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

FRENCH GAME LAWS 121
every drap, and was forced to give the communion in good
rid aile.
We most not forget the story of the English Capitaine, who
thinking to flie his Hostesse, he was so frighted himselfe, his
man wtout his direction having bought a great oxes hyde
and covered himselfe wt it, that looping over the stair for
hast he brake on of his legs.
Wheir 2 layes in a chamber togither, their are many wayes
to flie on another. We might take a litle cord or a strong
threed when the other is sleiping, bind it to his covering or
bed cloaths, then going to our oun bed wt a end of the string
in our hand, making ourselfes to be sleiping, draw the string
to us, and the cloaths wil follow, and he wil be wery ready to
think that its a spirit. Also ty a string to 2, 3 chair feet,
and so draw them up and doune the house. He that knows
nothing of it wil impute it to a ghest.
Any tymes I was angry at the Frenchmen, if so he I was
familiar wt them, I fell to and abuse them in Scots, as loger-
head, ye are a sheip, etc. Their was no way I could anger
them worse then to speak in Scots to them.
The consuetuds and rights of nations about hunting and
balking throughout the most part of the Christian world are
wondrously degenerated from the right of nature and nations
and the Civil Law following the footsteps of both. According
to thir, all men have asqualy the liberty of chassing of wild
beasts, no sort of folk being excepted, and that not only in
their oune land but also in any others, since vild beasts, wheir
ever they be they are always wild beasts, apparteening to
none; for if that the wild beast is on my ground sould make
that it be estimd myne, then leiving my ground it leives of
to be myn, and by entring unto my neibhours it begins to be
his, and so it might change a 100 masters in one day, which
is absurd. We might as weill say that the piot that bigs1 on
my try is myne.
This liberty is exceedingly impared by the consuetudes at
present, so that nether can we hunt all beasts, the King
having excepted dears, harts, etc., so that its not lawful for
1 Magpie that builds.