[1599/12/2]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsamekle as in the conventioun haldin at Halyruidhouse, the penult day of Junii the yeir of God jM vC fourscore auchtene yeiris, it wes specialie thocht meit and expedient be his majestie and his heynes estaitis at that tyme convenit that als wele for the defence of this realme incais of foreyne invasioun as for all uther occasionis and accidentis that mycht occur, that all his majesteis subjectis according to thair particulair rankis, degreis and qualiteis sould be sufficientlie armeit and furneist in armour and wapponis, alswele offensive as diffensive; and thairfore it wes appointit and ordanit that every erll sould be airmed and furneist with corslet of pruif, heid peiceis, vanbraceis, †tesletis and ane Spanische pick, and that he have twenty standis of armour in maner foirsaid for his awne houshold and domestik servandis; and that every lord be furneist in maner foirsaid far his awne persone and with ten standis of the samyn armour for his houshold; that every barroun and gentilman be lykwyse furneist with ane stand of the samyn armour for every fyftene chalderis victuall that he may spend of yeirlie rent; that every barroun and gentilman quhais leving consistis not in victuall sould be providit and furneist with a compleit stand of armour of the qualitie foirsaid for every thowsand merkis of his yeirlie rent; that every gentilman that may spend ather in victuall or silver yeirlie the sowme of thre hundreth merkis be furneist with ane licht corslet and pik or ellis with ane muscat, foirchet, bandroll and heidpeice; that every burges within any burgh within this realme haveing fyve hundreth pundis worth of frie geir be furneishit with ane compleit licht corslet, pick or twa handit sword or ellis ane muscat with heid peice, foirchet and band roll, as in the said act and ordinance at mair lenth is contenit. In the quhilk act also thair ar speciall penalteis and unlawis injoyned to the contravenairis of the samyn particularlie specifeit thairintill. And becaus thair is na sic quantitie of armour maid within this realme as onywyse may furneis the leigeis thairof, sua that thair was ane grite necessitie of bringing of the samyn hame furth of uther foreyne cuntreyis, and Schir Michaell Balfoure of Burley, knycht, (not upoun ony respect of gayne and proffeit that he mycht rype thairby, bot upoun the earnest affectioun and grite regaird he hes to his majesteis service and to the benefite of this realme), before the estaitis convenit in the moneth of December last bypast, undirtuke upoun him the bringing hame of ten thowsand standis of armour thairof, twa thowsand stand for horsmen, and for the performance thairof, than instantlie fand certane noblemen and utheris barronis cautioun. At the quhilk tyme, speciall privelege wes grantit be his majestie and his heynes estaitis to the said Schir Michaell to bring hame the said armour and to sell the samyn at the particulair priceis efter specifeit specialie set down and concludit upoun be the lordis of his heynes secrite counsale, thay ar to say the horsmenis airmour compleit airmed at all peicis, of the pruif of the lance and sword, for fyftie pundis; the futemenis airmour, compleit with the pick of the samyn pruif, for auchtene pundis; the hagbute, with ane flask or band roll, for sex pundis xiij s. iiij d.; the horsmenis airmour, compleit of the pruif of the hagbute, for thre score pundis. And als, at that same tyme, his majestie grantit ane speciall† prohibitioun dischargeing all utheris quhatsumevir within this realme for the space of thre yeris nixt efter the dait thairof of all bringing hame or selling of ony armour; and that the said Schir Michaell be na loser, but that the said armour, efter the same be brocht hame within this cuntrey, may be bocht fra him. The lordis of secrite counsale ordanis lettrez to be direct to officearis of airmes, schireffis in that pairt, chairgeing thame to pas and chairge all and sindrie erllis, lordis, barronis, gentilmen and utheris burgesses (the inhabitantis within the burrowis of Edinburgh, Dundie and Sanctandrois alwyse being exceptit) to addresse thame selffis to the said Schir Michaell, his doairis and factouris in his name quha hes presentlie the chairge and burdyne of the selling of the said armour, and thair by fra thame the particular nomber of sic qualitie and sortis as be the said former act of conventioun maid in the said moneth of Junii the yeir of God jM vC fourscore auchtene yeiris foirsaid is specialie set doun, and that for the particulair prices abonewrittin, within ten dayis nixtefter the chairge, under the pane of rebellioun etc.; and gif thay failyie etc., to denunce etc. and to eschete etc.