It would seem that the heinousness of the misdemeanour was increased
because of the presence of strangers. The probable punishment of the
female would be the ducking-stool, which, to the terror of all
beholders, occupied a prominent position about the centre of the Bridge
Street, on the right hand going towards the bridge from the Cross:--
"That day John Christie and Janet Robertson, his spouse, for their riots
committed by them on one another, these divers years bygone in
back-biting, slandering, and abusing of one another with vile speeches,
and in dinging (hitting), hurting, and bleeding of one another, and
specially upon the last day of August last by passed, ye both enterit
(attacked) one another, on the High King's Causey in presence of divers
strangers, and there the said John Christie dang (hit) his said spouse,
torrit (tore) her head, and kust (cast) her churge (cap) in the mire,
and cast herself in the mire and tramped her with his feet; and likewise
she in the meantime took her said spouse by the gorgit (throat), and in
the craig (neck), most odious to be seen; therefore the said John, for
his fault, is decerned in twenty pounds money, and to amit (lose) his
liberty for one year, and in case he be found to commit the like fault
in any time coming, to pay forty pounds money _toties quoties_, and in
like manner remit the punishment of the said Janet Robertson for
drunkenness and misbehaviour to the censure of the kirk. Whereupon, &c."