Part 2 (1/2)

The Grassibbet stone was at the east end of the Market It consisted of a ular hole in the allows Most of the Covenanters ere executed for conscience' sake in the reigns of Charles II and James II

breathed their last at this spot The Porteous mob, in 1736, had its culed out of the Tolbooth in the High Street and hurried down the West Bow, the galloas not in its place; but the leaders of the allows stone, on the south side of the street, not far frorandfather's door

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See Heart of Midlothian ]

I have not much to say about my father's education For the most part, he was his own schoolht him his A B C; and that he afterwards learned to read at Mairls at the top of a house in the Grassht to rear his Bible, and to repeat his Carritch

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The Shorter Catechiser boys who could read the Bible, the strongest of the up the Castle rock, and reaching what they called ”The Bibler's Seat” It et up to the place The seat was almost immediately under theof the room in which James VI was born

My father often pointed it out toin which he had been engaged in his younger years

[Ie] The Bibler's seat

The annexed illustration is fro; the Bibler's Seat is , but much more mischievous, was a trick which he played with some of his companions on the tops of the houses on the north side of the Grassmarket The boys took a barrel to the Castlehill, filled it with small stones, and then shot it doards the roofs of the houses in the Grassmarket The barrel leapt from rock to rock, burst, and scattered a shower of stones far and wide The fun was to see the ”boddies” look out of their garret ith their lighted lamps or candles, peer into the dark, and try to see as the cause of the apatam, played a trick of the sa my father's favourite companions were the two sons of Dr John Erskine, minister of Old Greyfriars, in conjunction with the equally celebrated Dr Robertson Dr Erskine

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Dr Erskine is well described by Scott in Guy Mannering, on the occasion when Pleydell and Mannering went to hear hireat influence in his day, well known for his literary and theological works, as well as for his piety and practical benevolence On one occasion, when my father was at play with his sons, one of thehbour's

A servant of the house ran out, and seeing the culprit, called out, ”Very wee!, Maister Erskine, I'll tell yeer faither wha broke the windae!” On which the boy, to throw her off the scent, said to his brother loudly, ”Eh, keist! she thinks we're the boddy Erskine's sons”

The boddy Erskine! Who ever heard of such an irreverent nicknareat ht the woman She made no further inquiry, and the boys escaped scot free The culprit afterwards entered the service of the East India Coreat reputation at the siege of Seringapatam, where he led the forlorn hope

Erskine was promoted, until in course of tieneral To return to my father's education

After he left ”Mah School It was an old establishlish throne, It was afterwards des; and the new High School was erected a little below the old Royal Infirh School, Alexander Nasht by his father, first aritheometry and mathematics, so far as the first three books of Euclid were concerned After that, his own innate skill, ability, and industry enabled him to complete the rest of his education

At a very early period my father exhibited a decided natural taste for art He used his pencil freely in sketching from nature; and in course of time he showed equal skill in the use of oil colour At his own earnest request he was bound apprentice to Mr Crighton, then the chief coachbuilder in Edinburgh He was employed in that special department where artistic taste was necessary--that is, in decorating the panels of the highest class of carriages, and painting upon thereat pleasure in this kind of work It introduced hiave him command over his materials

Still further to i, h Drawing Academy

This institution, termed ”The Trustees' Academy of Fine Art,” had been for from the estates confiscated after the rebellions of 1715 and 1745 Part of these funds was set apart by Govern, and also for the establish, carpet manufacture, and other industrial occupations

These arts were introduced into Scotland by the French Protestants, who had been persecuted for conscience' sake out of their own country, and settled in England, Ireland, and Scotland, where they prosecuted their industrial callings The Corporation was anxious to afford an asylurants settled doith their families, and pursued their occupations of da They were also required to take Scotch apprentices, and teach theistrates caused cottages and workshops to be erected on a piece of unoccupied land near Edinburgh, where the street appropriately called Picardy Place now stands,--the greater nu come from Picardy in France

In connection with the establishment of these industrial artisans, it was necessary to teach the young Scotch apprentices drawing, for the purpose of designing new patterns suitable for the market Hence the establishment by the Trustees of the Forfeited Estate Funds of ”The Acade of patterns, the institution advanced to the iwere invited to enter the school and participate in its benefits

At the time that my father was apprenticed to the coach painter, the Trustees' Acadeinally been a house painter, fro ”Other artists,” said one who knew him, ”talked meat and drink; but Runciman talked landscape” He went to Roh, and devoted hi He was also promoted to the office of master of the Trustees' Acades from nature, Runciman found them so satisfactory that he was at once adan to study with intense eagerness The youngthe day could only attend in the evening And thus the evenings were fixed for studying drawing and design The Trustees'

Academy made its reat note -- such as Raeburn, Wilkie, my father, and many more

At the time when my father entered as a student, the stock of casts fros from the old masters, were very small; so much so, indeed, that Runci the students to copy theain