HOVYROOD, In the year 1128, king David I. of Scotland founded at Edinburgh an abbey of canons regular, of the order of St. Augustine. It was dedicated in honor of the holy cross or rood, which was brought to Scotland by St. Margaret about the year 1070, and became one of the heirlooms of time kingdom. The black rood of Scot land (q.v.), as it was called, fell into the hands of the English at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, and as its history passed from remembrance, it fable sprungup telling how king David was prevailed upon by his young nobles to go a hunting on the solemn fes tival by which the church yearly commemorated the finding of the holy cross at Jeru salem; how the chase lay through time forest, which in those days encircled Arthur's Seat, and stretched almost to the gates of Edinburgh; how the king. in pursuit of a wild hart, outrode nil his companions; how at the foot of Salisbury crags time hart turned to bay, and overthrew the king's horse; how as it rushed at the king, threatening him with instant death, a cross, as if from between its antlers, miraculously slid into the king's hands; how at the sight of it the hart fled and vanished; and how the king, warned by a vision in his sleep, resolved to build a monastery in honor of the holy rood on the spot where his life had been so preternaturally saved. When this legend was invented. apparently about the year 1420, it had been forgotten that the first site of time abbey was not at time foot of Salisbury. crags, but within the walls of the castle, whence it was not finally removed until after the year 1174, to the eastern extremity of the Canongate, as the little burgh came to be called which time canons erected between their abbey and the king's burgh of Edinburgh. Time abbey was burned by time English in 1385, in 1544. and in 1547. Before it could be restored after these last conflagrations, the reformation arrived, when the ruins of the choir and transepts were taken down to repair the nave. This was used as the parish church of the Canongate frdm about 1560 till 1672, when it was turned into the chapel-royal. In 1687 king James VII., having built another parisl. church for time Canongate, set the nave of the abbey church apart for time Roman Catholic service, and had it fitted up with stalls for the knights of the thistle. It was plundered and burned by the mob at time revolution in 1688, and remained in neglect until 1758. In that year it was repaired and roofed, but the roof was too heavy for the walls. and it fell in 1768, crushing the pillars of the n. aisle, and otherwise injuring the building.
The abbey of Holy-rood early became the occasional abode of the Scottish kings. John Balliol held a parliament within its walls in 1295. James II. was born in it. crowned in it, married in it, buried in it. The foundations of a•palace, apart from the
abbey, were laid by James IV., whose splendid nuptials with the princess Margaret of England were celebrated here in 1503. Edinburgh had now become the acknowledged capital of Scotland, and Ilolyrood henceforth was the chief seat of the Scottish sovereigns. Queen Mary took up her abode in the palace when she returned from France in 1561. Here, in 1566, Tiizzio was torn from her side, and murdered. Her son, king James VI., dwelt much iut before his accession to the throne of England in 1603. He revisited it in 1617. It was garrisoned by Cromwell's troops after the battle of Dunbar in 1650, when the greater part of it was burned down. It was rebuilt by king Charles II., from the designs of sir William Bruce of Kinross, between 1671 and 1679. In 1745 and 1746 it was occupied in succession by prince Charles Edward and by time duke of Cumberland. It sheltered the count d'Artois (afterwards king Charles X. of France) from 1795 to 1799. and again from 1831 to 1835. King George IV. held his" court in it in 1822. Since that time much has been done to make it a suitable residence for the sovereign, and queen Victoria has occasionally made a short stay here.
Tice oldest part of the palace is the n. w. tower, founded by king James IV. about 1500, and completed. by hig king Jaine8 V., who died in 1542. It was somewhat modernized in 1671-79; and the roofs, if not the floors also, were renewed by king Charles I. (1625-49), whose cipher they bear; but otherwise the disposition of the rooms seems to be much the same as in the days of queen Mary. It need scarcely be added that the furniture is much more recent, and that the articles shown as relies of Mary and her court are wholly spurious.
The palace, with its precincts and park, is a sanctuary for debtors. In England the same privilege extends to royal palaces to this extent, that no writ of legal process can be executed within their bounds; but this practically is only a protection to the servants of the palace; and no means exist for insolvent persons taking lodgings in a privileged place there or elsewhere, and avoiding imprisonment, iu so systematic a way as is com petent to residents within the precincts of Ilolyrood palace, where there is ample accom modation. The precinets comprehend the adjoining park and the bills of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury crags. Refugee debtors must procure it certificate of protection within 24 hours from the proper official within the bounds. Taking refuge within the .sanctu ary is considered disreputable, and from this cause, as well as from recent meliorations in the laws affecting debtors, the practice is greatly fallen off. It is to be added that the sanctuary of liolyrood shelters debtors to the crown.