ae! 
JupiciaL OATHS. 161 
that if the man does not speak the truth he hopes that his own 
throat will be cut, as in the case of the fowl, and his blood 
scattered over the four oceans. It may be interesting 
to give the form of an oath at one time administered 
in the Commissary Court of Edinburgh. It was of fearful 
import, and was abolished on the representation of the 
Secession Church. The oath was taken by the witness kneeling 
on his or her right knee upon a cushion, and placing his or her 
right hand upon one of the holy evangelists, and pronouncing 
these words—“ I renounce all the blessings contained in this Holy 
Book if I do not tell the truth; and may all the curses therein 
contained be my portion if I do not tell the truth. I swear by 
Almighty God,’’ etc. 
Since writing the foregoing I have observed that in the Green- 
wich County Court recently a witness showed some hesitation in 
kissing the Book, thereupon Judge Willis said:—I do not want 
anyone to kiss the Book. You can hold up your hand. I was 
surprised the other day to see it stated that it was Scotch law to 
hold up the hand, but it is English law, and has been English 
law from time immemorial. A great Vice-Chancellor of Oxford 
250 years ago objected to kissing the Book, and the then Lord 
Chief Justice swore him by holding up his hand. I should accept 
the evidence of any person who said he believed in a God, but if 
he admitted that he was of opinion that he would not be punished 
for any violation of the law by false swearing I should reject him. 
18th April, 190%. 
Chairman—Dr MartTIn. 
Burns AND Morrat. By Mr J. T. JOHNSTONE. 
The associations of Moffat with the poet Burns are not very 
numerous, but though lacking in quantity their quality is excel- 
lent, and they are extremely interesting, as some of his finest and 
Sweetest songs have either their theme or their scene in this 
locality. 
In the year 1775 at Craigieburn, Moffatdale, Jean Lorimer 
was born—the Chloris of after years whose many charms and 
