During his first exile, the Scottish Parliament having proclaimed him King of Great Britain, Commissioners, one of whom was Provost Jaffray of Aberdeen, were despatched to bring him over from the Continent. He embarked under convoy of a Dutch fleet, and landed at Speymouth on Monday, the 4th of July 1650. After resting at Bog of Gight, now Gordon Castle, he arrived in Aberdeen on the 7th, and took up his residence in a house in Castle Street, which some conceive to have been that which is now called the "Bursars' House." His visit to the city was intimated to the Magistrates in the following letter from the Commissioners, of date 23d June 1650:

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Worschipfull and good friendis, we have directed thess to let you know, that the King is saiflie arryved, and intendis, if God permit, to be at Abirdein on Thursday at night; thairfore ye will tack such cair to prowyd fitt ludgingis for him, and for the Commissioneris, and for the trayne, as may be best haid, on so short adverteismentis ; and we beseik you let nothing be wanting quhich may testifie your effectioun to the native King, quha haith fullie assured all the desyr of his people. No further, but we ar your werie assured freindis. (Signed) Cassillis, Lothiane, Brodie, Geo. Wynram, J. Smith, Al. Jaffray. Speymouth, 23d Jany. 1650. For the Richt Worschipfull the Magistratis of the toun of Abdn. Thess."

On his arrival he was received with every mark of distinction and popular attachment. He conferred the honour of knighthood on the Provost, Farquhar

of Mounie, and on Mr. Leslie of Eden, who had formerly held that office. The King remained in the town but one night, proceeding next day to Dunnottar. He would appear to have been again in Aberdeen on the 25th of February 1651-the last time that our city enjoyed the honour of the presence of royalty. Now that,* after the lapse of nearly two centuries, we are about to receive a renewal of that distinguished honour, under the happiest auspices, well may we exclaim with old Dunbar

"Be blyth and blissful, Brugh of Aberdeen !"

* Her Most Gracious Majesty arrived in Aberdeen, for the first time, on the morning of Thursday the 7th September 1848, and this account of "Royal Visits to Aberdeen in Olden Times," appeared in the Aberdeen Journal the day before.

LINES ADDRESSED TO A LADY

Who sent me a Watch Paper, cut in the form of a DART, α KEY, and a HEART.

IN vain the Fair, with skilful hand,
The polished scissors plies,
And paper any form may take

Her fancy can devise.

Assailed by far more potent charms,

Unconquered I remain,

For tears and smiles, and sighs and song,
I equally disdain.

Cupid his arrows may exhaust—

May aim with all his skill—
His darts I dread not, for my
Is armed with triple steel.

If for admittance to my heart,
The wily elf should knock,

breast

The door is barred—the key is safe—
And potent is the lock.

Then know the Fair, though I her gift

In complaisance reject not,

Yet, for her paper one, my heart

She really must expect not.

A REMNANT of this ancient and beautiful fabric, of which the original place has long ceased to know it, was recently rescued from a situation of most inglorious obscurity, and placed in a fitting asylum in King's College.

Our topographers tell us that there formerly stood in the centre of the area fronting the Town House of Old Aberdeen a cross which was formed of an upright stone, raised upon a pedestal of three steps above the level of the street. This stone was surmounted by a figure of the blessed Virgin, and underneath were the armorial bearings of Bishops Dunbar, Stewart, and Gordon. The last named succeeded to the episcopate in 1545, which serves to indicate the period about which the cross was erected.

At the era of the Reformation it was defaced by those whose indiscriminating zeal took offence

at whatever even "smelt somewhat of Popery :" and, after experiencing the inclemency of many a trying season, and the rough manipulation of ruthless hands-ministers of wanton mischief- the fabric was finally removed about the time when the Town House was rebuilt.

What became of the shaft is not known; but the stone on which were cut the armorial bearings of the episcopal trio was one day discovered in a smithy in Old Aberdeen, where it had long been degraded into an utensil for holding tackets, old iron, and other odds and ends, tossed into the square cavity into which the top of the shaft had been inserted. To such vile uses had come a portion of a time-honoured fabric, which had once so proudly "cropped the causey!" This curious relic owed its more congenial quarters in King's College to the commendable care of the party who by chance discovered it.

In Spalding's Troubles there is a droll passage, from which it appears that this cross was pressed into a Candlemas "lark," played off by certain juveniles of 1643.

"Upon the second of Februar," saith he, with notable gravity, "being Candlemas day, the bairns of the Old Town Grammar School, at six hours, cam up the gate with candles lichtit in their hands, crying, rejoicing, and blythe eneuch; and, being six hours at nicht, cam thus up to the