Gazetteer of Scotland

STI
Ti
So observe, originating in a liberal and
independent spirit, and which, from
its salutary tendency, deserves to be
followed by other corporations. By
this they bind themselves to take no
lease of any part of the public pro-
perty under their management, nor to
purchase any part of it ; neither to
Jeceive any gratification out of the
public funds, under pretence of re-
ward for their trouble of going about
the affairs of the borough. By the
same bye-law also a Board of Audi-
tors for inspecting the public accounts
is elected annually, consisting of two
members chosen by the merchants,
and two by the incorporations. " The
manner, (says Mr. 2\immo in his His-
tory of Stirlingshire), in which the old
treasurer -of the town used to keep
his accounts, when writing was a
more rare accomplishment than at
present, was sufficiently singular. He
hung two boots, one on each side of
the chimney ; into one of them he
put all the money which he drew,
and into the .other the receipts or
vouchers for the money which he
paid away : and he balanced his ac-
counts at the end of the year by em-
tying his boots, and counting the
money left in the one, and that paid
away by the receipts in the other."
The castle, which is situated at the
western extremity of the rock on
which the town is built, is of great
antiquity} but previous to the 9th
century, there are no accounts of it.
"When the Scots under Kenneth II.
overthrew the Pictish government as
is said, they endeavoured to oblite-
rate every memorial of that people.
They not only changed the names of
the Pictish towns and provinces, but,
with ail the rage of barbarians, demo-
lished many magnificent and useful
structures which had been reared by
the Picts, and this fortress amongst
the others. It was soon, however,
rebuilt ; for, in the succeding reign
of Donald V., the kingdom was in-
vaded by Osbright and Ella, two
Northumbrian princes, and the Scotish
monarch was obliged to sue for peace
on the most abject terms ; no less
than yielding up to the conquerors
all his dominions S. of the Forth.
The Northumbrians taking possession
pf the territory ceded to them by that
treaty, rebuilt the castle of Stirling,
and planted in it a strong garricon ?c
preserve their new conquests, on the
frontiers of which it was situated.
It is also reported, that they erected
a stone bridge over the Forth, upon
the summit of which across was rais-
ed, with the following inscription h%
monkish rhyme :
" Anglos a Scotis separat crux 1st a re-
motis ;
Artnis hie slant Bruti? Scotl stant kief
cruce tttti ;"
which is thus translated by an ancient
writer.;
I din free marche, ss passengeris may kejn.
To Scottis, to Britonis, and to Iiiglisiiuen.
Nonfc of the English historians relate
this circumstance ^ and, indeed, the
whole story bears much of the cha-
racter of monkish fable ; yet its au-
thenticity is not a little confirmed by
the armorial bearings of the town of
Stirling, upon which is a bridge and
a cross, with the last line of the Latin
distich, as a motto around it. We
must not however imagine that, hi
thqse times, the fortress of Stirling bore
any resemblance to its present state,
which is adapted to the use of fire
arms. Its size and form more pro-
bably resembled those castles which,
under the feudal system, the greater
barons erected for their dwelling-
houses. In the 10th century it again
came into the possession of the Scots :
and, during the Danish invasion in
1009, it was the place of rendezvous
of the Scotish army. In the ISth
century, it was one of the most im-
portant fortresses in the kingdom, and
was one of the four which were deli-
vered up to the English, as part of the
ransom of William the Lion, who, in
1174, had been taken captive near
Alnwick in Northumberland. Though
it had been sometime a regal residence
before the accession of the Stuart fa-
mily, it does not appear to have been
fitted up with great magnificence, un-
ti!l it became the favourite residence
of James I. It was the birth-place
of James II. ; and in it he perpetrated
that attrocious deed, which stains his,
character and reign, the murder cf
his kinsman William Earl of Douglas,
whom he stabbed with his own hand.
The room where the deed was com-
mitted still goes by the name of Doug?
las's room, James III. was very.foiu|