The EAST CHURCH, at least the chancel, was built by Cardinal Beatoun; but, though a later, and in external appearance a more magnificent structure, it is not, in reality, of such elegant architecture as its more aged neighbour. Its east window is tall and handsome, the mullions fortunately being still preserved. Around the exterior of the building are eleven buttresses, each having a vacant niche, which are supposed to have been filled, before the Reformation, with statues of the apostles, Judas of course excepted. In the chancel of the East Church was a tomb-stone bearing this inscription, in Latin:—‘In memory of Margaret Steuart, grand-daughter of James V., King of Scots; daughter to the Earl of Murray, regent, and Anne Keith, a lady of quality; wife to the Earl of Arrol. She died of a distemper upon Sabbath, the 2d April, in the year of our Lord 1586, in the 16th year of her age. The Lord, who alone united us, has parted us by death.’ The church of Stirling is remarkable in Scottish history, as the place where the regent Earl of Arran, in 1543, abjured the Catholic faith, and avowed the Protestant doctrines; which, however, he afterwards renounced. Here, also, on the 29th of July 1567, James VI. was crowned, at the age of thirteen months and ten days, John Knox preaching the coronation sermon, and Lords Lindsay and Ruthven, who extorted the resignation of the crown from the unfortunate Mary, being among the nobles who assisted at the ceremony. In 1651, Monk took possession of the tower, or steeple, from which he proceeded to batter the castle. The Highlanders, in 1746, assumed the same station, for the purpose of celebrating their victory at Falkirk, which they did by ringing of bells, and discharging fire-arms from the battlements. On both of these occasions, the steeple suffered from the shot of the castle; and hollows are still pointed out on its sides, which are said to have been occasioned by the bullets. The steeple is distinguished by a majestic simplicity, which, without elaborate ornament of any kind, renders it an object of no inconsiderable interest to the spectator. The building seen to the right of the churches, in the annexed view, is Cowan’s Hospital, built in 1639. John Cowan, a merchant in Stirling, between the years 1633 and 1637, left forty thousand merks, to endow an hospital, or alms-house, for twelve decayed brethren of the guild or mercantile corporation of Stirling. The money was invested in the purchase of lands, which now yield a revenue of upwards of £3400 sterling _per annum_. From this fund about a hundred and forty persons, at present, receive relief. The front of the house exhibits a full-length statue of the founder, which will be looked upon with interest as a memorial of the costume of the better order of Scottish burghers, in the reign of Charles I. [Illustration: _PLATE. VII._ A. S. Masson Del^t. J. Gellatly Sculp^t. BROAD STREET. STIRLING.] BROAD STREET. _PLATE VII._