[1581/10/29]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†The kingis majestie and his thre estatis, considering how hurtfull and prejudiciall the lait silver cunye (having cours upoun sa hicht price) is and hes bene to the commone weill of this realme, the same being occasioun of greit derth and of mone uthir inconvenientis, and now willing to have the same reducit to ane lawer price without lois of his hines subjectis, or yit to the pertineris and takismen underwrittin, quhilk thai find can not be done gif the contract maid anent the same cunye be sufferit to have further effect and execusioun, thairfoir his majestie, with advise of the saidis estatis and of the saidis takismen and pertineris, they ar to say: Alexander Clerk of Balbirne, provest of Edinburgh, Williame Naper of Wrichtis Housis, Nicholl Edward, Harie Nisbet, Richart Abircrumby, Robert Abircrumby and Thomas Acheson, upoun consideratioun had be the ordoure following that they salbe na loissaris, decernis and declaris be act of this present parliament the said contract to be null and of nane availl, force nor effect in all tyme cuming, and ordanis the saidis takismen, pertineris, cunyeouris and utheris officiaris to desist and ceis from all striking and cunyeing of onie further of the said cunye in onie tyme heirefter; and declaris be the said act that the saidis takismen and pertineris, and all utheris at thair command, hes done nathing in the said mater of the lait cunye preceding the dait heirof bot according to the will and mynd of his majestie and his saidis estatis, quhilk they ratifie and appreve, insafar as they have conforme to the said contract ay standand in effect quhill now, exonerand thame thairof for now and ever, they being alwayis comptabill and answerabill for onie thing done be thame in the said cunye contrarious to the effect and meaning of the same contract conforme to the tenour thairof. Attoure, his majestie be the same act, with advise of the saidis estatis, revoikis, cassis and annullis for ever all assignationis for payment of sowmes of money maid be his hines upoun the saidis takismen and pertineris to onie persone or personis, and dischargeis the lordis of secreit counsell and sessioun to direct onie letteris or charges upoun or aganis thame, or onie of thame; and gif they do, declaris the same be thir presentis to be of nane availl, force nor effect, notwithstanding onie decreittis gevin or to be gevin, quhilk his majestie, with advise of the saidis estatis, discharges simpliciter, ordaning thame to have na further force nor effect nor execusioun in tyme cuming. And further, with advise of the saidis estatis and consent alsua of the saidis takismen and pertineris, statutis and ordanis that the said lait cunye, extending to twa hundret ellevin stane and ten pund wycht of silver salbe reducit and brocht in agane be thame, to be cunyeit of new be his hines maister cunyeoure betuix and the ellevint day of marche nixtocum in ten schilling peceis of ellevin penny fyne, contenand foure in the unce, in this forme, that is to say, havand on the ane syde the portratour of his majesteis body, armit, with ane croun upoun his heid and ane suord in his hand with this circumscriptioun: 'Jacobus VI Dei Gratia Rex Scotorum', and on the uthir syde his hines armes in ane scheild, with ane croun, abone the same scheild, with the dait of the yeir upoun ane of the sydis, with this circumscriptioun: 'Honor regis judicium diligit'; for inbringing and reductioun of quhilk money, the saidis takismen and pertineris hes presentlie nominatit and appoyntit Williame Naper and Thomas Acheson, quhilkis sall remane at Edinburgh to ressave all the said cunye, to number and quantite foirsaid, fra his hines subjectis and delyver thame uthir money thairfoir upoun the same prices that they wer gevin out for, betuix and the said ellevint day of Marche, unto the quhilk day they salhave cours allanerlie; and being ressavit, sall bring and delyver thame to his hines maistir cunyeoure, quha sall cunye thame of new in forme and maner abone mentionat and thairefter delyver bayth stock and profite agane in full recompence of thair expense, chargeis and travellis ellis sustenit be the said cunye to sic as salbe appoyntit in their names to ressave the same; and the maister cunyeour present and to cum sall find the saidis takismen and pertineris sufficient cawtioun and souertie actit in the buikis of counsell for randering unto thame the stok and profite of sic sowmes and which as they sall delyver unto him to the effect foirsaid, unto the quhilk tyme the saidis takismen and pertineris sall not be astrictit to delyver onie silver unto the said maister cunyeour, deduceand alwayis the feis and dewteis of the werkmen and utheris ordiner officiaris of the cunye hous usit and wont for their panis and lawboris. And becaus the said reductioun can not weill tak effect without sum stock to mak the exchange, the saidis takismen and pertineris thairfoir sall have libertie, like as his majestie, with advise of the saidis estatis, be thir presentis grantis thame licence and libertie to strik and caus be strickin and cunyeit twentie stane wycht of silver mair nor is ellis cunyeit in the money new devysit, quhilk salbe delyverit to thame agane efter the same be past in irnis in maner foirsaid, without deductioun of onie profite or uthir dewtie thairfor, except the feis and dewteis of the saidis werkmen and officiaris usit and wont. Attoure, oure soverane lord, with advise of his saidis thre estatis, gevis and grantis full fredome, licence and libertie to his hines maister cunyeoure to brek doun the present current money within this realme of xj d. fyne, makand his hines dew compt and rekning of the profite thairof as appertenis; for the quhilk, the said maister cunyeour nor utheris the officiaris of his hines cunye hous sall incur na skaith nor danger in thair personis, landis or guidis, notwithstanding onie actis, lawis or constitutionis maid in the contrair anent the quhilkis his hines, with advise of his saidis estatis, dispense.