The Calendar of Scottish Crime. cannot be more severe than " Not proven." He was released on the surety of the Vicar of Innerkip, and was heard of no more. One turns with relief to certain pages in this gloomy record, soon to become even gloomier, which contain reference to the pa ternal care of the Government in regulating the course of everyday business. It was usual to open the proceedings of the justiceaires, or assizes, held in the various towns, by a royal proclamation relating to sundry matters. A few of these have been pre served. By the proclamation preceding the justice-aire held at Elgin in 1556 the maxi mum legal price of all articles of food and drink is fixed. Wheaten bread must not be sold for more than ^d. for 22 oz.; Bordeaux wine is fixed at I2d. a pint, fine scherand (sherry sack) at lod. " Guicl aill " may be sold at 8</. a quart, and the best mutton at 6s. the carcass. For " gryt chikkinis " (large chickens) no more than ^d. each might be charged, and for a pig 1 2d. A carcass of the best Scots beef must be reckoned cheap at 361., but any one who asked more ran the risk of confiscation of all his goods. Strange to say, not only the seller but the buyer was often punished for paying more than the stat utory price. Tourists in Scotland at the pre sent day may reflect with a sigh on the limi tation set on hotel-keeper's charges, as fol lows : — "And that thair be guid cheir throw all the toune for Gentillmen and thair servandis, for xiu/. at the melteithe [meal-tide — i.e., dinner] ..... xiirf. The furneist bed, on the nycht, and that to freithe the chalmer [to be the whole charge for a bedroom] . . . }d. The stabill-fie, for ane horse, xxiiij houris . irf."
Thus accommodation and board could be had at the dearest hotel, for horse and man, for '7^. a clay. At the present time the trav eller would perhaps not keep much change out of two guineas for the same! A perusal of the collection of original doc uments compiled by Mr. Pitcairn up to 1560
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creates a tolerably clear impression of the country over which Mary Queen of Scots came to reign. Perhaps there is nothing more pathetic in history than her attempt — nothing much more miserable than its fail ure. Dark and deplorable as is the broken chronicle up to this point, it deepens in horror as the reign proceeds. The slaughters, the blood feuds, the burnings, the ravishings — the " scuffling of kites and jays " — continue as before; but all these chronic crimes seem dwarfed into meanness by the series of events leading up to the explosion in Kirk-of-Field, and the terrible suspicion which still hangs round at least one name which one would fain hold in honor. The circumstances connected with the murder of King Henry are too well known to all who have made any study of the history of this period to require more than a passing reference in this place. But any one who desires to refresh his memory, or seek new light upon them, cannot go wrong in reading over the depositions taken from prisoners and witnesses, which are ar ranged with admirable clearness by the editor of these volumes. In connection with them, certain grisly particulars may be noted in the Treasurer's accounts, showing how the remains of some of the deponents were dis posed of. "Jan. 13, 1567-8. —Item, to Johnne Broune, messinger and ane boy, passand to Edr. with clois writtingis, togidder with ye heid of Powrie, leggis of Johnne Hay, younger of Tallo, and Johnne Hepburne, of Boltoun, to be affixit on ye portis of Glasgow, Hammiltoun, Dunbertane, Air and Wigtoun . iiij //'. }s. Item, to ane boy passand of Edr. to Leith, Hadingtoun, and Jedburght, with pair leggis to be affixt . . . xxijj-. Item, to thre boyis passand of Edr. with ye rest of thair armes and leggis, to ye burrowis of Perthe, Dundee, Abirdene, Elgin, and Inverness, to be affixt Ivi. Item, for crelis [baskets] and tursing of ye saidis heidis, leggis and armis; and candle for paking thairof. . . xi."
