The "Auld Alliance"

[Sally Spangler <esdemio@worldnet.att.net>]

A follow on to Niven's comments about the French Connection.  Unless I
am mistaken the border around the Scottish flag, the one in red and
gold, is the bordure tressure flory counter flory is a symbol of the
"Auld Alliance" between France and Scotland. Before there were the
covenantors, there was a strong Roman Catholic religion in Scotland.
According to J. D. Mackie's "History of Scotland", that after 1592, Act
which established a Kirk structure, the Roman Church and Episcopalians
saw a reduction in members. Before that time the Pope had a Vicar
Apostolic and had some thirty-three clerymen (1730). In 1731, there were
two districts, the services could be performed, though forbidden by
law.  After 1746, is was reckoned that there were only some 16,500
communicants distributed in Banff, Aberdeen, Inverness and Argyll and
little evidence of Roman Catholics in the highlands. Which meant that
the church had little force in the politics of the time.  Sally

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