In the constant wars with England Edinburgh naturally suffered much. It was damaged by Edward II. in 1322, when Holyrood Abbey was also spoiled. Under Edward III. the country was laid waste in 1335, when the capital was again injured. This raid, having occurred in February, was afterwards known as the “burnt Candlemas,” from the conflagrations raised during its continuance. A reconstruction of the edifice was probably required after these destructive harryings, and this appears to have been carried out during the fourteenth century. But shortly afterwards a most complete devastation of the town and all its buildings was occasioned by Richard II. during his invasion in 1385. He then occupied Edinburgh for five days, and, on his departure, laid the town and the parish church in ashes. A great effort was made by the citizens on this occasion, along with assistance from the Crown, to repair the disaster to their church. From this period the history of the structure as it now exists may be said to date. We have no account of the condition of the edifice immediately before its destruction in 1385, but it must (as above mentioned) have been to a large extent rebuilt before that time. It is said that during the restoration which took place in 1870-80,[157] traces of fire were observed on the pillars of the choir, and it is inferred that these pillars must have existed before the burning caused by Richard II. This view is confirmed by the fact that, after 1387, when, doubtless, the town authorities were doing all they could to complete the restoration of St. Giles’, they entered into a contract with certain masons to erect five chapels along the south side of the nave, having pillars and vaulted roofs, covered with dressed stone slabs[158] These chapels still exist, and the wall rib of the vaulting is yet visible on the south side of the arcade, next the south aisle; but the vault and stone roof have been removed, and a plaster ceiling of imitation vaulting substituted. The above contract indicates that the walls of the nave then existed. We must, therefore, assume that the church had been rebuilt previous to the destruction of 1385, and that the above contract was an addition to the building connected with its restoration two years after the fire. Although, doubtless, much injured by the conflagration, the walls and pillars of the church seem to have escaped total destruction. The style of the architecture would lead to the same view; the octagonal pillars of the choir, with their moulded caps, being most probably of the fourteenth century.