History of the family of Seton during eight centuries > Volume 2

624
BARNS CASTLE
preferred him to be gentleman of his chamber, and cavalier de la Boca
(which is master household) : he also carried the golden key att his syde,
in a blew ribbing : all which were the greatest honours King Phillip of
Spaine could give to any of his subjects, except to be made a grandee of
Spaine. He had a pension granted to him and his heirs of two thousand
crowns yearly : when I, the wryter hereof, was att the King of Spaine his
court, I was certainely informed of the truth of all this.
' The said Sir John, in the heights of his favour with King Phillip of
Spaine, was commanded home by King James the Sixth, unwilling to
want so gallant a subject out of his court and service. Att his return
home, he preferred him to be thesaurer of his house ; was in great favour
with his Majestie. It was not doubted, if he had lived some time after
the King's coming to the crown of England, he would have highly
advanced him in honour and fortune ; but he dyed before King James
went from Scotland. He made ane great building att the Barnes Voult
height, before his death, intending that building bound a court.' 1
The annexed illustration exhibits the present appearance of Barns
Castle, and indicates a structure of considerable dimensions. ' This remark-
able ruin is situated on the eastern slope of the Garleton Hills, about midway
between Longniddry and Haddington, and commands most extensive
outlooks on all sides. . . . The plan combines the formally balanced and
symmetrically arranged plan of a somewhat later time, with the stern fortified
character of more ancient edifices. . . . Barnes Castle comprises an oblong
space 163 feet by 126 feet, with square projecting towers on all sides.
Measuring over the towers, the longest front extends to 191 feet 4 inches
by 148 feet in the other direction. . . . An extensive courtyard, surrounded
with high walls, completes the quadrangle. The buildings as they now exist
are one story high, and in the main block and three towers they are all
vaulted. From this circumstance the place is locally known as the "Vaults."
The height of the vaults is about 10 feet. . . . The remark' in the House
of Seytoun 'that the building was intended for a Court is quite descriptive
of a certain stateliness of arrangement, apparent even in its present ruinous
condition. The place has the appearance of never having been com-
pleted.' 2
On the 5th of March 1 591-2 there is a confirmation by the King of a
charter by ' William Seytoun, brother-german of Robert, Lord Seytoun, to
John Seytoun of Barns, Knight, of the half of the lands of Ouhytepark and
the knighthood of the Order of Calatrava, and
after he came home was, by King James VI.,
made one of the gentlemen of his Majesty's
bedchamber, and got for his appanage, from his
father George, Lord Seton, the lands of Barns,
for which the family of Barns has been in use
to carry the sword supporting an imperial crown,
as an additional figure in the arms of Seton,
because, as Sir George Mackenzie observes, in
his Science of Herauldry, the lands of Barns
were given by King Robert the Bruce to Sir
Alexander Seton of Seton, with that badge of
honour, as in the charter.' — Essay on Armories,
p. 131.
1 Lord Kingston's Continuation of the History
of the House of Seytoun, p. 61.
2 The Castellated and Domestic Architecture
of Scotland, ii. 333-6. Messrs. Macgibbon and
Ross give a detailed account, as well as a ground
plan and small view, of the interesting structure.