Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Historie of Scotland > Volume 1, 1888

22
THE HISTORIE OF SCOTLAND.
Laudiane.
Pictland.
Edinburgh.
Leith a
toune and
ane hauin-
i«g place.
is lost throuch his Diligence. Of the varietie of 88 Messen
dogs, w1 qz^zlkes gentle wome/z vses to recreate thame
selfes, althoch be raony and infinite, I will nocht heir
make mentione.
Ane proubzce named 89 Laudiane on the South syd of 5
Forth remaines ^itt to speik off, and that indeid throuch
the plentifulnes of the ground, decking and apparrelling
of thair houses, and fairnes of thair biging, may weil be
called cheif: sumtyme Pentland it was called, that is to
say the land of the Peychts, evin as this day thae moun- ro
tanis declairis sa named : Laudiazze hes mony riueris that
beir sail, nocht far from the sey, nohvithstandeng abund-
ing in fische, nathir thair proffite of smale estimatione,
throuch the benifite of the haiuining places thay haue.
Bot the principal amang the tounes is halden (surlie) 15
Edinburgh: be reasone of the multitude of citijenis,
abundance of marchandise, of the proper, principal, and
special place quhair his soueranitie vses to make residens,
of his Palice, and supreme Counsel, * lykwyse be rasone
of the monumentis of aide wryteris, nocht in deid named 20
aftir thair name, bot w1 the name of 90 madne castel is
Edinburgh named reyuen rouzzd about in the craig, sum
tyme quhilke was nocht litle celebrate and solemne,
round about I say except foranent the Toune is this
castel ryven : The touris of Nobill men sax myles in 25
circuite about this castel ar erected maist strenthie eftir
the maner of the cuzztrey les and mair abone ane hunder
in number, quhilkes are decored with verie fair Lugengs.
A myle distante from Edinburghe is a fair haivin and now
in lyke maner a rach toune, to wit, Leith, althoch in this 30
* L. “ Ita veterum scriptorum monumentis, non ipso quidem
nomine, sed castri puellarum, pnerupta undique in rupe, nisi qua
urbem respicit, illi imminentis, olim celebratissima ”—also formerly
very famous in ancient writers, not indeed under the same name,
but under that of the maiden castle which hangs over it, on a
rock precipitous on every side except that which looks towards
the town.