that he shall defend them and the liberty of the said
burgh with his person, goods and gear, and that he shall scot and lot,
watch and ward with them and the neighbours thereof, and that he shall
not hail nor conceal their hurt nor harm, and that he shall not purchase
no Lordships in their contrar (in opposition to them), wherein if he
does in the contrar, these presents to be null, as if they had never
been granted, upon the which the Provost in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, put the guild ring on his five fingers of his
right hand, and created the said John free burgess and guild brother,
with all ceremonies requisite. Whereupon, &c."

The buying of Lordships or lands without the knowledge of, or in
opposition to the wish and interest of the community was a heinous sin,
and the guilty party was always disburgessed, which then meant ruin.

THE STAMPING OF LEATHER.

Inverness, from an early period, was noted for trade in hides and
leather. Before the opening up of the ready facilities now afforded
twixt the West Coast and the south by steamboats and railways, the
Highland Capital was the chief outlet for all the produce of the Western
Isles and North Highlands, and consequently dealt largely in an export
and import trade. The export consisted chiefly of fish, tanned hides,
leather, and gloves; while the imports were wines, groceries, iron,
ammunition, &c. This trade was, as a rule, with foreign parts, and
principally with the Netherlands. Indeed, in early times because of the
feuds twixt England and Scotland, the latter was on a much more friendly
footing with Spain, France, the low countries, and Denmark than she was
with the sister country, and hence probably the old song--

Oh, have you any broken pots,
Or any broken branders?
For I'm a tinker to my trade,
I'm newly come from Flanders!

Leather and tanned hides were exciseable, and hence the following
appointments:--

"At Inverness the 2d day of the month of November, A.D. 1621, in
presence of James Cuthbert, Provost; William Paterson and Duncan Forbes,
bailies:--That day Mr Samuel Falconer of Kingcorth, and Alex. Forbes,
servitor to my Lord Duke of Lennox, commissioners appointed by a noble
Lord, John Lord Erskine, for establishing keepers of the seal for
sealing and stamping of leather and tanning of hides; by these presents
have nominated and appointed Andrew Fraser, notary, burgess of
Inverness, keeper of the s