the barons were taught dialectic and grammar. Society
consisted mainly of the agricultural class, who were half enslaved to the
lords of the soil, and obliged to follow them in war. The people were
fearfully rude and ignorant, much more so than the English--in this
respect, indeed, contrasting unfavourably with almost any other European
State. Few of them could either read or write; even the most powerful
barons were often unable to sign their names. As might be expected in such
a condition of society, the nobles exercised great oppression on the poor.
The Government of the country was a mere faction of the nobility as
against all the rest. It is said that when a man had a suit at law he felt
he had no chance without using "influence." Was he to be tried for an
offence, his friends considered themselves bound to muster in arms around
the court to see that he got justice; that is, to get him off unpunished
if they could. Men were accustomed to violence in all forms as to their
daily bread. "The hail realm of Scotland was sae divided in factions that
it was hard to get any peaceable man as he rode out the hie way, to
profess himself openly, either to be a favourer to the King or Queen. All
the people were castin sae lowss, and were become of sic dissolute minds
and actions, that nane was in account but he that could either kill or
reive his neighbours."[15]

Such facts as these indicate in a remarkable way the extraordinary
weakness of the executive government. It is abundantly evident that the
Scottish Parliament was most exemplary in passing measures for the
protection and amelioration of the people, but as Buchanan naively
remarks, "There was ane Act of Parliament needed in Scotland, a decree to
enforce the observance of the others." The King's writ did not run in many
districts of the country. The unfortunate element in the situation was
that it did not always coincide with the interests of the nobles to see
that the decrees of the Estates were carried into effect; and as a general
rule what did not happen to accord with their humour was set aside as of
no moment. The consequence was that many Acts of Parliament, relating
especially to the abnormal condition of the Borders, were no sooner passed
than they were treated as practically obsolete. This accounts for the
curious fact that we find the legislature returning again and again, at
brief intervals, to the consideration of the same questions, and issuing
orders whic