The following Acts, of James I, James II. and James VI. relate to the Proclamation of the Statutes in Scotland. The first two are taken from the best Manuscript Copies which remain; the last is extracted from the Records of Parliament in the General Register House at Edinburgh.
In Parliamento apud Perth, xi die Martii, A. D. 1425.
[1]ITEM þe king with consent of þe thre estatꝭ of þe realm̃e has ordanit þt all statutꝭ ⹒ ordinance of þis ꝑliamēt ⹒ of the twa ꝑliamētꝭ precedande be registrat ī the kingꝭ Registir ande gevin to þe sreffꝭ Quhilkꝭ statutꝭ ⹒ ordinās ilk sref sall ger be publist and ꝓclamyt in the chefe place of his srefdom̃e ande in vthir notabl̵e placꝭ Ande als to geve the copiis of þaī bath to p͛latꝭ baroñis ⹒ borowis of his balȝery apoñ þe expens̃ of the askarꝭ Ande at ilk sref ger be kepit þe tenor of þis act vndir payn of piuacioñ of his office Ande at ilk sref geve oppyn biding to þe pepill of his balȝery bath̴ to lande ande to burgh to kep ⹒ fulfil all statutꝭ ⹒ ordinance maid ī the saidꝭ thre ꝑliamētꝭ vndir þe paynis cōtenit ī þe actꝭ of þaī swa þat nane hafe cause to p͛tende na allege ony ignorance.
In Parliamento apud Edinburgh, vito die Martii, A. D. 1457.
[2]ITEM þe lordꝭ thinkꝭ speidfull þat our̃ sou͛ane lorde ꝯmande all his srefꝭ ande ꝯmissarꝭ of burowis to cum to þe clerk of his Registre and ger copy all þir articulis actꝭ and statutꝭ abone writtyñ and ger ꝓclame þame opinly throu out þar schyrꝭ and burowis sa þat nane of his liegꝭ allege Ignoreāce of þame in tyme to cum And alsua þat all þe actꝭ and ordinance abone writtyñ þe quhilkꝭ ar necessary till his baroñis and frehaldarꝭ to be schawin at þr witsūdais making̃ of þr baroñe courtꝭ ryt sa be takin and copyit and schawin to his tenandꝭ sa þat noþr þe frehaldar nor þe tenādꝭ be negligent nor p͛t͛myt þe obs͛uyng̃ of þe saidis decretꝭ and at þe paynis set þrapone be sa deuly raisit þat þe saidꝭ actꝭ and decretꝭ be obs͛uyt and kepit as efferꝭ.
[2]ANDE þr attour̃ señ gode of his he grace has send our̃ sou͛ane lorde sik ꝓgres̃ and prosꝑite þat all his rebellys and brekarꝭ of his Justice ar removit out of his Realme and na maist͛full ꝑty remanande þat may caus̃ ony breking in his Realme sa þat his hienes̃ be inclinyt ī himself and his m̃ist͛is to þe quiet & ꝯmoñe ꝓfett of þe Realme and Justice to be kepit amangꝭ his liegꝭ his thre estatꝭ wt all hūilite exhortꝭ ande requireꝭ his hienes̃ to be inclynit wt sik diligence to þe execucioñe of þr statutꝭ actꝭ and decretis abone writtyñ þt god may be emplesit of him and all his liegꝭ spũale and temꝑale may pray for him to gode and gif thankyng̃ to him þat sende þame sik a pince to þr gou͛nor and defendor.
In Parliamento apud Edinburgh, penult̃ die Novembris, A. D. 1581.
Anent the proclamatioun of þe actis of parliamēt.
Forsamekill as it is vnderstand to þe kingis maiestie and thre estatis of ꝑliament, That oftymes doutis ⹒ questionis arysis tuiching þe proclamatioun of þe actis of parliament ⹒ publicatioun þairof; It being sūtime alledg. . be þe leigeis, þat þei ar not bound to obserue ⹒ keip þe samin as lawes, nor incur onie panes cōtenit þrin, qll þe samin be proclamit at m͛cat croces of þe heid burrowis of all scherris: For Remeding of qlk dowtes in tyme cūing it is statute and ordanit be oure souerane Lord and estatis of þis present parliament, That all actis and statutis of ꝑliament maid at this tyme, and þat sal happin to be maid at onie tyme heirefter, salbe publischit and proclamit at þe m͛cate croce of edinburgh onlie. Quhilk publicatioun oure said souerane Lord and estatis foirsaidis, dec͛nis and declaris, to be als valiabill and sufficient as þe samin wer publischit at þe heid burrowis of þe haill schires wthin this realme. And alswa declaris þe haill Leigis to be bundin and astrictit to þe obedience of þe saidis actis as Lawes fourtie dayis eftir þe publicatioun of þe samin at þe said m͛cate croce of edinburgh being bypast.
- ↑ No Rubricks, or Titles, to the Acts appear to have been inserted in the Parliamentary Records of this Period. In Skene’s Edition 1597 pa. 10. nu. 67. this Act is intituled, “Anent the extract and execution of the Actes of Parliament.”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 These in the Manuscripts are given as Two different Acts or Chapters; In Skene’s Edition 1597 they are printed as one. In the oldest Copy of these Acts, the Rubrick, or Title, of the First is,—“Off copying of þe Actꝭ.”—Of the Second; “Exortacioñe to þe Kyng fra þe lordꝭ.” In Skene’s Edition pa. 45, nu. 90. the following is the Title prefixed to the whole as one Chapter, “That all the Actes be copied fra the Clerk of the Register, and proclaymed.”
