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contemporaries； and now； when the elegance is not so
apparent； the significance remains。 You may perhaps look
with a smile on the profusion of Latin mottoes … some
crawling endwise up the shaft of a pillar； some issuing
on a scroll from angels' trumpets … on the emblematic
horrors； the figures rising headless from the grave； and
all the traditional ingenuities in which it pleased our
fathers to set forth their sorrow for the dead and their
sense of earthly mutability。 But it is not a hearty sort
of mirth。 Each ornament may have been executed by the
merriest apprentice； whistling as he plied the mallet；
but the original meaning of each； and the combined effect
of so many of them in this quiet enclosure； is serious to
the point of melancholy。
Round a great part of the circuit； houses of a low
class present their backs to the churchyard。 Only a few
inches separate the living from the dead。 Here； a window
is partly blocked up by the pediment of a tomb； there；
where the street falls far below the level of the graves；
a chimney has been trained up the back of a monument； and
a red pot looks vulgarly over from behind。 A damp smell
of the graveyard finds its way into houses where workmen
sit at meat。 Domestic life on a small scale goes forward
visibly at the windows。 The very solitude and stillness
of the enclosure； which lies apart from the town's
traffic； serves to accentuate the contrast。 As you walk
upon the graves； you see children scattering crumbs to
feed the sparrows； you hear people singing or washing
dishes； or the sound of tears and castigation； the linen
on a clothes…pole flaps against funereal sculpture； or
perhaps the cat slips over the lintel and descends on a
memorial urn。 And as there is nothing else astir； these
incongruous sights and noises take hold on the attention
and exaggerate the sadness of the place。
Greyfriars is continually overrun by cats。 I have
seen one afternoon； as many as thirteen of them seated on
the grass beside old Milne； the Master Builder； all sleek
and fat； and complacently blinking； as if they had fed
upon strange meats。 Old Milne was chaunting with the
saints； as we may hope； and cared little for the company
about his grave； but I confess the spectacle had an ugly
side for me； and I was glad to step forward and raise my
eyes to where the Castle and the roofs of the Old Town；
and the spire of the Assembly Hall； stood deployed
against the sky with the colourless precision of
engraving。 An open outlook is to be desired from a
churchyard； and a sight of the sky and some of the
world's beauty relieves a mind from morbid thoughts。
I shall never forget one visit。 It was a grey；
dropping day； the grass was strung with rain…drops； and
the people in the houses kept hanging out their shirts
and petticoats and angrily taking them in again； as the
weather turned from wet to fair and back again。 A grave…
digger； and a friend of his； a gardener from the country；
accompanied me into one after another of the cells and
little courtyards in which it gratified the wealthy of
old days to enclose their old bones from neighbourhood。
In one； under a sort of shrine； we found a forlorn human
effigy； very realistically executed down to the detail of
his ribbed stockings； and holding in his hand a ticket
with the date of his demise。 He looked most pitiful and
ridiculous； shut up by himself in his aristocratic
precinct； like a bad old boy or an inferior forgotten
deity under a new dispensation； the burdocks grew
familiarly about his feet； the rain dripped all round
him； and the world maintained the most entire
indifference as to who he was or whither he had gone。 In
another； a vaulted tomb； handsome externally but horrible
inside with damp and cobwebs； there were three mounds of
black earth and an uncovered thigh bone。 This was the
place of interment； it appeared； of a family with whom
the gardener had been long in service。 He was among old
acquaintances。 'This'll be Miss Marg'et's；' said he；
giving the bone a friendly kick。 'The auld … ！' I have
always an uncomfortable feeling in a graveyard； at sight
of so many tombs to perpetuate memories best forgotten；
but I never had the impression so strongly as that day。
People had been at some expense in both these cases： to
provoke a melancholy feeling of derision in the one； and
an insulting epithet in the other。 The proper
inscription for the most part of mankind； I began to
think； is the cynical jeer； CRAS TIBI。 That； if
anything； will stop the mouth of a carper； since it both
admits the worst and carries the war triumphantly into
the enemy's camp。
Greyfriars is a place of many associations。 There
was one window in a house at the lower end； now
demolished； which was pointed out to me by the
gravedigger as a spot of legendary interest。 Burke； the
resurrection man； infamous for so many murders at five
shillings a…head； used to sit thereat； with pipe and
nightcap； to watch burials going forward on the green。
In a tomb higher up； which must then have been but newly
finished； John Knox； according to the same informant； had
taken refuge in a turmoil of the Reformation。 Behind the
church is the haunted mausoleum of Sir George Mackenzie：
Bloody Mackenzie； Lord Advocate in the Covenanting
troubles and author of some pleasing sentiments on
toleration。 Here； in the last century； an old Heriot's
Hospital boy once harboured from the pursuit of the
police。 The Hospital is next door to Greyfriars … a
courtly building among lawns； where； on Founder's Day；
you may see a multitude of children playing Kiss…in…the…
Ring and Round the Mulberry…bush。 Thus； when the
fugitive had managed to conceal himself in the tomb； his
old schoolmates had a hundred opportunities to bring him
food； and there he lay in safety till a ship was found to
smuggle him abroad。 But his must have been indeed a
heart of brass； to lie all day and night alone with the
dead persecutor； and other lads were far from emulating
him in courage。 When a man's soul is certainly in hell；
his body will scarce lie quiet in a tomb however costly；
some time or other the door must open； and the reprobate
come forth in the abhorred garments of the grave。 It was
thought a high piece of prowess to knock at the Lord
Advocate's mausoleum and challenge him to appear。
'Bluidy Mackingie； come oot if ye dar'！' sang the fool…
hardy urchins。 But Sir George had other affairs on hand；
and the author of an essay on toleration continues to
sleep peacefully among the many whom he so intolerantly
helped to slay。
For this INFELIX CAMPUS； as it is dubbed in one of
its own inscriptions … an inscription over which Dr。
Johnson passed a critical eye … is in many ways sacred to
the memory of the men whom Mackenzie persecuted。 It was
here； on the flat tombstones； that the Covenant was
signed by an enthusiastic people。 In the long arm of the
church…yard that extends to Lauriston； the prisoners from
Bothwell Bridge … fed on bread and water and guarded；
life for life； by vigilant marksmen … lay five months
looking for the scaffold or the plantations。 And while
the good work was going forward in the Grassmarket；
idlers in Greyfriars might have heard the throb of the
military drums that drowned the voices of the martyrs。
Nor is this all： for down in the corner farthest from Sir
George； there stands a monument dedicated； in uncouth
Covenanting verse； to all who lost their lives in that
contention。 There is no moorsman shot in a snow shower
beside Irongray or Co'monell； there is not one of the two
hundred who were drowned off the Orkneys； nor so much as
a poor； over…driven； Covenanting slave in the American
plantations； but can lay claim to a share in that
memorial； and； if such things interest just men among the
shades； can boast he has a monument on earth as well as
Julius Caesar or the Pharaohs。 Where they may all lie； I
know not。 Far…scattered bones； indeed！ But if the
reader cares to learn how some of them … or some part of
some of them … found their way at length to such
honourable sepulture； let him listen to the words of one
who was their comrade in life and their apologist when
they were dead。 Some of the insane controversial matter
I omit； as well as some digressions； but leave the rest
in Patrick Walker's language and orthography：…
'The never to be forgotten Mr。 JAMES RENWICK TOLD
me； that he was Witness to their Public Murder at the
GALLOWLEE； between LEITH and EDINBURGH； when he saw the
Hangman hash and hagg off all their Five Heads； with
PATRICK FOREMAN'S Right Hand： Their Bodies were all
buried at the Gallows Foot； their Heads； with PATRICK'S
Hand； were brought and put upon fiv