ABSTRACT
Literature was the first of the arts to break out of the straitjacket of Holy Mother Church. In the Scotland of Mary Stuart many aspects of art, especially architecture, woodcarving, sculpture, music, and even literature were connected with that great international organization of the period, the Roman Catholic Church. An Act of Parliament was passed which stated that ‘the teaching of the youth in the art of music and singing had begun to be neglected’. Woodcarving was originally an art strictly confined to the church and monastic buildings. After the decay of church embroidery as a form of art, it became the custom to use embroidered panels in private houses. The three streams of influence on Scottish architecture were firstly the Church, secondly the impact of the French with the 'auld alliance', and thirdly the necessity for dwellings which acted as watch towers, a protection against marauders and a secure place to live.
