1589-90.]
It is with unexpected pleasure that we find another matter betokening
the progress of literature and intelligence only four days after the
licence for paper-making. Andro Hart then carried on the business of a
bookseller in Edinburgh, and his name appears on so many interesting
title-pages, that he is really a notable man of the time. He and John
Norton, Englishman, now send a petition to the Privy Council, setting
forth ‘what hurt the lieges of this realm susteint through the scarcity
of buiks and volumes of all sorts,’ and to what exorbitant prices those
had risen which were brought from England. They, ‘upon an earnest zeal
to the propagation and incress of vertue and letters within this realm,
had, two years ago, enterprisit the hame-bringing of volumes and buiks
furth of Almane and Germanie, fra the whilk parts the maist part of
the best volumes in England are brought, and in this trade have sae
behavit themselves that this town is furnist with better buiks and
volumes nor it was at ony time heretofore, and the said volumes sauld
by them in this country are als guid cheap as they are to be sauld in
London or ony other part of England, to the great ease and commodity
of all estates of persons within this realm.’ Behold, however, John
Gourlay, the customer (that is, farmer of customs), had laid hands upon
the books which Hart and Norton were importing, and demanded that they
should pay a duty--a demand altogether unprecedented. ‘Upon the like
complaint made by Thomas Vautrollier, printer, he obteint ane decreet
discharging the provost and bailies of this burgh and their customer
fra all asking of ony customs for ony buiks sauld or to be sauld by
him.’ The present petitioners only demanded to be so treated likewise.
It is gratifying to find that the lords unhesitatingly granted the
prayer of the two booksellers, so that the books they imported from
Germany would thenceforth be duty-free.--_P. C. R._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1590.]
In the early part of this year, ‘the wicked clan Gregor, so lang
continuing in blood, slaughters, herships, manifest reifs, and
stouths,’ fell under notice for a frightful outrage. The king had his
forest of Glenartney, in Perthshire, under the care of one Drummond,
usually called Drummond-_ernoch_, on account of his having spent part
of his life in Ireland. His neighbours, the Macgregors, taking mortal
offence at this man, for some cause probably connected with their
own misdeeds, fell upon him one day, while he was collecting venison
against the return of the king from Denmark with his new-wed spouse.
They barbarously cut off the forester’s head, which they carried off
with them, wrapped in the corner of a plaid. Soon after, passing the
house of Ardvorlich, the lady of which was sister of the murdered man,
they entered in peaceful fashion, and were regaled with bread and
cheese. While the lady was absent, looking after better entertainment,
they placed Drummond-ernoch’s ghastly head on the table, and put a
piece of bread and cheese in the mouth, telling him in mockery to eat
it, as many a similar morsel he had formerly eaten in that house.
The lady, returning, and seeing the frightful object, in which she
recognised her brother’s features, fled from the house in a state
of distraction, and was recovered to her home and sanity with great
difficulty.
[Sidenote: 1590.]
This part of the story rests on tradition; but the subsequent procedure
of the murderers comes to us on historical authority. The bloody
head being brought to the chief of Macgregor in Balquhidder, he and
the whole clan assembled in the parish kirk, and the head being then
presented, all present laid their hands upon it in succession, avowing
that the homicide had been done under their counsel and with their
sanction, and swearing to defend the actual committers of the fact with
all their power![161]
These proceedings being reported to the Privy Council, a commission was
granted (February 4, 1590) to the Earl of Huntly, and certain other
nobles and gentlemen, to search for the culprits, and, if they should
flee, to pursue them with fire and sword. What success attended this
edict does not appear.
In spring, while the king was absent in Norway, a General Assembly was
held in Edinburgh, and it being found that the country was surprisingly
free of all _steerage_ from either papists or evil-doers, the brethren
praised God for the same, and agreed that there should be fasting
and moderate diet observed every day till the king’s return. ‘The
whilk custom, being found very meet for the exercise of the Sabbath,
was keepit in Edinburgh, in the houses of the godly, continually
thereafter. Sae that, sparing their gross and sumptuous dinners, they
usit nocht but a dish of broth, or some little recreation, till night;
and that whilk was spared was bestowed on the poor.’[162] Such seems
to have been the origin of a custom which many travellers remark in
Scotland in the seventeenth century, of having only a lunch instead of
dinner on Sunday. Our diarist makes, however, only a faint allusion in
the phrase ‘till night,’ to what the same travellers remark, that there
was always a hearty supper in the evenings, amply making up for the
half-fast of the day, and at which human nature found vent occasionally
in a little good-humour and merriment.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1590.