e of King Charles the Second in the middle. In this square stands
the Parliament-House, where their parliaments were kept: Also the
Council and Treasury, and all other publick offices. It's a fine modern
building of free-stone, finished by Charles the First in 1636.
Underneath this building is kept the lawyer's library[67]; where there
is a fine collection of books, of medals, and of ancient coins, the
largest of English and Scots coins I ever saw. I could not perceive that
the Scots bore the lion rampant in a tressor of Flower-de-Luces[68] on
the coins, till the Stewarts.

Joining to this library is the Register, where are kept all the deeds
and securities of the nation, as a common bank. Here is also a very good
bank for money,[69] whose notes go current all over the nation. There is
also a fine room in this square for the meeting of the royal boroughs,
adorned with pictures.

In this great street are several stone fountains of water, brought in
pipes at three miles distance, disposed at convenient distances to
supply the whole city with water; and on each side of this street are
lanes, or wynds as they are called here, that run down to the bottom.

This made an English gentleman, that was here with the Duke of York,
merrily compare it to a double wooden comb, the great street the wood in
the middle, and the teeth of each side the lanes.

These lanes lead you to a street below, called the Cowgate, which runs
the whole length east and west of the other, but is neither half so
broad or well built. The High Street is also the best paved street I
ever saw. I will not except Florence. One would think the stones inlaid;
they are not half a foot square; and notwithstanding the coaches and
carts, there is not the least crack in it.

South from the Cowgate lies the High-School for Latin, and in its yard
is kept a fine bagnio, in a handsome neat house, built for the Company
of Surgeons; and in their hall is the picture of the late Duke Hamilton,
Earl Finlater in his Chancellor's robes, and of all the eminent surgeons
of the town, to the number of about forty, all originals, by Sir John
Medina. There is also a pretty garden before and behind the house.
Directly north from this, on the other side of the Cowgate, is the
Physicians Hall and garden, where they have a noble museum, founded by
Sir Andrew Balfour, physician. The learned and industrious Sir Robert
Sebald has very much augmented it. It contains a treasure of curiosit