IP. 8 THE SALMON. 



yier, als lang as Berwick and Roxburgh ar in the English 

 mennis hands." That is to say, the Scottish King and 

 his Estates solemnly passed an act, authorizing and en- 

 joining all Scottis-men to go a poaching in England, 

 and in those portions of the Border waters in which, 

 though properly Scotch, the English had or occasionally 

 took an interest. And not only were Scotchmen legally 

 authorized to take English salmon, l^ut if Englishmen 

 wanted Scotch salmon, then " it is ordained that na 

 Scottis-man sell to Englishmen, or in England before- 

 hand, or otherwaies, ony salmonde, bot that English- 

 men bye them in Scotland for English gold, and none 

 other contentation ; And gif the English-men will not 

 bye them, the Scottis merchandes may send them in 

 Flanders or other places, quhair them thinkis : swa that 

 of na wise they nouther sende them nor sell them in 

 England." 



After the Reformation, the Scotch iVcts anent " Sal- 

 monde" by no means decreased in number, but are found 

 alternating with what was then a new feature in the Scotch 

 Statute-book : " Acts anent the trew an holy kirk, and 

 them that are declared not to be of the samin" (same) ; 

 " Discharge of labouring of Sabbath dayes, or playing or 

 drinking in the time of sermon ;" " Anent the zouth and 

 uthers beyond sea suspected to have declined fra treu 

 religion ;" and so on. This curiously mingled legislation 

 for the spirit and for the fish (flesh was then a com- 

 paratively rare article of diet north of the Tweed), we 

 find going on as long as the Scotch Parliament lasted, 

 with what results is a question only one-half of which 

 it is within our province to discuss. With one of the 



