Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

60
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
his tyme; all 16 moneth he was wt him, he was not 3 or 4
tymes at Quatre Piquet [the church],1 and when he went it was
to mock ; that he was a violent, passionate man; that he spak
disdainefully of all persones; that he took the place of all the
other Scotsmen, that he had no religion, wt a 100 sick like.
Its in wery great use heir for the bridegroomes to give rich
gifts to the brides, especially amongs thess of condition; as a
purse wt a 100 pistols in it, and this she may dispose on as she
pleaseth to put hir selfe bravely in the faschion against hir
marriage. We have heard of a conseillers sone in Poictiers
who gave in a burse 10000 livres in gold. Yet I am of the
mind that he would not have bein content if she had wared all
this on hir marriage cloaths and other things concerning it, as
on bracelets and rings. The parents also of the parties usually
gives the new married folk gifts as rich plenishing, silver work,
and sicklike.
In parties appealls heir from a inferior to a superior, if it
appear that they ware justly condemned, and that they have
wrongously and rashly appealed, they condeime them unto a
fine called heir Amende, which the Judge temperes according
to the ability of the persones and nature of the businesse:
the fine its converted ether to the use of the poor or the
repairing of the palais.
The Jurisdiction of thess they call Consuls in France is to
decide controversies arising betuixt marchand and marchand.
Their power is such that their sentence is wtout appeall, and
they may ordaine him whom they find in the wrong to execute
the samen wtin the space of 24 howers, which give they feill
to do they may incarcerate them. Thus J. Ogilvie at Orleans.
Even the wery papists heir punish eth greivously the sine of
blasphemy and horrid swearing. Mr. Daille saw him selfe at
Bordeaux a procureurs clerk for his incorrigibleness in his
horrid swearing after many reproofes get his tongue boored
thorow wt a hot iron.
The present bischop of Poictiers is a reasonable, learned man,
they say. On a tyme a preist came to gett collation from him,
the bischop, according to the custome, demanding of him if he
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