Volume II Part 38 (1/2)
Georgius Comes de Huntlie, Archibaldus Comes Ergadie, Jacobus Comes de Mar, Willelmus Marescalli Comes, Joannes Atholie Comes, Alexander Comes de Glencarne, Jacobus Comes de Mortoun, Joannes Dns. Erskin, Jo^{es}. Ballenden de Auchnowle miles Clericus Justiciarie.]
THE quhilk day, forsamekle as be Statute and Ordinance maid be the Quenis Majestie and Lordis of Secreit Counsale, and her Hienes letteris direct thairupoun, All and sindrie Archbischoppis, [Bischoppis,][723] Abbottis, Commendatouris, Priouris, Archdeanis, Deanis, Subdeanis, Chantouris, Subchantouris, Provestis, Personis, Vicaris, and utheris beneficit men of this Realme, war charged to exhibite and produce the Rentallis of thair benefices befoir hir Majestie and Lordis foirsaids, in maner following: That is to say, the saidis Beneficit men, [dwelling] on this syde of the Month, the xxiiij day of Januar last bypast, and on the uther syd of the Month, the tent of Februar instant, to that effect that ordour mycht be takin thairin conforme to the said Ordinance; with certificatioun to thame, and thai failzeit, the Quenis Majestie and Counsale [foirsaid] wald tak ordour thairin, as the samyn Ordinance beiris: Notwithstanding the quhilk, and that the Quenis Majestie and Counsale, and utheris appointed be hir for resaving of the saidis Rentalles, hes continewallie, sen the said xxiiij day of Januare, awaitted upoun the resaving thairof; yit ane verray small nomber of thame hes produced the said Rentalles, contepmnand thairthrow nocht onlie hir Grace's Ordinance and Proclamatioun foirsaid, but als hir self and hir authoritie, like as thai war princes and nocht subjectis, expresse aganis rea.s.sone, equitie, and justice: For remeid quhairof, the Quenis Majestie ordanis, be advise of the Lordis of hir Secreit Counsale, that Factouris and Chalmerlanis be appointed to intromett, gaddir, uplift, and receave to our Soverane Ladeis use, all and sindrie mailles, fermes, teyndis, rentis, proventis, emolumentis, canis, proffeittis, and dewities of whatsumevir Benefices, whairof the Rentallis ar nocht produced, conforme to the said Ordinance: And gif ony Rentalle ellis produced bearis not the just availl, but is fraudefullie maid, to intromett and uptak samekle of the frutis and proffeittis of the saidis benefices as ar omitted furth of the saidis Rentalle; and the ingevaris of the Rentalles, and possessouris of the benefices thairof, shall never haif actioun to craif, clame, or ressaif fra the tennantis and possessouris, farther nor is contained in the saidis Rentallis ellis produced be thame: and the saids tennandis and possessouris shall na wyis be haldin to pay ony mair for thair rowmes to the possessouris of the saidis benefices and ingevaris of the saidis Rentalles, nor is conteyned in the samyn rentallis ellis produced, as said is: And that the saidis Factouris and Chalmerlanis to be appointed be the Quenis Majestie, shall have sufficient power to intromett and uptak the fructis and proffeittis foirsaidis, siclyke as gif speciall letteris of Factorie and Chalmerlanrie wer granted to thame thairupoun. And ordanis the Lordis of Sessioun to direct furth letteris at the said Factouris and Chalmerlanis instance, owther horning or poinding, as shalbe thocht expedient, for causing of thame to be ansuered of the fructis of the saidis benefices, to be furthc.u.mand to the Quenis Majesties behuif, whill forther ordour be tacken thairintill.
[723] The words enclosed within brackets are not in the Register; and in MS. G, the names after ”Abbots,” as in the preceding Act, are omitted.
APUD EDINBURGH, XV^{TO} FEBRUARIJ, ANNO &C. LXJ^O.
[SEDERUNT.
Georgius Comes de Huntlie, Archibaldus Ergadie Comes, Jacobus Comes de Mar, Joannes Atholie Comes, Jacobus Comes de Mortoun, Willelmus Marescalli Comes.]
THE quhilk day, forsamekle as the Quenis Majestie, be the advise of the Lordis of hir Secreit Counsale, and otheris diverse of the n.o.bilitie had of befoir, upoun the xxij day of December last bypast, ordanit, that gif the Fourt parte of the fructis and rentis of all the Benefices within this Realme war nocht sufficient for the support of hir Majestie, and other particulare charges underwrittin, necessar to be borne for the tranquillitie[724] of the country; then the Thrid of the saidis fructis, mair or less, should be takin up, to the effectis foirsaidis: And attour ordanit letteris to be direct, chargeing all and sindrie beneficit men, on this syd of the Month, to produce thair Rentallis upoun the xxiiij day of Januar last bypast; and the tent day of Februar instant, was prefixt be the saidis letteris, for inbringing of all rentallis of the benefices beyond the Month; with certificatioun, that quha produced nott the saidis Rentallis[725] at the dayis foirsaidis _respective_, the Quenis Majestie and hir Counsale wald provide remeid: According to the quhilk certificatioun, hir Hienes, with avyse of hir Counsale foirsaid, hes ordanit, that thai quha hes nocht produced thair rentallis, haill and full intromissioun shalbe had of thair fructis, be thame whom hir Majestie shall direct thairto; and quha hes nocht gevin in thair just Rentallis, quhatsumever part omitted in thair saidis rentallis shalbe intromett.i.t with in lyke maner: And further, having consulted ryplie and diligentlie avysit upoun the commoun effairis and necessities concernyng the Quenis Majestie, and charges to be borne, for the commoun weill of the Realme, and sustentatioun of the Preachearis and Readaris, conforme to the said Ordinance maid thairupoun of befoir, hes fundin and declaired the haill Thrid partis of all Benefices within this Realme, of the quhilkis the rentallis ar produced, to be taken up be the person or personis to be nominat be hir Majestie, and to begyn upoun this last crope of the year of G.o.d J^m V^c, and threscoir ane yearis, the samyn to be employed to the effect foirsaid: togitther with the haill fructis of the benefices whairof the Rentallis ar nocht produced; and alsua of samekle as is omitted in the rentallis produced: And that ordour be direct.i.t be the Quenis Majestie, to the Lordis of Sessioun, that the auld Possessouris may be ansuered of the remanent fructis of the saidis benefices; providing that the Thrid part foirsaid be full and haill takin up, be the personis to be deput to the up-taking thairof: And this ordoure to continew and stand, ay and whill further ordouris be takin be the Quenis Majestie, with advyse of hir Estaitis. Mairover hir Hienes, be the advyse of hir Counsale foirsaid, hes statut and ordanit that all annuellis, mailles, and dewities within free Burrowis, or utheris townis of this Realme, alsweill pertenyng to Chapellanreis, Prebendarijs, as to Freiris, togitther with the rentis of the Freiris landis, quhairever thai be, setting and disponing thairupoun, be intrometted with, and takin up be sik as hir Grace shall depute thairto; for employing of the same be hir Hienes, to Hospitaliteis, Scholes, and utheris G.o.dlie uses, as shall seme best to hir Hienes, be the advise of hir Counsale: And knawing, that nathing is mair commodious for the said Hospitalitie, nor the places of Freiris as [ar] yitt standand undemolissed; as als to the intertenyng of Scholes, Colleges, and utheris uses foirsaidis, Ordanis the Provest and Baillies of Abirdene, Elgin in Murray, Innerness, Glasgow, and utheris Burrowis of this Realme, quhair the samyn ar nocht demolished, to interteny and uphald the saidis Freiris places standand in the saidis Townis, upoun the commoun gudis thairof, and to use the samyn to the Commoun-weall and service of the saidis Townis, ay and quhill the Quenis Majestie be farther advysed, and tack finall ordour in sik thingis, nochtwithstanding [of] ony other gift, t.i.till, or interesse, gevin to quhatsumever personis of the saidis places, with thair yardis, orchardis, and pertinentis, be our Soverane Lady as of befoir.
[724] In MS. G, ”for the weill.”
[725] In MS. G, ”that they quha hes not produced thair Rentales.”
The names of the n.o.bilitie and Lordis that war present at the maiking of the foirsaidis Actis[726] heirefter followis:--
[726] It will be seen at page 299, that this list corresponds with the Sederunt of the Privy Council on the 22d December 1561.
James Duk of Chattelarault, George Erle Huntlye, Archibald Erle Ergyle, Williame Erle Mersch.e.l.l, Johne Erle Atholl, Williame Erle Montrose, James Erle Mortoun, Alex^r. Erle of Glencarne, James Commendator of Sanctandrois and Pettinweme, Johne Lord Erskyne, Johne Ballendyne of Auchnowll knyght Justice Clerk, The Thesaurar, The Cleark of Registre, and The Secretar.[727]
[727] In MS. 1566, the above list is repeated in the following paragraph, the transcriber having overlooked its being inserted in the previous page of the MS. The only difference is the addition of the Comptroller's name.
”The Lordis of Secreat Counsall that war present at votting and maiking of these foirsaid Actis, war James Duck of Chattellarault, George Erle of Huntley, Archibald Erle of Ergyle, William Erle Merch.e.l.l, John Erle Atholl, William Erle Montrose, James Erle Mortoun, Alexander Erle of Glencarne, James Commendatar of Sanctandrois, Johne Lord Erskin, the Thesaurar, the Cleark of Registre, Justice Cleark, Secreatarie, and Comptrollar.”
The paragraph is also repeated in MS. A; but it is omitted in MS. G.
After the first Act,[728] the Erle of Huntley said, jestinglie, ”Good day, my Lordis of the Twa parte.”
[728] It may here be added, that the Register of the Privy Council contains another long minute of a meeting held at Edinburgh, on the last of February 1561-2, relating to the Thirds of Benefices. The Sederunt at this meeting: George Earl of Huntley, James Earl of Mortoun, Archibald Earl of Argyle, William Earl Mareschal, and James Earl of Mar.
The Council directed Letters of Proclamation to be issued, ordaining the fruits of benefices to remain undelivered to the old possessors, or their collectors, ”unto the tyme thai be charged of new be letters past be deliverance of the Lords of Session, dated after the 1st of March.”
The hoill Rentallis being gathered, the sowme of the Thrid, according to thair awin calculatioun, was found to extend to....[729]
[729] In all the copies of Knox, the sum is left blank.
[Sidenote: JOHNE KNOX HIS JUDGEMENT OF THE THRIDDIS.]
The Ministeris, evin in the begynnyng, in publict Sermonis opponed thame selves to suche corruptioun, for thei foirsaw the purpose of the Devill, and clearlie understood the b.u.t.t whairat the Quene and hir flatteraris schot; and so in the stoolle of Edinburgh, Johne Knox said, ”Weill, yf the end of this ordour, pretended to be tacken for sustentatioun of the Ministeris, be happy, my judgement failleth me; for I am a.s.sured that the Spreit of G.o.d is nott the auctor of it; for, first, I see Twa partis freely gevin to the Devill, and the Thrid maun be devided betwix G.o.d and the Devill: Weill, bear witnes to me, that this day I say it, or it be long the Devill shall have Three partis of the Thrid; and judge you then, what G.o.ddis portioun shalbe.” This was ane unsaverie saying in the earis of many. Some eschamed nott to affirme, ”The Ministeris being susteaned, the Quene will nott gett at the yearis end to by hir a pair of new schoes.” And this was Secreatarie Lethingtoun.
[Sidenote: LET THIS BE NOTTED]
Thair war appointed to modifie the Ministeris stipendis,[730] the Erles Ergyle, Murray, and Mortoun, Lethingtoun, the Justice Cleark, and Cleark of Registrie. The Laird of Pittarro was appointed to pay the Ministeris stipendis, according to thair modificatioun. Who wold have thought, that when Joseph reulled Egypt, that his brethren should have travailled for vittallis, and have returned with empty seekis unto thair families? Men wold rather have thought that Pharao's pose, treasure, and garnallis should have bene diminished, or that the houshold of Jacob should stand in danger to sterve for hungar.
[730] Among the Public Records, there are several volumes of Accounts of the Collectors General of the Thirds of Benifices, commencing in the year 1561.
[Sidenote: ANE PROVERBE.]