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426 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
of Inch did travel on a, Lord's Day with a gi-eat many horse
loa(hied with meal, confessing guilt, they were sharply rebuked,
and such of them as were masters of families were ordained to
stand before tlie Congregation, and servants were dismissed with
a sharjie rebuke before tlie Session with cei-titication."
Passing over a period of about seveiiteen years, we come to
tlie case of an exceptionally wild Highlander asking a spade from
his neighbours, and tlie terrible language, and dire results, which
followed their refusal of that much prized implement.
"June 2nd, 1748.— This day was laid before the Session a
coiii]>laint and petition from Jean Cameron, spouse to Duncan
Macnicol in Ruthven, against Peter M'Konnich, alias Macdonald
in Kuthven, and Janet Mackenzie his spouse, setting
forth that upon the 2nd day of May last, the said Peter
came to
not get.
the complainer's house asking a spade, which he did
He then said that if he had her husband behind a
hedge he would stamp ujioii his belly, and reproached her
publicly in the following words :—D n you for a B h your
Fayr was hang'd and d n me if I will deny it ; and as he was
passing through the streets said d n his soul if he should deny
what he had said, and that the said Janet his wife, uttered the
words in the streets of Ruthven that the said Jean Cameron's
fiither and uncle were both hanged for theft, and beseeching the
Session to take theee scandalous reflections under their considera-
tion, and that the guilty persons may be censured and brought to
condign punishment. The Session having reasoned thereupon
agreed that such abusive language defaming and scandalizing the
memory of the dead, and entailing infamy upon their posterity, is
in itself injurious and unchristian, and to be discoui-aged in liuman
society, and if proven relevant to infer Church censure."
Several closely written pages of the Session Records are taken
up with the depositions of the witnesses. Here is the Session
judgment :
"The Session having summed up the evidence, do find
that . . . both Peter Macdonald and his wife Janet
ought to 1)0 subjected to the censure of the Church— the rather
that yre were this day laid before the Session suflicii'iit testimonials
•the complainer's father liv'd and dy'd under the reputation of an
honest man—wherefore the Session unanimously agree that the
said Peter and his wife Janet shall stand before the Congregation
at Kingussie next Lord's Day in the publick place of repentance,
and be sharjily rebuked for their oflence, and for terror to others ;
and the Session do petition the Judge Ordinary here present to
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