The book Arran; - Cook Clan

150 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
cattle in the corn. The Session finding that there is a con-
tinual strife between the inhabitants of Blarmore about this
corn and grass, think fitt to rebuke them sessionallie they
promising to live in peace henceforth and forgiving one
another all alledged inquiries past.'
But things weren't really allowed to stop at this point,
for one particular ' incident is pursued further : Effie M.
complains that Elspa S. said to her and other women in the
toun that she saw them sitting upon the highway and that
they had a dish of her flesh among them, meaning that they
were backbiting her, and that her daughter replyed, " Mother,
if they had a dish of your flesh, the Divell give them bread
to it," and that it was on the Sabbath day she said it.'
When the case against the daughter came up on September
2, the young woman denied the charge, but nothing further
could be done, as the women who were witnesses were ' att
harvest in the mainland.' In a meeting of January the year
after the daughter is found guilty of ' prophanation of the
Lord's day by impious unchristian expressions,' and is to
be rebuked publicly next Sabbath.
This was the mildest form of punishment. More serious
was that incurred by a son in Achancairn who had acted
in an hysterical blustering way towards his mother and sister ;
he had to ' stand in sack-cloth before the Congregation as
often as shall be thought necessarie '
; he was lucky in not
having to pay for his own garment of repentance, which was
to be procured by the beadle. That it had to be made shows
it was not in great demand. The most serious misdemeanour
in the list brought a fine in addition to the public appearance,
the penalties ranging from £l to £9 Scots, which went to
the church funds. But fines weren't many, for all the fuss :
May 1725 to May 1726 shows only four. When repentance
is made adequately manifest, a certificate of absolution is
given.
And behind the Session was the ' civil magistrate,' whose