Narrative of the Lions (Parliament Close) being dressed in a blue bonnet & white Cockade on December 20. 1748 and of the White Rose in the paw of the same Lion on June 10. 1748

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1154 (1154)
[
In the Morning of Tuesday (DecrDecember
20th, 1748) the Lion, the Crest of the
Scots Arms placed above the Outer
Entry of the Parliament-House
in EdrEdinburgh, was found dressed in a white
Wig, &and a blue Bonnet with a large
white Cockade on one of the Sides
of the Bonnet. When this was re-
ported to the Magistrates, they or-
dered a Party of the Town-Guard
under the Command of one of the
Captains to march up to the Par-
liament-Close, &and to pull down
the Blue Bonnet &and the Wig. For
that Purpose a Ladder was got, &and
the Person, who went up the Lad-
der, could not with all his strength
pull off the Wig &and the Bonnet, they
having been well cemented to the
Lion’s Head; upon which he told
the Captain, that he behovedbehooved to
have a Knife to cut them off.
It being some Time before a Knife
could be got, the Mob (a very nu-
merous one) cried several times,
“HuzzaHuzzah, HuzzaHuzzah, the blue Bonnet has
“won the Day! the blue Bonnet has
“won the Day for everforever!”— With the
Help of a Knife the Business at
last was made out.

In the foresaid Morning, it was likewise 1155 (1155)
likewise observed, that the Eyes of
[t]he Picture of the D:Duke of Cumber-
[l]and (drawn upon each Side of
[a] Sign-Post at the Crown-Tavern
[i]n the Entry of the Parliament-Close)
[h]ad been scraped out. Upon this
[t]he Mob of EdrEdinburgh had a witty Saying,
[v]iz, “That Cumberland had grutten
“out baith his Een,1 to see the Lion
“better bulked than himsell.”

In the Evening of the said Day
[a] large Bonfire was kindled on
[t]hat point of Sailsbury-Craigs,
[w]hich is exactly opposite to the Castle
[o]f EdrEdinburgh. The Bonfire flamed brisk-
ly for more than three Hours, &and
several Persons were seen dan-
cing &and skipping round []it. The
Bonfire was seen by the Inhabi-
[t]ants of EdrEdinburgh, Leith, &and of the Plac-
es adjacent.
Throughout the whole Night of the ^said
Day, DecrDecember 20th, all the Streets
of EdrEdinburgh were crowded with Cabals
&and Processions of People; insomuch
[t]hat it was dangerous for a Red-
[C]oat to appear on any Street. There
[w]as one Company, consisting of about
[40] or 50, who marched in great Order
[do]wn all the Canongate to the Abbay-
[ga]te, most of them being dressed in blue 1156 (1156)
blue Bonnets wtwith white Cockades, &and
in Tartan-CloathsClothes. They marched
up the Canongate again in the
same Order as they had marched
down, One marching on the Head
of them &and another immediately at
his Back, &and all the Rest advanc-
ing in their several Ranks at a
proper Distance from each other.
In the Center they had white Co-
lours displayed, the Tops of the
Standards being decked with Rib-
bands Flying like Streamers of
a Ship. They huzzaed several
Times in their marching up and
down. No Riot or Squabble hap-
pened on any of the Streets of
EdrEdinburgh throughout that whole Night.

It is likewise worth remarking
that, in the Morning of June 10th
(Friday) 1748, a large white Rose
was seen fixed in the Paw of yethe
foresaid Lion. A Detachment of
the Town-Guard was ordered
to pull down the Rose, &and Provost
Drummond honoured the Action
with his Presence. Severals of
the Soldiers struck the Rose (qchwhich
was of Paper or CambrickCambric) wtwith lon[g]
PollsPoles &and Lochaber-Axes; but to [no] Purpose, 1157 (1157)
Purpose, and at every Stroke
the Mob huzzaed. At last a
Ladder behoved to be got, &and the
Man, qowho went up the Ladder,
found enough of Difficulty e-
nough to pull the Rose out of
the Lion’s Paw; for it was
strongly fixed &and wrapped a-
bout with Brass-wire.
]

Robert Forbes, A: M:

Copy

Date	20 Dec 1748
Person	Robert Forbes
Place