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Old Ecclesiastical Records of Badenoch. 427
cause secure their persons in prison until they find caution to fulfill
and obtemper this sentence, as also until they secure the peace
by a Bond of Lawburrows."
The Session had, it will be seen, taken the precaution to
have the Baillie, or Judfje Ordinary, present with them on the
occasion, and it is satisfactory to find tliat the wild and foulmouthed
Peter, and his fitly-mated Janet, were there and then
subjected to the "condign punishment" they so justly deserved.
The sentence of " James Stewart," the Baillie of the time, is appended
in the Records to the Session judgment, and runs as follows
:
"The Baillie ordains the persons of the said Peter ^IcDonald
and his wife Janet to be imprisoned within the Tolbooth of Ruthven,
untill they find caution conform to the above sentence.
Apparently the Kingu.ssie Session regarded the Apostolic injunction
to " be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares," as of a very limited ap-
plication. Judging from results, it is to be feared that in some parts
of the Highlands, even in the present day, " angels' visits" are
"few and far between." In the old turbulent times in Badenoch
the prospect of such visits appears to have been considered so very
remote that the canny Session felt constrained to restrict to a
single night the time within which a " stranger" could be developed
into such a visitor, and the efficacy of his visit exemplified. So
distrustful was the Session of importations from other quarters
that any " stranger" coming into the District without suflicient
ci-edentials was bracketed with the wandering " vagabond." Here
is the stringent pioliibition directed against either the one or the
other being entertained in the Parish " two nights on end" :—
^^ June ISth, 1749.—The Session considering tint there are
several strangers and vagabonds who come into this Parish without
certificates and are sheltered therein, the Session agree to apply to
the Judge-Ordinary if the persons of all such will be apprehended
and incarcerated, and that such as entertain one or more of them
two nights on end shall be fined in "iOs. sterling."
Here are the very moderate dues fixed by the Session for
digging the gra\-es of every '• person " come of age and of every
" child ; " " the gentlemen," it will be observed—doubtless with -a
lively anticipation of favoui-s to come—being " left to their own
discration " :
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"June 2Src[, 1749.—The Kirk-Session considering that it
would be exti-emely convenient for the Parish the Kirk Officer
should be employed in digging the gi-aves, and do appoint him to do