Jonathan Oldbuck, Esq., of Monkbarns, who proves to his nephew, Captain
McIntyre, that in that happy country no man can be legally imprisoned _for
debt_. He says,--

"You suppose now a man's committed to prison because he cannot pay his
debts? Quite otherwise; the truth is, the king is so good as to
interfere at the request of the creditor, and to send the debtor his
royal command to do him justice within a certain time; fifteen days, or
six, as the case may be. Well, the man resists, and disobeys; what
follows? Why, that he be lawfully and rightfully declared a rebel to
our gracious sovereign, whose command he has disobeyed, and that by
three blasts of a horn, at the market-place of Edinburgh, the
metropolis of Scotland. And he is then legally imprisoned, not on
account of any civil debt, but because of his ungrateful contempt of
the royal mandate."

I have only quoted what was absolutely necessary to answer the Query; but
there is much more to be found on the subject in the same place.

I cannot suppose that there is any one of your readers so illiterate as not
to have read the _Antiquary_, {450} there are few memories which are not
the better for being from time to time refreshed. My own is not of the
best, which is sometimes disadvantageous to me, but not in a case like
this. I have frequently read over the _Antiquary_, again and again, and
have always derived much pleasure and amusement from so doing, and that
pleasure I hope still again to enjoy.

J. S----s.

_Dr. Euseby Cleaver_ (Vol. ii., p. 297.).--Your correspondent H. COTTON,