[1600/11/47]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsamekle as be commoun consuetude of all cuntreyis speciall prohibitioun is maid to all sortis of persones to slay wyld foull, hair or venessoun, except sic as be thair revenewis may beir the charges and burding of the halkis, houndis and doggis requisit in sic pastymes, inrespect the samin alsweill hes bene creatit for the recreatioun of mankynd as for thair sustentatioun; lyk as it is of trewith that be diverse 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 dogg is specialie forbiddn and diverse penalteis contenit in the samyn act, yit nevirtheles sic hes bene the slaknes of the executioun of the same that diverse and sindrie persones, haveing greater regaird of thair gane and commoditie quhilk they purcheis be the selling of the said wyld foulle to sic persones quha preferris thair awin inordinat appetite and gluttonie ather to the obedience of the saidis lawes or to the recreatioun that may be had be the direct slaying of the samin, hes usit all the saidis indirect meanis in slaying of the saidis wyld foulle and bestiall quhairby this cuntrey, being sa plentifullie furnessit of befoir, is becum altogidder scairth of sic wairis. For remede quhairof, and that the continewing of the said abuse may nocht procure worse inconvenientis seing in tyme of peax in all tyme bigane the saidis pastymes of hunting and halking wer the onlie meanis and instrumentis to keip the haill lieges bodyes fra nocht becumming altogidder effeminat, oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament, finding that the dischargeing of the selling of the said wyld foull and vennysoun sall procure ane remede of the said abuse, haif thairfoir dischargeit, lyk as be thir presentis they discharge, ony persone quhatsumevir within this realme in onywayes to sell or by ony fastan, reid or fallow deir, dais, rais, hairis, partrikis, murefoullis, blak cokkis, aith hennis, termigenis, wyld duikis, teillis, atteillis, goldynkis, mortynis, schiwerinis, skeldraikis, herroun butter or ony sic kynd of foullis commounlie useit to be chaisit with halkis under the pane of ane hundreth pundis to be incurrit alsweill be the byar as seller; and incais of the inhabilitie of ony of the saidis persones to pay the said sowme, that the apprehender of thame sall cause thame to be skourgeit throw the burgh or towne quhair they sall be apprehendit, and als discharges ony of the saidis liegis in onywayes to slay ony of the saidis wyld foulle or beastis abonespecefeit be girn, nett or hagbute under the pane abonespecefeit to be incurrit be thame. For executioun quhairof, oure soverane lord hes gevin and grantit power and commissioun to all schireffis, stewartis, bailleis, alsweill of regaliteis as ryalteis, provestis and bailleis of burrowes and everie baroun within his awin baronie speciall justices to that effect, gevand thame full, frie and plane power to uplift or execute the panis abone specefeit aganis the transgressouris of thir presentis, the ane half of the saidis pecuniall panis to be intromettit with be thame to appertene to oure soverane lord and to be payit to his hienes thesaurar and the uther half to the delator and apprehender. And becaus ane of the greatest occasiones of the scarstie of the saidis partrikis and murefoull is be ressone of the great slauchter of thair puttis and youngeanis, quhan as for youth nather ar they abill to gif pastyme and for quantitie can nawayes be ane great refreschement, thairfoir oure soverane lord hes dischargeit all his hienes subjectis quhatsumevir in onywayes to slay or eat ony of the saidis mureputtis or ony of uther kyndis befoir the thrid day of Julii, or ony partrik pute befoir the aucht day of September. Alwayes oure soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis declaris that this act sall nawayes comprehend cunning, wod cokkis, plevaris nor wyld gusse bot the samin to be slayne with nettis and utheris ingynes nocht forbiddin be the lawes of this realme and to be cost and sauld as lauchfull merchandice as of befoir.