ABSTRACT
Administratively at least the sixteenth century marks a watershed between the feudal and the modern world. In all European countries the struggle within the Christian Church had a shattering impact upon society, imposing, especially in the Protestant countries, new responsibilities upon government. Government administration was basically personal administration, the typical relationship of king and minister, sultan and vizir, continuing on its traditional basis, but with increasing emphasis on the chief minister’s role. Administrative rationalization was being imposed upon the chief minister by the facts of the situation. In an age of chronically divided loyalties, inefficient or hardly existant communications, and restricted executive power, the situation on the Anglo-Scottish border was obviously far from unique, and no doubt equally interesting administrative arrangements could be quoted of many other areas of the Continent of Europe. But the specific Scottish approach to the problem has a special interest of its own.
