Game of bowls

I
HISTORY IN SCOTLAND 25
of the Messrs Fountain must have in time become
an insupportable grievance to the lieges, or at
least such of them as were inclined to embroider
a little gaiety on the dull serge of common life."
So grievous did their exactions become, that
Lord Fountainhall tells us " when the Scots
Parliament sat in August 1681," among other
proposals " rumoured as designed to be past in
Acts " was one against Mr Fountain's " gift as
'Master of the Revels,' by which he exacts so
much off every bowling-green, kyle-alley, etc.,
throughout the kingdom, as falling under his gift
of lotteries." Nothing was done at the time, but
three years later another complaint was made that
the "Masters of the Revels" went "almost through
all Scotland," taxing all who kept any such place
of recreation. It was stated that they realised a
sum of
;
616,000 from some 6000 persons, who were
forced to compound with them.
Now, while about this period the game was
falling in popularity in the south, it continued to
be held in high favour in the Northern Counties
and in Scotland. Edinburgh did not seem to be
behind with facilities for the game. From a map
of the Capital by William Edgar in 174.2, we find
no fewer than five bowling-greens, three of them
within a stone's throw of each other, and all much
larger than can be afforded for greens nowadays.
It may be interesting to note where these were
situated. One was immediately to the south of
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