ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 51 



caufe the law prefumed the fheriffto be the guar- 

 dian of the fubjects fafety within his diftricts. 



He revived the laws againft beggars, excepting 

 thofe who were licenfed by the civil magiftrates ; 

 and the king's juftice was empowered to banifh or 

 imprifon all gypfies, homers, maflerful beggars, 

 and feigned fools. t Women were prohibited to 

 refort either to church or market with their faces 

 covered, fo as not to be known ; the great nobles, 

 and dignified clergy only, were allowed to wear 

 fcarlet gowns, with rich furniture -, no merchants, 

 unlefs they were magiftrates, or of the town coun- 

 cil, and no baron or gentleman, who was not 

 poflefTed of forty pounds old extent, was to wear 

 filk cloaths ; nor were their wives or daughters to 

 be drefied in either, but in a manner agreeable to 

 their fortunes ; coarfe grey and white cloaths were 

 to be worn by the people, on working days ; but 

 on holidays, they might were cloaths of other 

 colours. It was enacted that every man, pofTerTed 

 of a plough and oxen, fhould fow a certain quan- 

 tity of wheat, peafe, and beans, yearly -, and all 

 freeholders, both fpiritual and temporal, when 

 they let their lands, were to oblige their tenants to 

 raife trees, quickfet hedges, and broom. The 

 courts of juftice were further regulated; the cafe of 

 hofpftals was enquired into ; and it was enacted, 

 that the chancellor, aflifted by two proper perfons 

 of each diocefe, fhould vifit all the hofpitals in the 

 kingdom, to put in force the ftatutes of their feveral 

 foundations, which had been neglected, or rendered 

 ineffectual during the diftrefles and commotions oi 

 former times. Fairs, markets > and the internal 

 policy of the kingdom, were regulated -, every 

 parifh was to provide butts and bow- marks, for 

 every male from twelve to fifty years of age, which 

 they were to practife once a week 5 mufcerings were 

 to be held once a month, and all able-bodied 

 males, between the ages of fixteen and fixty, were 



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