[217] About seventy paces to the east of the site of the Prebendaries’
Chamber, and exactly opposite to the opening of Roxburgh Place, was a
projection in the wall, which has been long demolished and the wall
altered. Close, however, to the west of the place, and near the ground,
are some remains of an arch in the wall, which Malcolm Laing supposes
to have been a gun-port connected with the projection at this spot.
It certainly has no connection, as Arnot and (after him) Whitaker
have supposed, with the story of Darnley’s murder. [This relic of the
Flodden wall is now removed, but a portion of the wall itself still
stands behind the houses at the north-east junction of Drummond Street
and the Pleasance. Another portion was recently discovered at the east
end of Lothian Street, between that street and the Royal Scottish
Museum. Another part forms the north side of a _cul de sac_ at Lindsay
Place, and at the Vennel is the largest part of this old wall, with
one of its few towers, forming the western boundary of the grounds of
Heriot’s Hospital.]
[218] Hose in those days covered the whole of the lower part of the
person.
[219] This indicates pretty nearly the site of the house of Bassendyne,
the early printer. It must have been opposite, or nearly opposite, to
the Fountain Well.