letters of fire and sword
Preserved but no longer current.
Formerly in Scot- land if a criminal refused to answer his citation, it was accounted treason, and "letters of fire and sword" were sent to the sheriff, author- izing him to use either or both these instru- ments to apprehend the contumacious party.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “letters of fire and sword” mean?
Formerly in Scot- land if a criminal refused to answer his citation, it was accounted treason, and "letters of fire and sword" were sent to the sheriff, author- izing him to use either or both these instru- ments to apprehend the contumacious party.
Is “letters of fire and sword” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.