letters

in Scots law there were various types, those in the name of the Crown being under the signet seal; most of the types are covered under the headings, caption, cocket, diligence, fire and sword, horning, inhibition, lawburrows, marque, poinding, regress, reprisal, respite and slains.  ‘Letters of four forms’ were a form of diligence incorporating successive means of getting debtors to pay up.  They rapidly became obsolete; like apprising they may have been considered too abrupt for the popular taste, given that they seem to have been the horning, poinding and caption in one.