NOTES ON THE ART TREASURES AT PENICUIKHOUSE MIDLOTHIAN
OTES ON THE ART TREASURES
AT PENICUIKHOUSE MIDLOTHIAN
BY JOHN M. GRAY F.S.A. SCOT.
CURATOR SCOTTISH NATIONAL
PORTRAIT GALLERY.
REPRINTED, WITH LARGE ADDITIONS,FROM “THE SCOTTISH LEADER.”
FIFTY COPIES
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION.
1889.
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THE ART TREASURES OF SCOTLAND.
III. PENICUIK HOUSE.
I.
There are few Scottish families that, during thelast two hundred years, have been more closelyconnected with the progress of culture in theirnative country than the Clerks of Penicuik.
Claiming descent from the Drummonds of Hawthornden,through Elizabeth Henderson, grand-daughterof the poet and first wife of the firstBaronet of Penicuik, they have produced, both inthe main line and in its younger branches, a goodlyproportion of men of intellect and mark. Atpresent we need only name Sir John Clerk, thesecond Baronet, one of the Commissioners for theUnion, and a Baron of the Exchequer, a manof varied attainments and the strongest individuality,and known as an enthusiastic antiquary;his son, Sir James, who was the architectof the present mansion of the family; whosebrother, Sir George Clerk Maxwell, the fourthBaronet, distinguished himself by his efforts topromote the commercial interests of his country,establishing a linen manufactory at Dumfries,engaging in mining schemes for copper andlead, and writing much upon agricultural andindustrial subjects; John Clerk of Eldin, youngerbrother of the last-named, author of the celebrated“Essay on Naval Tactics,” and knownas an artist by his series of etchings whichpreserve in a manner so interesting to theantiquary the aspect of many of the historicaledifices of Scotland; his well-known son JohnClerk, “the Coryphæus of the Scottish Bar,”afterwards Lord Eldin; and the Right Hon. Sir{4}George Clerk, sixth Baronet, the friend of SirRobert Peel, one of the prominent politicians ofhis time, and especially versed in all matters ofstatistics. William Aikman, the portrait-painter,too, was descended from the house of Penicuik,his mother having been the eldest sister of SirJohn Clerk, the first Baronet; and, in our owntime, Professor James Clerk Maxwell, whosefather was grandson of the fourth Baronet andbrother of the sixth, has by his eminence in scienceadded new lustre to his parental name.
But not only have the Clerks been themselveswitty—using the word in its best, its old English,sense—they have been the cause of wit in others;by their loyal friendships with the best Scottishpainters and poets of their time, and their open-handedpatronage of these men’s work, they haveidentified themselves with the history of art andliterature in Scotland. One can hardly pronouncethe name of Allan Ramsay without thinking ofSir John Clerk of Penicuik, or the name of AlexanderRunciman, without recalling that of SirJames, his son and successor.
The mansion of the family is situated about amile and a half from the village of Penicuik, on acommanding situation, overlooking th