Julia Griffiths to Frederick Douglass, January 25, 1856

LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD.

Number XIII.

EDINBURGH, Jan. 25th, 1856.

"EDINA! SCOTIA'S darling seat! All hail thy palaces and towers, Where once beneath a monarch's feet Sat legislation's sovereign powers!

"Here wealth still swells the golden tide, As busy trade his labor plies; There architecture's noble pride Bids elegance and splendor rise; Here justice, from her native skies, High wields her balance and her rod; There learning, with his eagle eyes, Seeks science in her coy abode.

"With awe-struck thought and pitying tears, I view that noble, stately dome, Where SCOTIA'S kings of other years, Famed heroes, had their royal home."

So, my dear friend, sings your favorite poet, Scotland's greatest bard; and as I have just come from Holyrood Palace, where I have traversed the apartments of the beautiful MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, and those of the ill-fated DARNLEY—have seen the (veritable?) blood stains of DAVID RIZZIO—have stood on the site of that fearful murder—have wandered up and down the ruined Chapel of Holyrood, where MARY, in an evil hour, plighted her troth to the weak and dissipated son of LENOX—have visited the Picture Gallery, now filled with dark, gloomy portraits of departed monarchs, and thronged, in other days, with gallant knights and ladies fair, when "PRINCE CHARLIE" made it his ball-room, and the bold and daring FERGUS MCIVOR, the noble and devoted FLORA, the sweet and gentle ROSE BRADWARDINE trod the floor—you will not wonder that my mind is filled with visions of the past, and that the people and things around me are as if they were not. One must visit Holyrood before being able, in any degree, to realize the melancholy history of MARY STUART, the beautiful, the fascinating but ill-fated daughter of an ill-fated line. Poor MARY! I cannot disenthrall myself from the spell of thy enchantment. So young! so lonely! so friendless! insulted by the coarse and ruffian Barons—anathematized

by the stern reformer, JOHN KNOX—ill-treated and slighted by him who should have loved and shielded thee from every harm—courted by some bad men—persecuted by others—now the prisoner of one party—and now of another—what woman does not pity thy hard and cruel fate—and who will dare to throw "the first stone" at thee?

Without a doubt, most of the thrilling interest with which the venerable apartments of Holyrood are invested, is derived from those events which inseparably connect the Palace with the life of MARY, Queen of Scots.

I also visited that portion of the Palace which our good QUEEN VICTORIA occupies, as she passes through Edinburgh, on her way to her Highland retreat. These apartments belong to the EARL OF BREADALBANE, and are of modern date. Some good paintings decorate the walls, of which "LADY RICH," by Vandyke, is deemed the finest. There is also a splendid picture by LE BRUN, "Scipio Africanas restoring liberty to the Captives."—Still I found it difficult to get up much interest in this section of the Palace. I think it would be far better for visitors to go over it before seeing the more ancient portion of Holyrood, and getting the mind too deeply colored by the "every hue" of the faded tapestry in MARY'S apartments.

I walked all along the "Cannongate" today—saw all that remains of the old Tolbooth—and looked on the house of JOHN KNOX.

On Tuesday I explored "Arthur`s Seat."—The day was, for winter, very fine; and grandly did the Lion Conchant appear, in the light of the clear, blue sky. You have, without doubt, a vivid recollection of the grandeur of the scenery in this interesting locality, and of the series of fine panoramas that appear before the visitor. The Braid Hills, the Pentland Hills, the Soutea Hills, the Fife

Hills, and the Blackford Hill, are seen in succession; and then the beautiful little Lochs vary the scenery. In summer, they must look like sheets of silver—now King Winter holds his court there on the ice; and Duddington Loch, Dun Sappie Loch, and Loch End, are thronged with his courtiers, who come to perform skating exploits of divers kinds. I looked on the Frith of Forth and Inch Keith, with its light house—and returned through the Hunters` Bog, immortalized in "the Heart of Midlothian." The heap of stones is yet standing, called "Muschat`s Cairn," where (you will remember) Jeanie Deans was summoned by the mysterious Robertson, to meet him, "as the moon rises behind St. Anthony's Hill." The ruins of St. Anthony`s Chapel, and his Well, may still be seen. Salisbury Grags yet rear their lofty heads on high; but the cottage of the gude mon, David Deans, is visible only in "the mind's eye;" and 'tis only by the ear of memory that the wild strains are yet heard, and the words made audible,

"When the glede's in the blue cloud, The lavrock lies still; When the hound's in the green-wood, The hind keeps the hill."

Here we are, everywhere, on classic ground; and this knowledge imparts the crowning charm to this beautiful city and its environs, and invests Edinburgh with a rare and intense interest. I have not yet visited the Castle; and my visit to Carlton Hill was rendered so infelicitous by the rain and fog, that I saw nothing.

I have been favored with excellent opportunities of seeing the best Edinburgh Society; these were secured to me by my dear and kind Glasgow friends, whose introductions have done more than I could possibly have anticipated; and but for severe illness in the family of the kind friends with whom I was to have stayed

while here, and the necessity of change in my destination, at the eleventh hour, my visit to this fairy city would have been as complete as most things in this mortal life. With the Edinburgh people I am delighted, speaking collectively. I may, probably, enter more into details, by and bye, though you know, as well as I do, that it is not in British fashion to praise our private friends in letters intended for the press.

Of Anti-Slavery, too, and Anti-Slavery Societies, I shall have something to say by and bye.

GLASGOW, Feb. 1st, 1856.

I was unable to complete my letter last week, nor will it now be as lengthy, nor as interesting as I could desire; but post time is near, and I will send it, at any rate.

The demands, made upon my strength and energy, were so numerous in Edinburgh, that glad was I to run away for a week, and rest myself in my old quarters, with my dear Glasgow friends, the half of whose kindness can never be told. I am much better already, and shall return to Edinburgh early in next week.

This day's paper brings me the melancholy intelligence of the death of Mr. JOHN BARLOW, of Pilrig Street. You will, I am sure, deeply sympathize with your dear friend, the bereaved wife, in this deep affliction. It was on New Year's day that Mr. Barlow was seen walking along Prince's Street, with his little son by the hand, looking so well and happy. On the 5th, I spent some hours with Mrs. Barlow; but he was rather unwell, and kept his room, yet rheumatism only was spoken of, and nothing serious apprehended; and now the worst has come, and he is called away from those he held so dear. At such seasons of mourning, what should we do without the assurance that,

"Beyond the flight of time, Beyond the reign of death, There surely is some blessed clime Where life is not a breath; Nor life's affections transient fire, Whose sparks fly upwards and expire?"

"The changes and chances of this mortal life," are often moralized upon, and yet oftener realized. Last evening, I was present, for the first time, at a Scotch wedding. The Bride is a niece of the dear friends I am visiting; and therefore, although the wedding party com-prized only near relations on both sides, I was the privileged exception to the general rule, and became one of the wedding party. A Paisley minister, of the United Presbyterian Church, performed the ceremony, which was very simple. There was no giving away of the lady by any one, and no ring was used. The company being all assembled in the drawing-room, at six o'clock in the evening, the father of the bride, and the best man, (as the groomsman is called in Scotland,) escorted the bride and bridesmaid into the room—and forthwith the ceremony commenced with a prayer, all the company standing in a circle. Then the minister gave a very nice and appropriate address to the two parties concerned; he presumed there was no impediment to the marriage, as he was an old friend of both families; the bride and bridegroom joined hands for a brief time—then came another prayer, and all was over—the new married couple received the congratulations of their friends, and then we all adjourned to tea; after which, the huge wedding cake was placed on the table—duly cut—and the ring, thimble, &c.," were drawn for—neither of them came to my share; wedding favors were distributed to all the guests. Music, singing, dancing, and other games occupied the remainder of the evening. The bride and bridegroom quitted the party soon after tea—