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424 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
should be insisted against fox- breach of Sabbath and punished
accordingly, and that the Heads of families would be made lyable
for the transgressions of their children and servants in these
Here is the case of two worthies falling " a scolding " on
the Lord's Day, with an apparent ferocity not excelled even in the
memorable battle of the Kilkenny cats, and all " about eating
of corn."
" May ?>\st, 1730.—This day there was delated to the Session
a scandal yt broke forth last Lord's Day after divine service betwixt
Alexander Keannich in Knockicchien and James Glass Turner in
Knockichalich in Killihuntly, showing that the said Alexander
Keannich was travelling with an armsfull of peats, and, meeting
with said Glass, they fell a scolding about eating of corn, and
yrafter did beat and bruise one anoyr until they were separated by
the neighbours, viz.:-— Donald Fraser, Angus Kennedy, and
Finlay Ferguson, weaver, all in Knockichalicli or yr abouts."
The Session, finding that this was " a notorious breach of the
Lord's Day, very much to be testified against, appointed the
delinquents to stand before the congregation and be rebuked."
Here is the case of a jealous husband tempted, as he owned, " by
Satan " making his uneasy wife, Elspet, " swear upon a knife."—
"Jinie '2nd, ITS*^.—This day compeared John Stuart in
Farlettor, and Elspet Kennedy, his wife, who were confronted, and
the said John being interrogate Imo, If he entertained any
jealousie of his wife with Duncan Gordon in Farelettor, owned he
did ; 2nd, being asked what grounds and presumptions he had to
do so, answered that sometime in March hist a stirk in the town
being amissing, he observed the said Duncan and his wife separate
from the company in search of that beast—-that then Satan, he
owned, had tempted him to entertain a jealousie ; 3rd, being asked
if he put her to an oath of purgation, owned he drew a knife and
obliged her to swear, as she would answer to God in the Great
Day, that she would never have any oft'spring or succession, if
she did not tell the truth, and that he had done this three or four
times, and once upon a Lord's Day ; 4th, being asked if his wife
complied with the said oath, both he anil she owned she did. She
being asked what made her leave her own house, answered yt he
was daily so inieasy to her that she was obliged to leave him, and
declared that she would never return until she got satisfaction for
the scandal that was raised upon lier. The Session considering
that this is an aliair of an intricate nature, refer to the Presbytery
for advice."