New lights on old Edinburgh Author:John Reid Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE HIGH STREET IN OLDEN TIMES Insanitary habits—Dirtiest town in Europe—A Lord Provost summoned to the Police Court—Scenes at the Market Cross —Old Guard Hou... more »se—Salt 'Prone—Barbarous punishments —Jenny Geddes and other "pair kail wives." Three centuries ago the High Street of Edinburgh was not the most attractive place for a saunter, each "land" having its own dunghill, in which the swine grovelled at will. It has been facetiously suggested that the citizens thought lightly of their insanitary surroundings, from the fact that at a later period one of the flourishing taverns near Borth- wick's Close rejoiced in the name of " The Cock and Trumpet," which a huge signboard pictorially represented to mean a cock crowing on a midden. But the "Cock and Trumpet" was the crest of Acheson of Gosford, who lived in Bakehouse Close, Canongate, and probably its use at the tavern was merely a conceit of one of his late dependants. Still, there was ample room for sarcasm. The canals of Amsterdam and the byways of Cologne were sweetand refreshing after a sniff of " the dirtiest town in Europe," with its distinctive Trone heap of fish offal and other abominations. Hence the expressive apostrophe, " Sweet Edinburgh ! I smell thee noo!" Garbage and household refuse continued to be thrown from windows till this century was well advanced, and many yet remember the grating of the opening window, the terrible cry of "Gardez 1'eau," and their own startled appeal to householders to "Haud their hand." The Police Records show that the practice was quite common this century, not only in the old town, and in such a fashionable quarter as George Square, but also in the new town. Distinguished personages, such as Lord Provost Coulter, appear among the delinquents.1 On the highway between Parliament S...« less