. In 1307 Rshrtl
Bruce f , after a fiege of fix weeks, by a feigned retreat and fud-l
den return made himfelf mafter of it, when defended for the EnglM
by John, Earl Warren, and Earl of Strathern. The Engliflo foon re-1
pofiefled themfelves of it; and Edward II. made Perth for force I
time his refidence. In 1312 Bruce again made himfelf mafter of I
it by a fcalade, putting to the fword his traiterous countrymen, I
but permitting the Englißo. garrifon to return in fafety to their own I
country : he then levelled the walls to the ground; and filled all the!
ditches. After the fatal battle of Dupplin in 1332, Baliol, witfij
fmall oppofition, entered the place, and left it in pofleflion of the
enemies of his country. Edward III. who knew its importance,
repaired the walls, and reftored the fortifications at the expence
o f the rich abbies of Arbroth, Cowper, Lindores, Balmerinoch, D »
ferline, and St. Andrew's; and placed there,, as governor, Sir Fhomm
Ocbtred. It remained under a foreign yoke but a fmall time; for
in 1340. Robert Stuart, guardian of Scotland, with a ftrong army,
-* * p . 20. i* H iß . Scot. p. 20».
I and
and the affiftance of a French fleet, reftored it once again to its
natural mafters.
I I do not recolledt that it underwent any fiege from that period
till the religious wars of 1 5 5 9 ; when the queen regent, provoked
by the. infult of the inhabitants on all ihe held venerable and
holy *, placed there a' garrifon of French. The zeal however of the
congregation foon collected a potent army to its relief under Argyle,
who, after a ihort fiege, obliged the garrifon to capitulate and
retire.
è Perth from that time remained in peace above a century. In
1644 the Marquis of Montrofe feized the place, after the battle of
Pibbirmoor ; and Cromwel, in, July 1651, after a weak defence from
a weak garrifon, made himfelf mafter of this important city : and,
to fecure the pofleflion, the Englijh commiflioners ordered -f- a citadel
to be built on the South Inch, capable of containing five hundred
men, the remains of which ftill retain the name of Oliver’s
Mount.,
|L Thè Earl of Mar's army, in the rebellion of 1 7 1 5 , lay a confiderable
time in this place, and fpent here confiderable fums of
inoney. This circumftance contributed as much to enrich the city,
as the fettlement of numbers of Oliver’s forces, after the eftablilh-
mentof peace, afiifted in introducing that fpirit of induftry, which,
to this moment, diftinguiihes the inhabitants.
I. Perth is large, well built, and populous, and contains about
* The reformers committed feveral excefles ; fuch as interrupting the priefts in
rNfheir fermons, nailing a pair o f ram’s, horns on the head o f St. Francis, and a cow’s
iftail to his rump, & c . &c.
É + W hit dock* 528.
L 2 eleven
Si z e .