Grampian Club > Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland > Volume 1

GEEYFRIAES CHURCHYARD. 29
In 1669 lie became parliamentary representative of the county
of Eoss. He was appointed King's Advocate in 1677, and
thereafter became a keen adversary of the Presbyterians. The
State prosecutions which he conducted against the adherents
of the Covenant brought him the designation of " the bloody
jNlackenzie." Wlien in 1686 James VII. abrogated the penal
laws against the Papists, he retired from his office as King's
Advocate, but it was afterwards restored to him. In 1689 he
founded the Advocates Library, and in the following year retired
to Oxford to dedicate his remaining years to classical studies. He
died at London on the 8th May, 1691. Sir George Mackenzie
published works on law, history, and antiquities, which in 1722
were collected by Euddiman and printed in two folio volumes.
Long after his death the humbler citizens of Edinburgh regarded
his monument with aversion.* It formerly bore the following
inscription: —
" Eeliquise sacrse D. Georgii Mackenzie a valle Eosarum, equitis
aurati, Simonis filii, Coleni comit. de Seafort nepot. Natus a3rae
Christi anno 1636. Per annos XXXI. foro in Supremo causarum
patronus. Ab anno 1677, regius advocatus ; regibus Carolo II. et
Jacobo VII. a secretioribus conciliis. Patria; decus, religionis
vindex, justitise propagator, juris regii assertor strenuus et inde-
fessus; collegii juridici, sive prudentiam sumniam sive eloquentiam
eximiam, sive instruenda jurisconsultorum bibliotheca curam, et
locupletanda munificentiam spectes, ornamentum imprimis illustre;
comitatis exemplar ; eruditorum Maecenas eruditissimus ; omnibus
earns si perduellium colluviem excipias. A quorum violentia,
patriam, patriaeque patrem, cum ore, cum calamo, accerrime
vindicavit ; virulentiam jure et justitia temperavit ; ferociam
rationis viribus repulit, ac tantuni non domuit. Monarchic genius
tutillaris, fama, eloquio, morum integritate, factis et scriptis clarus
vLxit, Ecclesite, reipublicte, liberis et amicis. Mali die octavo anno
1691, in Domino obiit desideratissimus."
Within Sir George Mackenzie's tomb were interred the remains
of Su' George Lockhart, Lord President of the Court of Session, who
was murdered by John Chiesley of Dairy in returning from church
* Children vere wont to call in at the keyhole, —
" Bliiidy Mackinyic, come oot if ye daur,
Lift the sncck and draw the bar ! "