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PREFACE
LET not the reader suppose,
as he opens this book, that he is invited to wade through an autobiography.
What he will find Is but a quilt made up of patches from the shelf of
memory. No diary has ever been kept to supply copious extracts, such as too
often give anything but light reading, and too often fail to present true
pictures of the diarist s life. 1 he aim has been to fit together
presentable patches, giving a blend of natural colouring, as a well-pieced
quilt, though made up of shreds, may not offend and possibly may give
pleasure, and here and there be informing. If particular patches seem
wear'isome, skipping may give relief. The compiler of these jottings would
have satisfaction, were it possible for any reader to say that he—and still
more were she—had reached the word Finis without having to resist temptation
to turn down pages unread.
One earnest request, dear
reader. Do not pass by the pages which speak of the conservation of our
lovely Edina, in what of beauty is left to her, notwithstanding the evil
days of the past. The most eager thought for our "own romantic town" has
been to rouse, if possible, the Jotter's fellow-citizens from a passive
condition, and to stimulate in them an active interest of love to her of the
matchless face—that "Face which is her Fortune." Surely the past honourable
disfigurements, of which all who have taste are ashamed, should be a
warning. Our civic rulers are no longer vandals. They show earnestness to
conserve amenity, and are glad of help from the citizens in considering what
is good and what is bad. It will strengthen them greatly if more lively
interest ia shown by the public—that active and concentrated interest which
has telling influence, but which in the past has, alas, been so sadly
wanting.
Of the stories here told many
are chestnuts, Experience has proved that what ;s stale to one is fresh to
another. Let those of jaded palate be generous, and pass by and pardon the
chestnuts in which others may find a toothsome—because to them a novel--flavour.
A meed of hearty thanks «s
due to friends who have assisted to stimulate memory, and especially to a
kind friend, Lord Dundas, who has given great aid by his perusal of the MS.,
leading to Friendly and profitable suggestions.
LIST OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Early memories—Queen Victoria's visit to Edinburgh—A municipal fiasco
—Presentation of city keys—A terrible accident—The illuminations— Early
history of railroads—My first long journey—Terror of railways-Early railway
plant—Railway boom and slump
Chapter Two
Sedan-chairs—Chairmen—The Noddy and the Minibus—The hansom-cab
Chapter Three
Dress in the Forties—Society fashions of both sexes—Military dress—The
universal tailed coat
Chapter Four
Boys' dress—The tall hat—Face fashions—The Sobieski Stuarts
Chapter Five
The Newhaven fishwife—Caller-ow-oo—Their decadence—Hawkers— Penny
postage—Much opposed by officials
Chapter Six
The Disruption—Procession to Tanfield—Injustices to children—Inconsistencies
of their elders
Chapter Seven
Edinburgh in the Forties—Abominations of the Mound—The discreditable
buildings—Earlier proposals to build on Mound, and on south side of Princes
Street, and on North Bridge- -The Nor" Loch—Lord Cockburn's
description—Turnips growing below Castle—Railway carried along the
valley—Valley destroyed- -Bank of Scotland—Cockburn Street—Advertisement
scandal—George Street—Extension ol town—Country houses swept away
Chapter Eight
Distinguished citizens -Wilson—Jeffrey -Blackwoods—C'ockburn—Principal
Lee—Sir David Brewster—Bain—Gregory—Abercrombv—Davidson —Watson Gordon
Chapter Nine
The Parliament House- -The Law Courts—The judges—My first attendance at a
criminal trial—Terribly severe sentences—Many illiterate prisoners- Lord
Justice-General Macneill—Ex-Lord Justice-General Hope, a distinguished
Volunteer—Baron Hume a Volunteer—Cockburn''s strictures or their
serving—Inferior Court rooms--Dining customs in the Forties—Parental
inconsistencies
Chapter Ten
Circus Place School-—Our games—Teacher's indiscretion—Injustices to children
-Edinburgh sweetmeats—Roland's gymnastic training—Zoological Gardens- Too
much apron-string— Teaching the young to take care of
themselves—Discriminator in fault-finding—My first soiree
Chapter Eleven
The Edinburgh Academy—Senseless poems of line writing—Our Rectors —Classes
toe large—Range of study advanced too rapidly-—False quantities—John Clerk
of Edin—Dr. Gloag, best of teachers- Qualifications of teachers- -Our
sports- -Sanitary arrangements
Chapter Twelve
Clerk Maxwell—Peter Guthrie Tait—Henry Smith — Cadell—Scott-Moncrieff— Batty
Tuke—Balfour—Mackintosh- -Finlay—Luke—Prosperous state of Academy—Splendid
gifts by former pupils- -My school confession—My tutor, Alexander Nicolson
Chapter Thirteen
The Lord High Commissioner—Michael Sanderson—Soldiers' dress, head-dress,
and equipment—Queen's Birthday fireworks
Chapter Fourteen
Drowning memory—Misjudged parental precaution—Punctuality—Public lighting-
-Gas—English ignorance of Scotland—Funerals
Chapter Fifteen
Hustings elections- Open voting—Thomas Babington Macaulay—Cockburn's
criticism of him—Chartist Riots
Chapter Sixteen
Calton Hill—Disfigurement—Forrest's Statuary—Short's Observatory— City
Chambers -National Gallery—Gasworks chimney—Trinity College Church—St.
Giles' Cathedral
Chapter Seventeen
Disfigurement of Edinburgh—Government outrages—Vandalism on ancient
buildings- -Queen Margaret's Chapel—Castle Parliament Hall—The "Cotton
Mill"--Botanical Gardens buildings—Calton Jail site—Modern public
buildings—Improvements
Chapter Eighteen
Edinburgh University—Laughing-gas day—Professors Gregory and Forbes —Study
of chemistry—Electricity—Magnetism—Telegraphy—Want of foresight of
scientific men- -Choice of profession—Health—Blunders of diagnosis—Study of
the Law—Midnight oil—My professors—Edward Prince of Wales in Edinburgh—An
accident
Chapter Nineteen
Dress in the Fifties- Etiquette at games—Croquet—The pegtops—Crutch and
toothpick crinoline—Present extravagances
Chapter Twenty
Simpson — Christison—Syine- -Goodsir—Lister—Annandale—Watson— Joseph Bell —
John Duncan- -Chiene—Maclagan — Gillespie—Turner— Andrew Wilson — Piazzi
Smythe—Macnee—Rochefort's critique on Raeburn—Dean Ramsay—Rev. Dr.
Macgregor—Thomson—John Hope-Sam Bough
Chapter Twenty-One
Changes in school sports—Football—public interest in local games— Ancient
archery butt—Statute against football and golf—Academical cricket club and
football club
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Volunteers—Napoleon Third's opinion—The Queen's Brigade— Queen's Review,
1860—Her opinion—Appointment as captain and musketry instructor—Amusing
episode at the butts
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bar examinations—Public examination—Sham thesis—Sham ballot—The wig—Lord
Colonsay's Highland accent—Lord Deas' Lowland accent— The Speculative
Society—Honorary members—Alexander Asher
Chapter Twenty-Four
My first fee—Waiting time for practice- -Attractions of Justiciary and fury
Courts—Cross-examination often a pitfall—Walking the Parliament House —
Advice to young advocate — Daily study to avoid mental atrophy—Lord Jeffrey
to his brother (note, p. 308)—Experience of men— Junes and judges and
witnesses—Strain of criminal cases—Strange experiences—Capital cases—Book on
Criminal Law
Chapter Twenty-Five
Circuit Courts—Advocates attending—The old complicated indictments —
Ceremonial Circuits—Lord Cockburri's view—Shamstate—Circuit dinners —An
anachronism—Delay of trials—Iess of this now—Diminution of cases at
Circuit—The Bar room—No professional jealousy--Patience needed--Instances of
delay in success
Chapter Twenty-Six
Judges in i860—Lord-Advocate Moncreiff— Solicitor-General Maitland-
-Deanship and Lord-Advocateship combined—Cockburn deprecated—No such
combination now—Solicitor-Genera! Young—A caustic wit—Bar anecdotes—The
"Sons of the Manse"—Robert Louis Stevenson—Private theatricals—/8th
Highlanders—Arrival home after Indian Mutiny
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Prince Consort's death—Proposals for monument—Too outrageous— Marriage of
Prince of Wales—Illuminations—Ill-directed hospitality— Opening of Scottish
Museum by Duke of Edinburgh—Fenian plots— Special constables
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Faculty of Advocates not businesslike—Sale of premises to W.S. Society —Sale
of Sheriff Court site—Sale of coins and cabinet —Loss of £4300 - -Cabinet
unique—Sheriff of Ross and Cromarty—Solicitor-General - City of Glasgow Bank
failure—Emoluments of Solicitor-General—Proposal. to reduce number of
judges, although Ireland had nearly double, with less business—Appointed
Dean of Faculty—Extension of Advocates' Library
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Royal Review, 1881—Torrents of rain—Seas of mud—Terrible return
journeys—Many deaths in consequence—Well-borne test of discipline—
Restoration of St. Giles' Cathedral—Chapel of Knights of Thistle
Chapter Thirty
Cockburn Association—No aid from body of citizens—Work done—Iron railings
round buildings—Portrait Gallery—Tron Church—St. Paul's—St. Giles'—Filthy
space behind railings—Royal Institution—St. George's Church- -St. Andrew's
Church—National Gallery—Plea for Princes Street —Plea for Calton
Hill—National Monument railing—Place for bandstand —Ramsay Garden
Chapter Thirty-One
The New Buildings—A great disfigurement—View to east coast—Princes Street
widenings- Trees cut down—A bailie's view of trees—An unfulfilled promise of
replanting—Proposed winter garden—The present bandstand —New North Bridge-
-North British and Caledonian Station Hotels
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lord Provosts—Black—M'Laren—Lawson—Chambers—Pour publishers as Lord Provosts
Chapter Thirty-Three
Manufactures—Cockburn's protest—Merchant Company's schools—Cheap
education—Edinburgh newspapers—Change to daily—North British Advertiser
killed—Scotsman's critical time
Chapter Thirty-Four
University Tercentenary—Banquet in Drill Hall—Dreary speeches—New
Buildings—University Hall—Sir Alexander Grant—Restoration of City
Cross—Royal proclamations
Chapter Thirty-Five
Appointment as Lord-Advocate—Elected to Parliament—Meeting with
Chamberlain—A Home Rude episode—John Bright at Home Rule division —Criminal
Procedure Amendment Act—Lucky chance to pass it—Saving effected by Act—Both
money and time—Major O'Gorman
Chapter Thirty-Six
Queen's Jubilee—Compliment on Queen's Brigade uniform—Faculty Dinner in
Parliament House—Insult to Church if Scotland—Put with Nonconformists at
ceremony—Westminster Abbey Service
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Appointment as Lord Justice-Clerk—Misgivings—The Monson Trial— Appointed
Brigadier-General to Forth Volunteer Brigade—Mobilised at time of Boer
War--4000 men—Inaugurated power traction in camp— Hon, Colonel Army Motor
Reserve—Infantry drafts sent to war—Doctors differ
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Diamond Jubilee—Unique experience—Instantaneous message to all her
peoples—Unique assemblage of troops—No memorial of her in Edinburgh
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra—Levee—Drawing-room— Royal Archers'
Parade— Review of Territorial's—First military motorist to march past the
King—Visit of King George and Queen Mary- Levee-Drawing-room—Attend Queen at
Chapel of the Thistle—Attend in command of battalion at review by King of
Veterans—National Reserve
Chapter Forty
Illuminated advertisements put down—One left, the property of Town
Council—West Princes Street Gardens used as advertising station with consent
of Town Council- -Remonstrance against--Public halls—M'Ewan and Usher
Halls—Want of dining-hall—Improved sanitation—Sir Henry
Littlejohn—Destruction of old buildings- -Restoration of Lady Stair's house
Chapter Forty-One
A keen driver—The mechanical vehicle—The 1000 miles' tour— Opposition
—Treated as a fad of the rich— Progress—The aeroplane—The increased
importance of the road—Member of H.M. Road Board—Road improvement—War coming
unawares—Britain's response to cynical wrong—Once more drilling men in my
old age—A hearty farewell |
