Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
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Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)
Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
Authors, Scottish -- 19th century -- Biography; Scott, Walter, 1771-1832
"We reach Scalloway, and visit the ruins of an old castle, composed of
a double tower or keep, with turrets at the corners. It is the
principal, if not the only ruin of Gothic times in Zetland, and is of
very recent date, being built in 1600. It was built by Patrick
Stewart, Earl of Orkney, afterwards deservedly executed at Edinburgh
for many acts of tyranny and oppression. It was this rapacious lord
who imposed many of those heavy duties still levied from the
Zetlanders by Lord Dundas. The exactions by which he accomplished this
erection were represented as grievous. He was so dreaded that upon his
trial one Zetland witness refused to say a word till he was assured
that there was no chance of the Earl returning to Scalloway. Over the
entrance of the castle are his arms, much defaced, with the unicorns
of Scotland for supporters, the assumption of which was one of the
articles of indictment. There is a Scriptural inscription also above
the door, in Latin, now much defaced:--
'PATRICIUS ORCHADIÆ ET ZETLANDIÆ COMES. A. D. 1600.
CUJUS FUNDAMEN SAXUM EST, DOMUS ILLA MANEBIT
STABILIS: E CONTRA, SI SIT ARENA, PERIT.'
"This is said to have been furnished to Earl Patrick by a Presbyterian
divine, who slyly couched under it an allusion to the evil practices
by which the Earl had established his power. He perhaps trusted that
the language might disguise the import from the Earl.[68] If so, the
Scottish nobility are improved in literature, for the Duke of Gordon
pointed out an error in the Latinity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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