THE Scots Magazine, AND EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR MAY 1808. Account of CARLISLE CASTLE. appendages to an ancient building, yet. they were viewed with a double interest when connected with a name so truly interesting. But these trees were, with a disregard to every thing that could be urged to the contrary, consigned to the axe, and sold for a few guineas! One of them was said to be the largest ash tree in Cumberland, and contained many hundred square feet. An act of such unthinking batbarity did not escape the punishment it deserved. A statement of the circumstances, drawn up by a person resident in Carlisle, was repeated in all the public newspapers, and through the medium of some of these reached the knowledge of the Board of Ord THE HE frontispiece to this Magazine represents the Castle of Carlisle, with one of the famous ash trees planted by Mary Queen of Scots, during her residence in that ancient fortress. It is rendered more interesting by a most sacrilegious act which was perpetrated by the engineer who superintended some improvements in the Castle. Carlisle Castle was the place allotted to the unfortunate Queen after she had taken refuge in the dominions of her sister sovereign. Here the unhappy fugitive passed many months under the care of Lord Scroop, who was then warden of the western marThe rooms are still shown which were dignified by that beautiful and interesting Queen's presence.-nance, who immediately instituted an A terrace-walk on which she was permitted to take exercise still retains the name of the lady's-walk; this walk was shaded by some stately ash trees, whose towering branches almost covered the old Portcullis gate. Tradition had assigned the origin of these trees to Mary, and it was always said they were planted by her own hand. As such, they were sacred in the ches. eye of every lover of beauty, and though they were truly beautiful objects as inquiry respecting the conduct of the engineer. He was immediately suspended, and escaped future punisha ment by a sudden and unexpected death. Though the money was refunded, the reverend trees were for ever levelled! and they are preserved only by the draftsman's care, and the tenacious remembrance of the inhabi tants. To our readers who are acquainted with the intimate connection which ANTIQUARIES and historians seem to disagree in fixing the derivation of the name of Carlisle. It was called by the Romans and Britons Luguvallam, and Luguballium, or Luguballia: the Saxons termed it Luel; and the Saxon word Caer (meaning a city) being joined thereto, Caer Luel has probably, by an easy corruption, been changed to its present name Carlisle. Carlisle is allowed by all writers to be of great antiquity; but its origin and ancient history are lost in the mazes of uncertainty. It seems to have been a place of importance in the time of the Romans; not so much, however, a station of defence, as of rest during intervals of tranquillity. After the retreat of the Romans, it is supposed, this place was evacuated by the Britons, and soon laid waste by the destructive irruption of the northern maurauders. It is pretty certain that King Egfrid caused Carlisle to be rebuilt, and fortified it with a wall: and, from the reign of that king to the coming of the Danes, it is presumed to have been much augmented in importance and power. These ravagers, however, after spreading devastation through Northumberland, proceeded to Carlisle, and are said to have burned the town, thrown down the walls, and killed the inhabitants. In that state the city was left for near 200 years, without an inhabitant, except a few Irish who lodged themselves among the ruins; so that large oaks grew in the desolate streets and among the ruins of houses. Thus did this city lie in ashes till the coming of William the Conqueror; when Walter, a Norman priest, one of William's followers, began to rebuild it. William Rufus, afterwards, seeing the importance of this place as a western frontier, directed Walter to complete its rebuilding and fortification; which he performed, erecting many public edifices, and defending the whole by a perfect circumvalla tion and strong fortress. A colony of Flemings (probably the artificers who raised the fortifications) were then placed here. But, shortly after, these were removed to North Wales and the Isle of Anglesey; and the king replaced them with a colony of South Britons; men used to husbandry, and the culture of lands, for the purpose of cultivating the Forest of Inglewood, hitherto in its original state, and to teach the natives the art of profiting from the natural fertility of the soil. To this colony all the records agree in attributing the first regular tillage that was known in the fertile plains of Carlisle. But, notwithstanding these agricultural efforts, we find, 70 years afterwards, that the vicinity of this town was not cleared of wood. About the beginning of the reign of King Stephen, Carlisle was seized by David King of Scotland; which, together with the whole county, Stephen afterwards ceded to him, with a view of procuring his aid against Henry II. In 1138, King David made this city the place of his retreat, after his dreadful overthrow at the battle of Standard. And here he received Alberic, the Pope's legate, by whose influence all the women captives were brought to Carlisle and set at liberty. He also obtained from the Scotch leaders a solemn promise, that, in future incursions, they would spare the church, and with-hold their swords from the aged, from women, and infants: an injunction which humanity dictated, but which the savage customs of the contending nations had not admitted into the modes of warfare. In 1158, Henry II. and the Scotch King had an interview at Carlisle, relative to the restitution of Cumberland to the former. This meeting did not terminate pleasantly; but it appears, that soon afterwards the English obtained and held quiet possession of this city, till a fruitless assault was made upon it in 1173 by William the successor of Malcolm on the thronę of Scotland. But returning the next year with an army of 80,000 men, he commenced a regular siege; the garrison, under the command of Robert de Vaux, was reduced to the greatest distress; and the town would probably soon have been in the hands of the Scots, had not William's being made prisoner at Alnwick concurred with other disastrous events for Scotland to put an end to the horrors of the war. During this reign great part of the city suffered by fire, and the records and charters were destroyed. Alexander, King of Scotland, besieged and took Carlisle in the reign of King John; but could not reduce the castle, which held out, and continued in the hands of the English. In 1292, great part of the city and cathedral, with the records, were destroyed by an accidental fire: and, in 1296, the Scots, after laying waste the county, approached Carlisle, burnt the suburbs, and attempted to take the city by storm; but the bravery of the inhabitants obliged them to abandon their enterprize, and retreat to their own country. During the attack the women shewed astonishing valour; they poured boiling water over the walls upon the heads of their assailants, and performed other intrepid actions. On the 4th of June, in the 32d Edward I. half the city, as far as Rickergate, was burnt down; and three years after that time King Edward I. resided here for about five months, when he proceeded on his last expedition to In the 9th of Edward II. the King of Scotland besieged Carlisle in regu lar form, for ten days; but was obliged to make a precipitate retreat, and was pursued by the English with good effect. In the 11th of Edward III. the Scots laid siege to Carlisle, and burnt the suburbs, but the city held out. In 1345, the Scots burnt this place, but were afterwards repulsed by the English. Carlisle, during Aske's rebellion, in the 29th of Henry VIII. was besieged by an army of 8000 men. The garrison, however, found means to discomfit their designs; and they were afterwards intercepted by the Duke of Norfolk, who ordered the leaders, with about seventy others, for immediate execution, and hung them on the city walls. In the 40th and 41st of Elizabeth a dreadful plague visited this place; to which 1196 persons fell victims.---These were computed to be about one third of the inhabitants. In 1644, Carlisle was surrendered to the Parliament forces under Lesley, after a siege and blockade of near eight months; in which time the distress of the garrison was so great, that they eat dogs, horses, rats, &c. The last hostile acts of which Carlisle was the scene, were those in the Scotch rebellion in 1745; when it was taken possession of by the rebel army; and afterwards retaken by the King's forces, under the Duke of Cumberland. The result of this transaction is too well known to need a repetition here. (To be concluded in our next.) Proceedings of the WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. T wards Scotland, and died at Burgh-on- A the last meeting of the Werne Sands. Α rian Natural History Society, (14th May) Mr P. Walker read an Ac Account of the Birds that frequent the vicinity of Edinburgh. He enumerated 178 species; of which 11 belong to the genus Falco; 4 to Strix; i Lanius--8 Corvus; 1 Oriolus ; 1 Cuculus; 1 Picus; 1 Alcedo; 1 Upupa; 1 Certhia.-2 Sturnus; 6 Turdns.1 Ampelis; 2 Loxia; 7 Emberiza; 8 Fringilla; 1 Muscicapa; 3 Alauda; 15 Motacilla; 4 Parus; 4 Hirundo; 1 Caprimulgus,--2 Columba.--10 Phasianus; 6 Tetrao.-3 Ardea; 6 Scolopax; 7 Tringa; 4 Charadrius ; 1 Haematopus.-3 Rallus; 3 Fulica; 4 Podiceps. 4 Alca; 6 Colymbus; 2 Sterna; 12 Larus; 1 Procellaria; 5 Merganser; 20 Anas; 4 Pelecanus. This account was accompanied with interesting observations on the distinctions of several of the species, their changes of plumage at different ages and times of the year, and their kind of food; and specimens of some of the dubious species were exhibited. At the same meeting, Mr Jameson read the following Mineralogical Queries, and stated the reasons that indueed him to consider the objects pointed out by them, as deserving the particlar attention of Mineralogists. Mineralogical Queries. 1. In what species of rock are the metalliferous veins of Tyndrum situated; and what are the minerals they contain? 2. Are the lead-glance veins of Strontian situated in Sienite; and what are their other geognostic relations? 3. Are the trap-veins that traverse the mining-field at Strontian, basalt, porphyry-slate, or greenstone; or do all these different species of rock occur in that district? 4. Does the quartz-rock of Scuraber and Morven in Caithness, and of Portsoy, in Banffshire, occur in an unconformable and overlying position; or does it belong to the conformable primitive rocks, as clay-slate` or micaslate? 5. Does not the granular rock of Bennevis rather belong to the Sienite than the granite formation? 6. Does the rock of the hill of Kinnoul, near Perth, belong to the flætztrap or newest floetz-trap formation? 7. Is the mountain of Cairnsmuir, in Galloway, composed of old granite ? 8. What is the extent, and particular geognostic relations, of the Black Pitchstone of Eskdale-Muir in Dumfries-shire? 9. Does the Black Pitchstone of the Cheviot Hills belong to the newest floetz-trap formation? 10. On what formation does the por phyry slate of Braid Hills, near Edinburgh, rest; and what are the venigenous and imbedded fossils it contains? 11. What are the geognostic characters and relations of the edge and flat coal-beds or seams in Mid-Lo thian? 12. On what formation does the Calton-Hill, near Edinburgh, rest? 13. Does the greenstone of Corstor phine Hill belong to the independent coal formation ? 14. Does not the hill, on which the town of Stirling is built, belong to the coal formation? 15. What are the geognostic characters and relations of the veins that traverse, or are included in the greenstone of the independent coal formation? 16. What are the characters of the Transition Greenstone of the South of Scotland? 17. What are the particular species of petrifactions that occur in the transition limestone, near the Crook, on the road from Edinburgh to Moffat? |