The Statutes of the Realm/Volume 1/Introduction/Appendix/H/2

by the Record Commission

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II.—SCOTLAND.

A Precept for the Publication of the Statutes of Robert I. A. D. 1318, is prefixed to the Copy of those Statutes in the Antient Monastic Register of Aberbrothick.—The Rubric, “Mandatū &c.” is apparently the Work of the Copyist. This Precept is in the following Words:

Mandatū d̵ni Reg̃ Rob̴ti pro Statutis inf^ascⁱptis obsuandis.

Rob̴tꝰ dei grã Rex scottoꝝ Justiciarijs vicecomitibꝫ p͛põitis & eoꝝ Bal̴l̴is, cet͛is qꝫ fidelibꝫ vniu͛sis, ad quoꝝ noticiam p͛sentes l̵re ꝑuen͛int; sal̵t̃m. Sciatis q̃ de consilio & exp͛sso consensu, ep̃oꝝ, abbatū, pⁱoꝝ, comitū & Baronū ac tociꝰ cõitatis Regni nr̃i in pleno ꝑliamēto nr̃o tento apd̵ sconā die d̵nica pꝰ festū sc̃i andree ap̃li cū continuac͠oe dierū sb̴seq̃ncium, āno Regni nr̃i xiij° auc^ate ñra Regia, inf^ascⁱpta statuta condita sūt & f^rmata. Qu^are vob̴ mandamꝰ & f^rmit͛ p͛cipimꝰ q^atinꝰ dc̃a statuta ad c^rias ñras inf^a Bal̴l̴ias ṽras tenendas, & alibi ubi fu͛it frequens cōg^egac͠o pp̃li publice legi & proclamari faciatis, ac inuiolabil̵r ab om̄ibꝫ, tam in c^rijs p͛latoꝝ, comitū & Baronū, & oĩm alioꝝ qui c^rias h̴nt, q^a͏̄ in c^rijs ñris p͛prijs, quibꝫ volumꝰ q̃ ꝑ vos det^r copia statutoꝝ, ita q̃ mat͛iam nō h̴eant se excusandi de ignorancia eoꝝd̵m.

In the Reign of David II. A. D. 1366, a Parliamentary Ordinance was made in the following Words “Item quod Dominus Noster Rex faciat omnia et singula prenotata sub sigillo suo in scripto redigi et per singulos Vicecomites publice proclamari.”

In a Miscellaneous Manuscript of Scottish Law, in the Advocates’ Library at Edinburgh, marked W. 4. ult. supposed to have been written in the Reign of James III., there is a Precept for the Publication of certain Acts passed in the first Three Parliaments of James I, in pursuance of the Act 1425, commonly intituled “Anent the Executioun of the Actis of Parliament maid of befoir.” The Precept is in the following Words:

James be þ^e grace of Gode King of scottis till Justice sais ald̵meñ ⹒ þar balȝes ande til all oþ^r leil liegꝭ ande subdittꝭ to þe knawleg̃ of quhā þⁱr pñt l̵res cūis greting̃ wit ȝe þat in our ꝑliamēt at Perth̴ diu͛se tymes haldin thru þ^e expresse coñsal ⹒ ꝯsent of þe [fre^[1]] estatꝭ of our kinrik throu þe autorite of our kingdom̃ þⁱr w^tin writtin statutꝭ war mad & formyt of þ^e quhilk forsuth statutꝭ þe teno^r folowys in wlgar tung̃.

Here follow the Statutes.

Quharfor to ȝow we bid ⹒ ꝯmand þat þ^r forsaide statutꝭ in our next court w^tin ȝo^r balȝ^erꝭ to be haldī ⹒ in oþ^r placꝭ quhar oftast hapnis ꝯg^egac͠on of pepil opinly ȝe ger be rede ⹒ cryit and alsua in þ^e court of p͛latꝭ erlis barounis ⹒ of al oþ^r hafand courtꝭ ye quhilkꝭ we will þ^t be ȝow þ^e Copy be gevin of þ^r statutꝭ sa þat þai haf na mat͛ þaī til excuse of þ^e ignorans of þaī Comandand mar atour ⹒ straitly iniunand þat alswell ȝ^e as our oþ^r subiectꝭ ⹒ lieg̃meñ þ^r forsaid Statutꝭ in al þar poyntꝭ ⹒ Articlis̃ vnmoffabily ȝe ⹒ þai kep ⹒ obserf vnd̵ all payn þ^e quhilk aw or may cū þ^rof or folow Gevin vnd̵ þ^e vitnes of our gret seill at edinburgh þ^e xx day of Apⁱll þe ȝer of o^r Lord Mccccxxvj and of o^r kinrik þe xxi ȝer.

In the same Manuscript, and in some others, there is a similar Precept for the Publication of certain Statutes enacted by a Parliamentary Commission in 1432.^[2] This Precept is in the following Words:

James be the grace of gode king of Scottꝭ til all and sindry bischoppis abbotꝭ priouris clerkꝭ Erlis baroñis lordꝭ of Regaliteis vassalis Justicis sreffꝭ ꝓvestꝭ balȝeis m̃ist͛is and ledarꝭ of þe law within burgh̴ ⹒ vtouth̵ and til all vthiris officiarꝭ oure liegꝭ ⹒ subiectꝭ to quhais knawlege þir oure lr̃es sal cum greting ffor quhy þat oute of oure last ꝑliamēt haldyñ at Perth̴ in þe moneth of October last passit be þe ordinance of oure [fre^[1]] estatꝭ þare was deput c͛tane ꝑsonis at tyme ⹒ place conueniable quhē vs suld like to assemble to ordane ⹒ ꝯmoñ apon c͛tane statutꝭ ꝓfitable for the cōmon gude of oure Realme We with̴ the forsaid ꝑsonis assemblit for stanching of the fellone slaucht͛is and barganis þat is apperande ⹒ for the abreging of the law in swilk case has ordanit ⹒ statute ī the forme ⹒ maner as eftir folowis þat is to say.

Here follow the Statutes.

Quharfor to ȝ^u al ⹒ syndri sais balȝes ⹒ m̃ist͛is w^tin burgh̴ ⹒ vtouth̴ straytly we bide ⹒ ꝯmand þ^t þ^e forsad statutꝭ ȝe kep ⹒ ger be kepit ī all furm̃ ⹒ effec as is befor wⁱttyn vnd̵ þ^e payn forsaid gevī vnd̵ o^r pⁱue seil at Perth̴ þ^e xxvij of Mayi ⹒ of o^r regne þ^e xxvii ȝer.

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.

^[3]ITEM þe king with consent of þe thre estatꝭ of þe realm̃e has ordanit þ^t 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, vi^to die Martii, A. D. 1457.

^[4]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 þ^r witsūdais making̃ of þ^r baroñe courtꝭ ry^t sa be takin and copyit and schawin to his tenandꝭ sa þat noþ^r þe frehaldar nor þe tenādꝭ be negligent nor p͛t͛myt þe obs͛uyng̃ of þe saidis decretꝭ and at þe paynis set þ^rapone be sa deuly raisit þat þe saidꝭ actꝭ and decretꝭ be obs͛uyt and kepit as efferꝭ.
^[4]ANDE þ^r 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 w^t all hūilite exhortꝭ ande requireꝭ his hienes̃ to be inclynit w^t sik diligence to þe execucioñe of þ^r statutꝭ actꝭ and decretis abone writtyñ þ^t 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 þ^r gou͛no^r and defendo^r.

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 þ^rin, 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 w^thin 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.

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1. Other MSS. read thre.
2. In the Edition 1566, these Statutes are placed between those of a Parliament in July 1426, and those of a General Council in March 1427, without any appropriate Date; having prefixed to them, the first or introductory Part of the abovementioned Precept, but without its conclusion. In the Editions 1597 and 1681, the Precept is altogether omitted, and the Statutes are given as a Continuation of those of the Parliament 1426.
3. 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.”
4. 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.”