[...]†
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Forsamekle as the kingis majestie, being informit of the preparatiounes making for armes in sindrie partis of Europe and that his dearest suster and cousine, the quene of England, for the respect thairof and the bettir suretie of hir estate, hes raisit sum forces and drawin thame towardis the frontiers of this realme tobe in the mair reddynes, alsweill for resisting of all foreyne invasioun as for the repressing of the thevis and brokin men, inhabitantis of the cuntreis ewest the bordouris of England, growin insolent upoun the opinioun that wearis sall arrise betuix the realmes, quhilk his majestie lippinnis not for, quhairupoun his hienes, be advise of his counsale, thocht meit to assemble a gude nowmer of his estaitis for thair advise tobe had heiranent, quhilkis presentlie convening and having maturely deliberat upoun the apperance of foreyne invasioun, as alsua how the thevis and brokin men of this realme inhabiting the bordouris thairof likwise becum inobedient to his hienes officiaris and wardanis and daylie commiting stowth, reif and utheris enormiteis, alsweill upoun his hienes awin peciable and gude subjectis as upoun the subjectis of England, to the disturbance of peace and quietnes salang continewit betuix baith the realmes, hes thocht it meit and expedient that sum ressonable forces wageit be alsua preparit and send to the bordouris for the bettir resisting of all foreyne invasioun and repressing of the saidis thevis and disobedient subjectis; and for support of the chargeis and expensis tobe maid in that behalf, the estaitis hes willinglie grantit ane taxatioun of fourty thowsand pundis tobe upliftit and payit at the dayes and within the space eftir specifeit: that is to say, twenty thowsand pundis be the spirituall estate, providing that the thrid thairof be taken up of the thriddis of benefices, sua that kirkmen, possessoures of the prelaceis and benefices that payis their thriddis, sall only be astrictit in payment of the twa part of the said twentie thowsand pundis; threttene thowsand thre hundreth thretie thre pund sex schillingis aucht penneis tobe payit be the barrounes and frehalders togidder with the kingis propirtie; and sex thowsand sex hundreth thre score sex pund thretene schillings, foure penneis in compleit payment of the said haill taxatioun be the burrowis; and that at foure termes be equall portiounes, viz., upoun the first day of Aprile, the first day of Maii, the first day or Junii, and the first day of Julii nixtocum, in the yeir of God jM vC lxxxj yeris; and gif thair salhappin ony foreyne weir in the meyntyme, that the said haill taxatioun be payit attanis within ane moneth efter the charge, and the schireffis, stewartis and bailleis and provestis and bailleis of burrowis to have letters for their releif within xv dayes; and gif thair beis na sic invasioun, that na further payment be maid bot the first terme. And for inbringing of the spirituall mennis part of the said taxatioun, that letters be direct chargeing all and sindrie bischoppis, abbottis and utheris benefecit personis contenit in the taxt roll, thair chalmerlanis or factouris personalie or at thair duelling places, and failyeing thairof be oppin proclamatioun at the principall paroche kirkis of the benefice upoun ane Sonday befoir none in tyme of devyne service and at the mercat croce of the heid burgh of the schire quhair the benefice lyis, to mak payment of that sowme, that thay, and ilkane of thame, ar stentit to, to the officiar, executoure of the saidis lettrez, be foure equall portiones at the termes particularlie abonespecifeit; and incais of foreyne invasioun, of the haill taxt within the said space of fyftene dayes nixt after thay be chargeit thairto, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne. And gif thay failye thairin, the saidis termes being particularlie bipast, to denunce thame incontinent thairefter rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc., and to charge the saidis officiaris to pay the same, or at the leist to deliver letters dewlie execute and indorsat upoun the personis astrictit to pay the same to William, lord Ruthven, thesaurar, collectour generall appointit to the said haill taxatioun, within the space of twenty dayes after ilk terme, under the said pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failyie thairin, the saidis xx dayes being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc. And that the prelatis and beneficit men, for their releif, have letters to charge thair frehalders, fewaris, vassellis, subvassellis, ladeis of terce, conjunctfearis, lyfrentaris and pensioners to mak payment of thair part of the said taxatioun pro rata within the dayes space in maner particularlie abonewrittin appointit thairto, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failye thairin, the saidis dayes being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc. and, gif neid beis, to poind and distrenye thairfore. And for payment of the thrid of the spirituall mennis part of the said taxatioun ordanit tobe uptakin of the thriddis of the benefices, that letters be direct chargeing all and sindrie ministers, redaris and utheris personis quhatsumevir quhomto the saidis thriddis of benefices in haill or part is assignit or disponit unto in fie, pensioun, stipend, remittit, gevin fre or restand in the generall collectouris handis, or utheris intromettouris with the saidis thriddis quhatsumevir, of the crop and yeir of God jM vC foure scoir yeiris, to mak payment of their partis of the said taxatioun according to the stent roll tobe maid thairupoun, at the saidis foure termes, to the officiaris, executoris of the saidis lettrez, within fyftene dayes nixt efter thay be chargeit thairto under the said pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failye thairin, the saidis fyftene dayes being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne, and to eschete etc.; and that the like executioun [...]† aganis the saidis officiaris for payment of the sowmes tobe ressavit be thame to the said collectoure of the said taxatioun. And for the barronis and frehalders part and oure soverane lordis propirtie, that thair be uplifted of everie pund land of auld extent within this realme ten schillingis, viz., twa schillingis sex penneis at the first terme of everie ane of the foure monethis abonewrittin; for payment quhairof, that letters be direct chargeing all and sindrie schireffis, stewartis and baillies and the baillies, chalmerlanis, ressavers, fewaris and intromettouris with oure soverane lordis propirtie, that thai and ilkane of thame within the boundis of thair offices rais and uplift the said sowme of ten schillingis of everie pund land of auld extent and inbring and deliver the same to the said collectoure generall within the dayes and space particularlie abonewrittin, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failye thairin, the saidis dayes being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc. And for their releif, that letters be direct chargeing all and sindrie erlis, lordis, barrounes and frehalders, fewaris, firmorers, occupiaris and intromettouris of oure soverane lordis propirtie, to mak payment and deliverance to the saidis schirreffis, stewartis, baillies, chalmerlanis and ressavers of oure soverane lordis propirtie, ilkane of thame for thair awin part, of the said sowme of ten schillingis of everie pund land of auld extent at the saidis foure termes within fyftene dayes nixt efter they be chargeit thairto, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif they failye thairin, the saidis xv dayes being,† to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc., or ellis that the schireffis, stewartis, baillies poind and distrenye thairfore, as thay sall think expedient; and that the saidis erlis, lordis, barrounes and frehalders have siclike letters for thair releif aganis ladyes of terce, lyfrentaris, conjunctfearis and subvassallis. And for inbringing of the burrowis part, that letters be direct chargeing the provestis and baillies of ilk burgh to mak payment of the text and extent thairof to the said collectour generall at the dayes and within the spaces particularlie abonewrittin, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failye thairin, the saidis dayes being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc. And for thair releif, that letters be direct chargeing all and sindrie the inhabitantis of ilk burgh to convene and elect certane personis to stent their nichtbouris, and to command the personis electit to accept the charge upoun thame in setting of the said stent upoun the inhabitants of ilk burgh, and to convene and sett the samyn and mak ane stent roll thairupoun as efferis within xxiiij houris nixt efter thay be chargeit thairto, under the said pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif they failye thairin, the saidis xxiiij houris being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc.; and siclike the said extent roll being maid and sett as said is, to charge the burgessis, nichtbouris and inhabitantis of ilk burgh to mak payment of their partis of the said extent to the s[...]† and baillies conforme to the taxt roll tobe maid and gevin out th[...]† the space of thre dayes efter the charge, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif thay failye thairin, the saidis thrie dayes being bypast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and to eschete etc., and, gif neid be, that the saidis provestis and baillies poind and distrenyie thairfore as thay sall think maist expedient. Attoure, the kingis majestie hes promitit and promitis that he sall not gif discharge to ony persoun or personis subject to the payment of ony part of the said taxatioun, lyke as it is presentlie concludit and ordanit be his majestie and the saidis estaitis convenit that gif his hienes happin to gif ony sic discharge, in that cais nane uther salbe haldin nor astrictit to mak further payment of thair pairtis of the said taxatioune, bot tobe simpliciter dischargeit thairof as gif the same taxatioun had nevir bene grantit. As alsua the kingis majestie, with avise of the saidis estaitis, requiris the lordis of counsale and sessioun that thay grant na suspensioun to ony persoun or personis chargeit for payment of the said taxt, bot that thay remit the cravers of the saidis suspensiounes to seik the same befoir the lordis of his hienes previe counsale and thair nane to have the saidis suspensiounes grantit quhill thay consigne the sowme chargeit, for to remane consignit quhill the decisioun of thair complaintis as accordis. Be it alwayes understand that the saidis lordis of counsale and sessioun, underprelatis and the kirkis and rentis foundit to the collegis for the upbringing of the yowth in the study of gude letters ar heirby exemit from all payment of thair partis of the said taxatioun.