Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 2).djvu/41

men and women dancing together in the same party, (for I believe they admitted that the exercise might be inoffensive if practised by the parties separately)—distinguished those who professed a more than ordinary share of sanctity. They discouraged, as far as lay in their power, even the ancient wappen-schaws, as they were called, when the feudal array of the county was called out, and each crown vassal was required to appear with such muster of men and armour as he was bound to make by his fief, and that under high statutory penalties. The Covenanters were the more jealous of these assemblies, as the lord-lieutenants and sheriffs under whom they were held had instructions from the government to spare no pains which might render them agreeable to the young men who were thus summoned together, upon whom the military exercise of the morning, and the sports which usually closed the evening, might