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QUEER LAWS OF MEDIAEVAL GLASGOW. Bv William E. Johnson. THAT period of Scottish history from the time of the " Blessed Reformation " up to the Restoration of King Charlie the Second, was a season of freak jurisprudence, scarce equalled in the history of "Be it Enacteds.'' It was a century of statutory austerities of the gravest sort, which broke up in a wild medley of bacchanalian orgies following the downfall of the Cromwell regime and which, under the leadership of the jovial Charles, has likely never been surpassed since the cele brated feast of Belchazzar, Mayor of Babylon. And it is a queer streak in Scottish char acter that King Charlie, with all his leanings toward a "high old time" and with all his reputed looseness of morals, is canonized in an equal degree with John Knox and his theology, Queen Mary with her weaknesses and virtues, and with Bobby Burns amid his reckless flirtations with Highland Mary. During this period, the enacting of laws in Glasgow was both vested in and usurped by the Town Council and the Church (Hie Kirk) Session. Frequently the Presbytery took a hand, but seldom ventured beyond legisla tion regarding behavior at church. Both the Town Council and the Session, however, transacted a voluminous business in making laws. Whenever the former body made a law which did not come up to the standard of required public morals, the Session would make the necessary amendments. As long as the Town Council enacted statutes to the satisfaction of the church authorities, they were not interfered with. .The Session con fined itself mainly to legislating regarding spiritual affairs, but was ready at all times to take a hand in secular matters on the slightest provocation.

During this period, the centre of Glasgow's ecclesiastical as well as secular and social life was the old Hie Kirk on the hill, which venerable pile is still preserved as the Cathe dral of to-day, the seat of the established church functions of the present time. It is surrounded with the graves of these mediaeval lawmakers, and an object of acute interest to all, especially those who flavor their speech with the Gaelic accent. LAWS ON BEHAVIOR AT CHURCH.' It was deemed extremely important that there should be a general attendance at the "examinations " preceding the communion season. Accordingly, in 1546, the Session enacted that those absent from these examina tions should not be admitted to the com munion but should be "raised" if they sat down. The people who offended by remain ing at home should be punished by " hail and fire " for the first offense and pay a fine of ten pounds besides. The dose for the second offense was same with a double fine. Forty years later, some of the rheumatics of the city got into the habit of half-way kneeling while at prayer in church. This conduct became so general that it became the subject of legislation. On June 21, 1 587, the Session enacted that all persons present in church, in time of prayer, should bow the knee to the ground. About this time, the female contingent began to be too pressing in their privileges to conform to the well known injunctions of Paul. 1 In each Thecase, ladies my authority receivedfora these severe lawslegislais the records of the Kirk Session of Glasgow and the records of the old Town Council, copies of which are preserved in the local libraries. In the case of ecclesiastical legisla tion, I conform my language to the original as far as practical.