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Towards the Union: Proclamation warns disobedient of attack by the town guard

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From: The Scotsman
Date: 20061026
Author:Paul Riddell

FOLLOWING the violence meted out by the Edinburgh mob, as described by the English spy Daniel Defoe, Queen Anne issued a proclamation against "tumults and rabbles", which was read and then posted across the city. It gives a valuable insight into the mood of the times - and the harsh nature of justice that would often be meted out.

In co-opting "regents and masters" at Edinburgh University to look out for signs of restiveness among their students, it raises a chilling parallel with our current government's desire for academics to "spy" on Muslim students. The proclamation stated:

[T]he ...

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