284 Scottish Life in the 17TH Century. 



manv stills, the produce of which found its way into the cottage 

 homes of which Mr Mackenzie presents a rather gloomy picture. 



It is interesting to note the light which is thrown on the 

 Scottish commerce of the period by the Act of Parliament to 

 which I have just referred — the 17th of the first Scottish Parlia- 

 ment of Charles II. That statute prescribes export duties on 

 herring, salmon (regarding the efficient packing of which 

 stringent regulations were laid down by the same Parliament), 

 butter — the Scotch then had not, apparently to send to Denmark 

 for supplies — beef, eggs, oats, wheat, flour, cheese, horses, 

 cattle, and various other products of the field and farm ; and 

 a verv respectable catalogue of manufactures, including such 

 things as sword blades, iron ordnance, horse shoes, pans of 

 brass and iron, pewter work, linen cloth, plaiding, silk and 

 worsted ribbons, sail canvas, saddles, shoes. In a list of skins 

 liable to export duty it seems strange to a twentieth century 

 reader to find that of the wolf. In the list the rabbit figures by 

 its old Scotch name of the cunning; the martin by the name of 

 the mertrick ; the fox as the tod ; the polecat as the fulmert. In 

 the restrictive spirit of the times Parliament soon afterwards 

 passed an Act to prohibit the export of skins, as they considered 

 it hurtful to the interests of native furriers to send out the raw 

 material for use by rival tradesmen in other countries. 



We return from this digression to the diet of the people. 

 The want of flesh meat would in sea-board districts be in large 

 measure supplied by fish. And we have the testimony of a 

 contemporarv poet — for the graces of the muse were cultivated 

 even in that disturbed time — to the picturesque variety of 

 dishes that were available to a stout stomach. I quote from 

 "The Blythesome Bridal," by Francis Sempill, a Renfrewshire 

 bard, to whom is also attributed the song, "Maggie Lauder." 

 He thus, with amusing and somewhat sarcastic amplitude of 

 detail, catalogues the dishes at a rural wedding feast: — 



Fy, let us a' to the bridal, 



For there will be lilting there ; 

 For Jock's to be married to Maggie, 



The lass wi' the gowden hair. 

 And there will be lang kail and porridge, 



And bannocks o' barley meal ; 

 And there will be good saut herring. 



To relish a cog of good ale. 



And there will be fadges and brochan, 



With fonth of good gabboeks of skate, 

 Powsowdy and drammock, and crowdy. 



And caller nowt-feet in a plate ; 

 And there will be partans and buckies. 



And whitings and speldings enew. 

 With singed sheepheads and a haggis. 



And scadlips to sup till ye spew. 



