The young queen, who had been crowned on the 16th, made her ceremonial
entry into Edinburgh by the West Port, sitting in her chariot, which
was drawn by eight splendidly caparisoned horses. She was attended
by thirty-six Danes on horseback, each accompanied by some Scottish
lord or knight. The citizens gave her welcome ‘with great triumph and
joy, pageants being erected in every place, adorned with all things
befitting. Young boys with artificial wings did fly towards her,
and presented two silver keys of the city’[164]--‘as use is, under a
veil.’ The Castle fired repeatedly in honour of the day, and forty-two
young men of the town, dressed in white taffeta and cloth of silver,
with gold chains, and disguised as Moors, danced before her along the
streets. When she came to the Over Bow,[165] ‘Mr Hercules Rollock,
master of the Grammar School, made his orison. Thereafter [she] came
to a scaffold at the Butter Tron,[166] whilk was plenished with
the fairest young women of the town, fitly apparelled, with organs
playing and musicians singing; where ane bairn made ane Latin orison.
At the Tolbooth was younkers on ane scaffold, in women’s claithing,
representing Peace, Plenty, Policy, Justice, Liberality, and Temperance
[who likewise made her an oration]. Thereafter, [they] passed to the
kirk, where Mr Robert Bruce, minister, made the sermon.’[167] At the
Cross, to which the party next came, there was ‘a covered table,
whereon stood cups of gold and silver full of wine, with the goddess
of corn and wine sitting thereat, and the corn in heaps by her, who,
in Latin, cried that there should be plenty thereof in her time; and
upon the side of the Cross sat the god Bacchus upon a puncheon of
wine, winking, and casting it by cups full upon the people, besides
other of the townsmen, that cast apples and nuts among them; and the
Cross itself ran claret wine upon the causey for the loyalty of that
day.’[168]
[Sidenote: 1590.]
‘All curious pastimes and conceits
Could be imaginat by man,
Was to be seen on Edinburgh gaits,
Frae time that bravity began:
Ye micht have heard on every street
Trim melody and music sweet.
* * * * *
‘Organs and regals[169] there did carp,
With their gay glittering golden strings;
There was the hautboy and the harp,
Playing maist sweet and pleasant springs:
And some on lutes did play and sing,
Of instruments the only king.
‘Viols and virginals were here,
With gitterns maist jucundious;
Trumpets and timbrels made great beir,
With instruments melodious:
The seistar and the sumphion,
With clarche, pipe, and clarion.’[170]
The variety of instruments here specified as in use in Edinburgh in
1590, will probably excite surprise.
From the Cross the queen proceeded to the Salt Tron, ‘where was
represented the king’s grace’ genealogy in the form of a tree, from
the Bruce till himself ... ane bairn at the root of the tree made ane
orison in Latin describing the haill bairns and branches. And syne
[they] come to the Nether Bow, where the seven planets were, and gave
the weird [fortune] in Latin. All their reasons was to the thanking
of God and loving of the king and queen’s grace, and spoken in Latin
because the queen understood na Scots.’[171]
[Sidenote: MAY 23.]
This evening, being a Sunday, the Danish nobles and gentlemen who had
convoyed the queen to Scotland, received a formal entertainment from
the magistrates of Edinburgh. A handsome alcoved room, which still
exists, in the house of the Master of the Mint, in the Cowgate, was
appropriated for the purpose. The style of the banquet seems to have
been more remarkable for abundance than for elegance. There was simply
bread and meat, with four boins of beer, four gang of ale, and four
puncheons of wine. The house, however, was hung with tapestry; and
the tables were decorated with chandlers and flowers. We hear, too,
of napery, of ‘twa dozen great vessels,’ and of ‘cupbuirds, and men
to keep them.’ The furnishing of all these articles was distributed
among the city dignitaries, apparently with some reference to their
respective professions.[172]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1590.