Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/464

 Scotch Marriages. superfluitie in bridelles and nther banquettes amang the meane subjectes of the realme, to the inordinat consumption, not onlie of sik stuff as growes within the realme, but alswa of drugges, confectoures and spiceries, brocht from the partes beyand sea, and sauld at deare prices to monie folke, that are veri unabil to sustene that coaste, for stanceing of quhilk abuse and disorder," those old would-be reformers said: "It is stataute and ordained, that no maner of personcs, his (the King's) subjectes, being under the degree of prelates, erles, lords, barrones, landed gentlemen, or utheris that are worth and may spend in yeirlie frie rent, two thousand markes money, or sixtie chalderes victuals, all charges deduced, sail presume to have at their bridelles or other banquettes or at their tables in dayly chere onie drugges or confectoures brocht from the pairtes beyond sea, and that no banquettes sail be at onie upsittinges, after babtising of bairnes, in time cumming under the paine of twentie pund to be payed be everie personne, doer in the contrait, as well as the master of the house, quhair the effect of this act is contravened, as of all uther persones, that shall be found or tryed partakeris of sik superfluous banquetting, and escheitting of the drogges and confectoures apprehend ed." Not satisfied with this enactment of their sovereign lord and his three estates, con vened in parliament, some of the kirk sessions blew their little penny whistles. That of Glasgow, in 1583, decreed that there should be no superfluous gatherings at bridals and that the cost of the dinner should not exceed "eighteen pennies. The .session at Stirling allowed. five shillings to be spent on the banquet, but the parties had to put up eighty shillings as a guarantee that they would spend no more than the five shil lings. Apparently some wicked Stirlingers tried to escape the clerical eye by having their wedding festivities picnic style in the country. To suppress such ungodly ones, kirk session

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and town council issued a joint deliverance in December, 1608, threatening heavy fines upon any of the town-folk who should dare to make " thair bridells outwith the said burgh." Later on in life, after he had lived some years in England, sapient James came to the conclusion that nuts and raisins were bad for Scotchmen, so in the Act of 1621, " It is further statuted and ordained, that no person use any manner of desert of wette and dry confections at banquettings, marriages, baptismes, feastings, or any meales, except the fruites growing in Scotland; as also figs, raisins, plumbe-damies, almondes and other confected fruits, under the paine of a thou sand marks, toties quoties. Excepting such like the use of the foresaids forbidden con fections to be lawful for the entertainment of his majestie, prince, and their traines, being within the countrey, and for ambassadors or strangers of great qualitie." The Stirling kirk session limited the num ber of neighbors to be invited to twenty, so did the presbyteries of Haddington and Dunbar, considering bridal-feasts to be "seminaries of all profanations " : this was the number that Plato had thought the proper thing. The session of St. Cuthbert's ordained that, under a penalty of £o, not more than twenty-four should be invited. The town council at Dumfries followed St. Cuthbert's ruling but doubled the penalty, "whereof the one half was to be payt by the bridegroom, and the other half by the inn keeper quhar the brydle was kept." And Charles II in his sumptuary law of 1 68 1, ordained that marriages, baptisms and burials should be solemnized and gone about in sober and decent manner, and that at marriages, besides the married persons, their parents, children, brothers and sisters, and the family wherein they live, there should not be present above four friends on either side, with their ordinary domestic servants; and that neither bridegroom nor bride (nor any one of them) shall make