26 THE SABBATH. 



the difficulty of enforcing it. In 15GO it was, among 

 other things, decreed that on Sundays " all persons be 

 astricted to be present at the ordinary sermons, as well 

 after noon as before noon, and that from the last jow of 

 the bell to the said sermons to the final end." In 1581 

 the Council ordained that "proclamation be made 

 through this burgh, discharging all kinds of games and 

 plays now commonly used the said day, such as bowling 

 in yards, dancing, playing, running through the high 

 street of hussies, bairns, and boys, with all manner of 

 dissolution of behaviour." The people obeyed and 

 went to church, but it seems they chose their own 

 preachers. This galavanting among the kirks was, how- 

 ever, quickly put an end to; for in 1584 it was ordained 

 " that all freemen and freemen's wives in times coming 

 be found in their own parish kirk every Sunday, as also 

 at the time of the Communions, under the pain of pay- 

 ment of an unlaw for every person being found absent." 

 In 1586 the Council " finds it expedient that a bailie ilk 

 Sunday his week about, visit the street taverns and other 

 common places in time of sermon, and pones all offend- 

 ers according to the town statutes." Vaging (strolling) 

 in the High Gate was also forbidden. 



These restrictions, applying at first to the time of 

 divine service only, were afterwards extended to the 

 entire Sunday; but Sabbath profanation resembled hy- 

 draulic pressure, and broke forth whenever it found a 

 weak point in the municipal dam. The repairing and 

 strengthening of the dam were incessant. Proclamation 

 followed proclamation, forbidding the practice of buy- 

 ing and selling, the opening of eating- and coffee-houses, 

 and prohibiting such sports as golf, archery, row-bowles, 

 penny-stone, and kaitch-pullis. The gates of the city 

 were ordered to be closed on Saturday night and not to 

 be opened before four o'clock on Monday morning. At 



