In this palace, there is a gallery 150 feet long, by 27'i wide, and 18 feet high, containing portraits of all the Scottish kings, from the reputed time of Fergus. But few or none arc genuine, although some may be copies of originals ; and we are told that a Dutch artist, named De Witt, was employed to make the collection. A great desire that the nation should remount to extra ordinary antiquity, has always prevailed in Scotland ; and it appears that, amidst the pageantry exhibited to Charles I. by the University of Edinburgh in 1633, at his public entry, there were portraits of 109 kings in Scotland : the number in Holyrood-house is said to be only ill. Mercury was there represented bringing up Fergus I. in suitable attire, " who delivered to his Ma jesty a very grave speech, containing many precious ad vices to his royal successor." This gallery is now used at the election of the sixteen peers of Scotland to repre sent their order in Parliament; and during the residence of the princes of the house of Bourbon and the French noblesse, mass was sometimes performed in it. There are some other pictures in the palace, particularly one of Charles I. and his Queen, and several old portraits.
The bed-chamber occupied by the unfortunate Mary, with her own bed, now advancing to decay, arc still to be seen; also a cabinet where her secretary, David Piz zio, was seized in her presence, dragged forth and as sassinated. The credulous arc taught to believe that his blood yet stains the floor of the adjoining apart ment.
The Dukc of Hamilton, who is heritable keeper of the palace, has a considerable part of it allotted fur his accommodation, and it is now occupied by his family. Other noblemen have suites of apartments, and also dif ferent persons who have Interest to procure a dwelling here. A large portion of the whole underwent compli to repair about twenty years ago, when the French princes sought an asylum in it after the revolution.
The precincts of llolyrood-house, embracing a cir cuit about three miles, including the King's Park, Arthur's Scat, and Salisbury Craigs, afford a sanctuary to debtors. Thus there arc constantly a number a per sons either insolvent, or who have experienced sudden reverses which they hope to retrieve, resident in houses of mean appearance within the boundary. A jurisdiction is exercised over them by an officer, called the bailie of the abbey, who is always appointed from some of the law department ; and there is a prison pertaining to the abbey, in which they may be confined for debts contract ed there, or offences against the inhabitants. The pri vilege of sanctuary is strictly limited to civil debts. No protection is afforded for breaches of the peace, or crimes of any description. There is a similar sanctuary is Edinburgh, within the precincts formerly appropria ted for the royal mint ; but here the period of protec tion from arrest is understood to subsist only during 24 hours.
The situation of no two edifices in the same city can be more opposite than that of the castle and the abbey ; the one on a high precipitous insulated rock, the other on a plain, surrounded in a manner by hills: yet they are equally picturesque, equally denoting their respec tive purposes of strength for warfare, and retirement for tranquillity.
The metropolitan church is dedicated to St Giles: but history has not preserved the reasons which induced the citizens to choose a Saint of Greek extraction for their patron. Nevertheless, he was held in high vene ration; and a person of some consequence, who, in the fifteenth century, presented a relic, part of his arm, to the community, was rewarded with the privilege of hear ing it at all public processions. But so versatile are the opinions of men, that the safety of the city was endan gered in the subsequent century by the anxiety of the multitude to tear the picture of their tutelar saint from the standards, and demolish his image wherever it could be found. All the relics, the sacred utensils of gold and silver belonging to the church, and the rich vestments of velvet and brocade serving for the priesthood, were then seized on, and sold for the public behoof. This church is an ancient Gothic building, known to have stood since the fourteenth century, and now forms the north side of the Parliament-square. The dimensions of the fabric are 206 feet in length, 110 feet broad at the west end, 76 at the east. and 129 in the middle. A square tower rises from the centre, surmounted by in tersecting arches, forming an imperial crown, with pin nacles from the curvatures, and a spire above the whole, 161 feet in height Four separate places of worship are contained within, which go by different names, but the eastern is the largest, and best deserving attention, con sisting of cloisters with high pointed arches, and a lofty roof. Rude monumental sculptures, almost enticed, ma) be seen on the pavement below, and on the roof in scriptions of considerable antiquity at the junction of the arches. Here there is a seat for the royal family, which is occupied by the commissioner to the General Assem bly of the Church of Scotland, as representing the king. The judges of the Court of Session, the barons of Ex chequer, and the magistrates of the city, also sit here, where they appear with their insignia of office. James Earl of Murray, Regent of Scotland, who zealously pro moted the Reformation, is entombed within the walls of the church; and also Napier of Merchiston, the cele brated inventor of logarithms. In common with other sacred edifices, it was formerly used as a cemetery, and whole cart loads of bones, disturbed by the successive reparations which the church fabric has undergone, have been removed to other places of repose. Around it also was a burying-ground, in which the remains of John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, were deposited.