[1599/5/1]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsamekill as be commoun consuetude of all contreyis speciall prohibitioun is maid to all sortis of personis to slay wyld foull, hair or vennysoun except sic as be thair revenewis may beir the chargis and burdein of the halkis, houndis and dogis requisite in sic pastymes, inrespect the samyn, alsweill hes bein creatit for the recreatioun of mankynd as for thair sustentatioun, lyik as it is of treuth that be dyverse and sindrie actis of parliament, utheris statutis and proclamationis maid heirtofoir all slaying of the said wyld foull and beistis be ony indirect meanis sic as hagbutt, girn, nett and fouller dog is speciallie forbiddin and dyverse penalties conteinit in the samyn act; yit, nevirtheles, sic hes bein the slaknes of the executioun of the samin, that dyverse and sindrie personis haveing greittir regaird of thair gaine and commoditie quhilk thai purches be the selling of the said wyld foull to sic personis quha preferris thair awin inordinat appetyte and gluttony ather to the obedience of the saidis lawis or to the recreatioun that may be haid be the direct slaying of the samyn, hes usit all the saidis indirect meanis in slaying of the saidis wyld foull and bestiall, quhairby this contrey, being sa plentifullie furneist of befoir, is becum altogidder skairch of sic wairis. For remeid quhairof, and that the continewing of the said abuse may not procure worse inconvenientis seing in tyme of peax in all tyme bygane the saidis pastymes of hunting and halking wer the onlie meanis and instrumentis to keip the haill leigis bodies fra not becuming altogidder effeminat, oure soverane lord and estaittis presentlie convenit, finding that the dischargeing of the selling of the said wyld foull and vennisoun sall procure ane remeid of the said abuse, have thairfoir dischargit, lyik as be thir presentis they discharge ony persone quhatsumevir within this realme in onywyis to sell or by ony fastan reid or fallaw deir, dais, rais, hairis, partridgis, muir foullis, blak cokis, aithehenis, termiganis, wildeukis, teillis, atteillis, goldyndis, mortynis, schiwerines, skeldraikis, herroun buttir or ony sic kynd of foullis commounlie usit to be chaisit with halkis eftir the first day of Julii nixtocum, under the pane of ane hundreith pundis to be incurrit alsweill be the byer as seller; and incais of the inhabilitie of ony of the saidis personis to pay the said soume, that the magistrat, apprehendar of thame, sall caus thame to be skourgit throw the burgh or town quhair thai salbe apprehendit. And als dischargis ony of the saidis liegis in onywyis to slay ony of the wyld foull or beistis abonespecifiit be girn, net or hagbutt under the pane abonespecifiit to be incurrit be thame for executioun, quhairof oure soverane lord hes gevin and grantit power and commissioun to all schireffis, stewartis, baillies, alsweill of regaliteis as ryalties, proveist and baillies of burrowis and every barroun within his awin barony speciall justices to that effect, geveand thame full, frie and plane power to uplift or execute the panes abonespecifiit aganis the transgressouris of thir presentis, the ane half of the saidis pecuniall panes to be intromettitwith be thame to appertein to oure soverane lord and to be payit to his hienes thesaurare, and the uthair half to the dilaiter and apprehender. And becaus ane of the greitest occasionis of the skairthtie of the saidis partridgis and murefoull is be ressoun of the greit slauchttis of thair pouttis and young anis, quhen as for youth nather ar thai abill to gif pastyme and for quantitie can nawyis be ane greit refreschment, thairfoir oure soverane lord hes dischargit all his hienes subjectis quhatsumevir in onywyis to slay or eit ony of the saidis mure powttis or ony of thair kyndis befoir the thrid day of Julii, or ony partridge powt befoir the aucht day of September. Alwyis our soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis declairis that this act sall nawyis comprehend cunnyng, wodcokis, pleviris nor wilguss, bot the samyn to be tane and slane with nettis and uthairis ingynis not forbiddin be the lawis of this realme and to be cost and sauld as lauchfull merchandice as of befoir.†