The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-03
COrrespOndence.-Letter No. s.


DEAR FRIEND Passing from the
Tennis Court, where my last left us,
we come to the Burgh Of Canongate.
At the foot of the Canongate, and op-
pssits the old Gothic archway which was
formerly the entrance to the Palace,
stood at one time the Girth Cross, the
position of which is still indicated by a
cross in the causeway. This structure
was the sacred boundary of the Sanctu-
airy of Holyrood, which, when touched
by the hand of fugitive, declared him
to be within the limits of the " city
of refuge )" but at the present day the
boundary is a few yards to the eastward
of this point. This is at the present
day a sanctuary for insolvent debtors.
The unfortunate wight who has been
living too fast for his means, may here
end an asylum where he can bid def
ance to the harpies of the law--undsr
certain regulations.
When an individual proposes to avail
himself Of the privilege of this sanctuary
the boundaries of which are di tinctly
marked out-he has twenty-tour hours,
from the time of his arrival within these
boundaries, allowed him to procure
residence and obtain a regular protect
ion, or book T" himself, as it is term
ed. If he neglect to do this within the
specified period, he is subject to the or
dinary operations of the law. If a debt
or absent himself from the sanctuary for
fourteen days continuously, he loses the
benefit Of the protection, and if he re-
turns, be must obtain renewal of it.
On Sundays, the debtor is privileged to
walk beyond the limits of this territory
without fear of apprehension ; but he
must be very careful that he is not
caught without the boundaries at any
other time. | was told Of a clergyman
who had had the misfortune to find it
necessary to seek q refuge in this sanct-
uary, who left the Abbey late every
Saturday night, preached to his congre :
CATION on the following day, and betook
himself sorthwith to his asylum, having
travelled, in going and returning, some
forty miles.
If the creditors Of party who has
taken refuge here, eau make it appear
that he has absconded, taking with him
large sums of money, in order to dcfraud
them of their just claims, a warrant may
be obtained to search the person Of the
individual complained Of Singularly
enough, within this sanctuary stands a
prison, and in this place Of durance the
protected denizens of the Abbey may be
confined for debts contracted while 6
resident within the bounds. A fraudu
lent debtor, being considered as Grim
inal, is not protected by the "Girth
of Holyrood, nor any one who meditate
fight from the kingdom, in order to de-
prive his creditors of all chance Of coer
cling him to discharge his just debts
! Such an one may be apprehehded with
: in the bounds Of the sanctuary even OF
Sunday.
In olden times, we are told that many
: and desperate were the races betweel
u these absorbing debtors and the lynx
eyed and swift-footed officers of the Law
the former rushing on, hat in hand
> painting and perspring at every pore, t.
o gain the Ilonged-for strand, the sacre
Il limit of their property" and the lat
h ter bounding forward, followe by yell
ing " concurrents," eager to intercop
the fugitives Such scenes are now on
IL ly known in tradition, and are relate
s by the garrulous tongue of age with a
e, the reverence due to grey haired an
,e tiquity There is a story told Of fug
tive, flying from /" Messenger" wh
fell across the boundary line Of tho sancI
uary, with his head and shoulders in tn
l., Abbey, and the rest Of his person in tb
~ Canonga,e, and was there seized by h
% ruthless pursuer, and brought before
5. Judge; but we are told that the judg
,e to whom the question was referred, cor
!, sidering that the nobler parts the deb
=. or's person we're in the sanctuary, decic
' ed that the lower extremities ought,
90 justice, to participate in the privilege =
Is, AS to the truth of this Story, of cours
he do not pretend to vouch, but mere
ia tell the tale as twas told to me
:, but should give it as my opinion thI
- that judge provided the tale is trr
ne ono-was one of the judges which "
II, "read about" but do not often see
up these days ofjudicial degeneracy. Mo
particularly those of my own belov'