Scottish Bukghal Lifk. 97 



of Ayr, " Scottismen," thereby acknowledged lo have received a 

 certain quantity of wine from Anthony Sympsoun, mercliant in 

 Dieppe, who is termed a " Frenchman," but whose name suggests 

 recent naturalisation, and they oblige themselves or their heirs to 

 pay the price to him at Kochelle or Bordeaux, or in any other part 

 of France where they might happen to meet him or any person 

 having power to act on his behalf, before the Fastern's Eve next 

 ensuing. This same Masonu and another burgess of Kirkcud- 

 bright consent to deci'ee passing against them in the burgh court 

 for a sum of about £2900 as the value of a cargo of wine and salt 

 brought in a Dundee ship. We have references to trade with 

 "the Isles," or Hebrides, from which salt was brought, and to the 

 arrival of a ship " of Pittenweme " laden part with wine and part 



with iron. 



A " FORESTALLEK." 



It was one of the privileges of the corporation of a burgh 

 that it had a right of pre-emption on all goods brought to the 

 market. To infringe this right w^as to forestall the town, and 

 forestallers were sharply dealt with, as one Robert Edgar, a 

 burgess of Dumfries, found to his cost. A cargo of wine had 

 been brought to the port by Ilenry Osborne, a burgess of Aj'^r, 

 and he offered it to the magistrates on behalf of the town at £90 

 per tun. It was refused at that figure, and the bargain seems to 

 have hung fire. The vendor had apparently considered it "off" 

 altogether, for he sold the wine to Edgar. Thereupon the magis- 

 trates proceeded against the purchaser as a forestaller. They 

 offered to let him off easily by paying him whatever figure he had 

 promised to buy at. But Edgar would not forego his bargain. 

 He had reason to repent his. obstinacy, for the charge against him 

 was brought to trial before tlie magistrates and an assize of 

 " unsuspect burgesses," who found him guilty ; and the court 

 declared the wine to be ''confiscat and escheatit to our soverane 

 lord's behove and thairis;" in what proportion is not stated, but it 

 may be presumed that the town retained at least the lion's share 

 of the prize. 



FIXING THE PRICE OF WINE, BREAD, CANDLKS, 

 AND ALE — PERIODS OF SCARCITY. 



In harmony with the spirit which animated the national 

 legislature of the period, the Magistrates and Council inter- 



