(15) Plate V/a

                                                           Plate V.

WITHIN the limits, to which we are confined, it is impossible to give any thing like a minute description
of the city of Edinburgh, the ' Queen of the North.' As, however, several views of its different parts
will be etched in the course of this Work, we shall now attempt a general outline, and afterwards slightly
fill it up, as the different objects come before us.

But in doing this, we cannot better perform our duty, than by giving an extract from an admirable
work, just published, entitled, 'Remarks on local Scenery and Manners in Scotland;' in which its truly
elegant and classic author, Mr. Stoddart, thus describes that city.

'Looking on the face of the country as on a map, the hills near the coast seem to be detached frag-
ments from the mass of the Pentland mountains, a few miles inland. The castle-hill is the middle of
the three, which run parallel to each other, divided by two hollows, which formerly contained lochs, or
lakes. It rises, with a gentle declivity, from the east, and terminates at its western point, in a preci-
pitous basaltic rock, on whose brow the castle was probably first planted, affording shelter to the town,
which gradually extended itself along the declining ridge (forming the present High Street) to the plain,
where stands the Palace of Holyrood House. Sloping lanes and closes (or, as they are sometimes called,
wynds) were spread from the High Street down to the hollows on each side; and suburbs were formed on
the rising grounds to the north and south. The lochs were next drained; streets formed on their site;
and, finally, the three parallel hills united by bridges.

'The city was very anciently extended on the southern side, where the Grass-Market and Cowgate lie
in the hollow, with many streets, diverging from them, in different directions; but on the northern hill,
all that part, called the New Town, has been built within these forty years, and on a uniform plan. It is
laid out in the form of a parallelogram, consisting of three noble streets, which run from east to west,
intersected at right angles by six others, and terminated at each end by a square. Scarcely any city in
Europe can boast three adjoining streets so elegant, and at the same time so distinct, in their character, as
Prince's Street with a south aspect; Queen Street on the north; and George Street in the middle. The
two former, which are single rows, ought rather to be called terraces: and it is much to be lamented, that
they should at all lose the terrace character, by having any part of their view intercepted.'

This View, which was taken in July 1799, from the Calton Hill, comprises the North Bridge, through
the arches of which is seen the slaughter-house; the ruins of an old Abbey below, in the foreground,
with the crown-like tower of St. Giles farther distant to the left; the castle towards the centre, and the
West Church in the distant horizon.