290 Scottish Life in the 17TH Century. 



vided several prizes in the form of silver bells and silver cups; 

 in October there was the riding — more properly the 

 "redding" or clearing — of the marches, when the Town 

 Council, the Incorporated Trades, and Burgesses generally 

 encompassed the far-extending town lands with much state, and 

 the people held high holiday ; and they were enjoined by Act of 

 Parliament to hold twice in the year a w"appenshaw for practice in 

 the use of fire arms, the Siller Gun, which James VI. had pre- 

 sented to the Trades, and which now hangs in the Town Hall, 

 being shot for on such occasions. "Promiscuous dancing" is 

 included in a list of minor vices to which the Rev. John. 

 Blackader found the parishioners of Troqueer addicted, especi- 

 ally on occasion of marriages. A more questionable form of 

 amusement, and one which shews the rough spirit of the time, 

 was that which took place on the annual sort of gala-day in the 

 burgh school. On Fastern's Eve, that being the 6th of April, 

 there was in the school an exhibition of cock-fighting, the pupils 

 supplying the birds and " gentlemen of note " coming to share the 

 entertainment. In accounts connected with the education of Sir 

 Robert Grierson of Lag (the " Auld Sir Robert ' ' of Redgauntlet 

 and the Covenanters' persecution) there occur entries of contri- 

 butions for this sport. 



From what may be called the personal and social aspects 

 of the time, let us turn to the legal or political aspect, and see 

 what was the system of local government which existed and how 

 it was worked. The ciicumstance which strikes one most 

 forcibly in reading the chronicles of the town at this time is the 

 great power which was possessed by the Town Council and the 

 extraordinary variety of subjects in regard to which it was 

 exercised. That power was shared in matters affecting public 

 morality by the Kirk Session, which, in regard to a certain class 

 of cases, had the power of inflicting fines or imprisonment, but 

 which more frequently called upon the civil power to undertake- 

 the trial and punishment of offenders. These two bodies, 

 jointly or severally, exercised an almost uncontrolled authority j 

 in the departments both of trade and morality, which stopped 

 short only of the power to inflict capital punishment. The law 

 of the country was in a very rude state. The liberty of the- 

 subject was a doctrine which might be known to the statute- 

 book, but it received little practical recognition. Travelling 

 was a laborious, tedious, and expensive process ; so that it was 

 next to impossible for most suitors to bring their case under the 

 review of a higher tribunal ; and neither the purity nor the justice 

 of the decisions of these courts of appeal was to be altogether 

 depended upon. The Court of Session had been established; 

 but as yet it concerned itself only with civil business. Two 

 Justiciary Judges had been appointed, who made a circuit of the 

 kingdom for the trial of important criminal cases. But the Pri\'y 



