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Forasmuch as our sovereign lord and his three estates in his last parliament, considering that the universities of this realm appointed for education of the youth, which should be the seed and upholders of the commonwealth and kirk of God, being well founded as well in rents as provision of masters, teachers and bursars, were, notwithstanding, misused by particular persons to their own advantage, without respect to the diligent upbringing of the youth in virtue and good letters, little regarding the commonwealth of this realm and posterity to come, and that the form of teaching was, for the most part, unprofitable, whereby the youth lose their time and parents are frustrated of their expectation; therefore his highness, with advice of his said estates, gave, granted and committed full power and commission to certain noble, reverend, worshipful and discreet persons expressed in the act of parliament made thereupon to visit and consider the foundations and erections of the universities and colleges within this realm to reform such things as sounded to superstition, idolatry and papistry, to displace unqualified and unsuitable persons to discharge their offices in the said universities, to plant such qualified and worthy persons therein as they should find good and sufficient for education of the youth; which persons so appointed, failing to convene at the first diet, nothing was performed until of late, that the matter being remembered by direction from the general assembly of the ministry, especially thinking the University of St Andrews suitable to be reformed, his highness, with advice of the lords of his secret council, ordained and commanded the masters of the said university to be at Edinburgh at a certain day with the foundations of their colleges, to be seen and considered by any six, five or four of such noble, reverend and circumspect persons as his majesty, with advice of his said council, had chosen, committing to them full power to visit and consider the said foundations, to remove all superstitions and papistry, to displace unqualified persons and plant worthy and qualified in their rooms, to redress the form of studies and teaching by more or fewer professors, to join or divide the faculties, to annex every faculty to such college as shall be found most proper and generally to establish such order in that university as shall most tend to the glory of God, profit of this commonwealth and good upbringing of the youth in sciences needful for continuing of the true religion to all posterity, as the act of secret council thereupon at more length purports; and they convening at Edinburgh, and having seen and considered the foundations and erections of the said University of St Andrews, have found the present estate in all the colleges thereof so far altered from the first institution, the most part of the very foundations so far disagreeing with the true religion and so far different from that perfection of teaching which this learned age craves, and they being needful of directions, which the old foundations appoint, being in many things omitted and neglected, have therefore, with common consent, devised and drawn a more profitable and perfect order to be observed in the said university in time coming, as the same subscribed with the hands of the said commissioners at more length bears; which his highness, with advice of his three estates, ordains to be here inserted, and of the same the tenor follows:
To the right excellent, right high and mighty prince James VI, by the grace of God, king of Scots, our sovereign lord, your majesty's daily orators and most honourable subjects, your highness's commissioners for reformation of the University of St Andrews underwritten specially constituted, having at command and direction of your majesty seen and considered the foundations and erections of the said university and been credibly informed of the present condition thereof, with the order of exercise observed therein these sundry years past, and finding the estate of all the colleges at this present time so far altered from the first institution, the most part of the very foundations so far disagreeing with the true religion and so far different from that perfection of teaching which this learned age craves, and they being needful of directions, which the old foundations appoint, being in many things omitted and neglected, we have, therefore, with common consent, devised and drawn the form and order following as more profitable to be observed in the said university in time coming, to the glory of God, honour of your majesty, profit of this commonwealth and good upbringing of the youth in sciences, needful for continuing of the true religion to all posterity. First, we ordain the New College for the study of theology only, in the which five masters daily teaching shall in four years complete the whole course of the New and Old Testament and the common places in this order, namely: the first lecture in the first six months shall teach the precepts of the Hebrew grammar and practice thereof in David, Solomon and Job; in the other six months, the precepts of Caldaic, Syriac and use of the same in Daniel, Ezra, the Paraphrases and Syriac New Testament; the second lecture in the second year and a half shall interpret out of the Hebrew and sensibly open up the law of Moses and the history of the Old Testament, conferring with the Paraphrases, Septuagints and other learned versions where need be; the third lecture in the last year and a half shall, with the like diligence, expone the Prophets, great and small; the fourth lecture shall teach the New Testament out of the Greek tongue during the whole course, conferring with the Syriac; the fifth lecture shall read the common places during the whole course so that the students of theology, hearing daily three lessons the space of four years, shall with mean diligence become perfect theologians; to this end there shall be daily repetitions, once in the week public disputations, every month declamations, three solemn examinations in the course: the first in the end of the first year in the tongues, and so far as they have heard of the Common Places and New Testament; the second examination after the second year and a half in the law, history and so much as shall be read of the Common Places and New Testament; and the third examination in the end of the course in all the tongues, the whole Bible and Common Places; these three solemn examinations shall begin on 10 September, wherein every learned man shall be free to dispute. And because there is great rarity at this present of men learned in the knowledge of the tongues and other things needful for such professors, we have therefore elected certain of the most qualified persons known to us as the said five masters for teaching of the course of theology in the order before written in the said New College, to begin how soon possibly they may be transported there; of the which, three to enter this present year, and ordain the persons now occupying the place of masters in the said college to remove from there without delay. Item, when it shall happen any of the five masters or professors to be deficient or that the number shall not be full, that the election of qualified persons therefore shall from this time forth pertain to the Archbishop of St Andrews, the conservator of the privileges of the said university, the rector, deans of faculty and remaining masters of theology, or the most part of them that shall be present in St Andrews the day appointed for the election; for which purpose, the rector, or in case of his absence or negligence the dean of faculty, within six days after the vacancy of the room by decease or otherwise, shall affix an edict upon one month's warning that all learned men may convene out of all parts of the realm, of whom the worthiest after due examination to be preferred; and to the same persons, electors, shall belong the charge of deposition and deprivation of such as shall be thought unworthy either in doctrine or life or not doing their duty faithfully and diligently in that profession to which they happen to be elected. Item, we ordain eight bursars in theology to be received, taught and have their board upon the rents of the said New College, the stipends and board of the masters hereafter specially declared being first allowed. Item, because it is clearly understood that there has been and is great corruption and abuse in receiving of the bursars in every faculty rather upon favour and solicitation than for virtue or in support of poverty, therefore that in receiving of bursars in time coming, either in theology or any other faculty, there be a public edict fixed by the first master of the college, or in case of his absence or negligence, by the next master, upon 20 days' warning of before 1 October yearly, and by diligent examination of the rector, deans of faculty and the masters of the college where the bursary happens to become vacant, the poorest to be preferred, all other things being equal, if he shall be found as well learned and qualified, without prejudice always of the lawful patrons who, notwithstanding, shall be held to present qualified persons, and that none shall possess a bursary in any faculty but for the space of four years; and that every bursar in theology founded or to be founded in whatsoever college in the said University of St Andrews shall be bound to resort to the lessons and exercise of the said New College now appointed for theology and complete their course as said is. Item, that learning may further increase and qualified persons only be provided to ecclesiastical offices and charges within this realm, we ordain that after the space of four years immediately following the date hereof, none shall be admitted to the ministry of the word of God and sacraments or any benefice having cure of souls except such as have completed their course in theology, or, by rigorous examination by the faculty, shall be found worthy and qualified to receive all their degrees in the said faculty. Item, that the youth may attain a perfect knowledge of humanity and true philosophy, we ordain that in either of the other two colleges, namely, St Leonard's and St Salvator's, there shall be, besides the principal, four ordinary professors or regents, every one continuing in his own profession; the first regent in the first year of the course shall teach the precepts of the Greek tongue and use thereof in the best and most easy authors, with exercise in composition, the first six months in Latin, the rest in Greek; the second regent shall teach the precepts of invention, disposition and elocution in the second year, the shortest, easiest and most accurate with practise thereof in the best authors of both the tongues; the third regent shall teach the most profitable and needful parts of the logic of Aristotle, with the ethics and politics all in Greek and the offices of Cicero in Latin; the fourth regent shall teach in Greek so much of the physics as is needful within the sphere. Item, that the books most needful and profitable shall be appointed for every class by the rector, deans of faculty and their assessors. Item, that every author be read in that tongue in which they write. Item, that the two classes of humanity shall spend at the least one hour daily in composition. Item, that in the last six months of the second year they shall begin to declaim once in the month in Greek and Latin alternatively, besides their daily compositions, which declamation shall continue the two last years. Item, that emulation may be stirred up amongst the said scholars, that they be divided into a body of ten and he preferred to greatest honour who best declaims or composes his theme once in the month to be given for that end. Item, that in every one of the said four classes there shall be every Sunday one lesson in Greek: the first in the evangel of Saint Luke, the second in the acts of the Apostles, the third in the epistles to the Romans, the fourth in the epistle to the Hebrews. Item, because the youth lose much time yearly by long vacation, we ordain that the vacation shall endure only in the month of September, and before 1 October everyone shall return, at the which day the examination of the scholars of humanity and philosophy shall begin, amongst whom the worthy to be promoted and the negligent to be held back. Item, that about 20 August they that have ended their course, after rigorous examination being found qualified, shall be made masters. And when it shall happen the principal or any of the four ordinary professors and regents in either of the said two colleges appointed for humanity and philosophy to be deficient, or that the number appointed shall not be full, the election of qualified persons thereto shall pertain to the said bishop, conservator, rector, deans of faculties and remaining masters of all the three colleges, or the most part of them that shall be present at the day appointed for the election; for which purpose, edicts shall be set up in manner and within the like space as is prescribed in the election of the masters in the college of theology. And the bursars in the arts to be received and admitted by rigour of examination yearly in time coming after this act on 1 October, that the principal of St Salvator's College shall be professor in medicine and the principal of St Leonard's in the philosophy of Plato, which shall read ordinarily four times in the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, at the hours to be appointed by the electors and masters of the university; that the lawyer and mathematician of before in the New College shall now be in St Salvator's College and have their stipends and board upon the fruits thereof, and be elected and admitted as the masters of the colleges; that the lawyer now appointed to remain and be in St Salvator's College shall read within the same four lessons of the law weekly, namely, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, to which lessons in the law shall be ordinary auditors all the advocates and scribes in the consistory and such others as are desirous to proceed in the faculty of the law, and that none be admitted before the lords or other judges to ordinary procuration unless they shall give first specimen doctrine in the University of St Andrews and report a testimonial of the said university witnessing their qualification and how far they have proceeded in the study of the law and thereupon affirming that they diligently kept the lessons so long as they remained in the university; that the mathematician now in St Salvator's College shall read within the same four lessons weekly in the mathematical sciences in such days and hours as shall be appointed to the said lawyer and mathematician by the rector and masters of the university, who also shall appoint the ordinary auditors for the mathematician. That the electors and masters of all the colleges in the university, the provost of the city, with such two of the bailies thereof as they shall think suitable to take with them, or so many of this number as are present in the city for the time, shall convene with the principals of the three colleges every year on 1 October, and by common consent and agreement condescend and prescribe the prices of boards and manner and number of courses of such as live in college for the year then to come; that the prices and order may be uniform in all the three colleges, through which the differences of prices or diversity of entertainment prejudice none of them. That the wonted obedience, reverence and authority that in ancient time was given to the chancellor, rector, deans of faculties and conservator and of late years has somewhat decayed, be restored, and that every one of the chief officers, whether it be in judgement given upon them that are under their jurisdiction or in visiting the colleges, be maintained and in no way stopped by any alleged privilege in the contrary. And that in place of the pain of cursing used of before upon offenders and the disobedient, they be now determined by decreet of the rector and chief members of the university, after the cognition of the cause, to be debarred, secluded and removed out of the university and to lose and forfeit the privileges and benefits thereof, to the execution of which decreet the provost and bailies of the city of St Andrews shall concur and assist if the necessity so require and that they be thereto by the university required; or otherwise there shall likewise be letters passed, by deliverance of the lords of council and session, upon the said decreet and disobedience thereof, as had accustomed to be given of before upon cursed persons within the said university upon the requisition of the same. That the points properly belonging to the office of the chancellor, rector, deans of faculties and conservator of the university be sought out of the ancient statutes, foundations and privileges by the persons presently occupying the same offices, and that everyone present his own to your majesty between now and 1 March 1580, to the effect that the same, being found good and allowable, may also be registered and remain with these present statutes. That the founded persons in every college, as well teachers as students, be first well qualified according to the order now appointed, and next that they be diligent in discharging of their offices to the intent that neither ignorance nor idleness in place of science and virtue labouring be maintained or permitted, but that every one according to the order presently appointed be exercised. That the wives, bairns and servants of the principals and other masters in the university be put apart in the city out of the colleges, so that women, to an evil and slanderous example, have not residence amongst the young men students, nor yet that the same women have any administration and handling of the common goods of the college, to the great prejudice thereof, and of such as freely would give themselves to the study of letters; be it always hereby understood that the bairns and servants of the said principals and masters that shall be actual students lawfully and orderly entered in the college are not hereby secluded. That every college be visited thrice in the year by the rector and deans of faculties, with their assessors, according to the statutes of the university. And for keeping of good order and uniformity, that every man's complaint be heard and the fault whatsoever corrected; and where either the rector or dean of faculty is principal or master in any college, in that case the remaining electors and visitors to visit that college. That the principals of the colleges between now and 1 May 1580 certify your majesty what persons are entered to them of new by presentation of your highness or other patrons as bursars to any prebendaries or likewise rents and when every one was entered, and that they also give warning to your highness or other patrons when the rooms become vacant, either by decease, deprivation or ending of the course and due time and their interest in respect of the terms of payment to be reckoned either at Martinmas [11 November] or Whitsunday [May/June]. That when the bursar presented shall not be found qualified, the principal or master shall by his own letter, directed with another (not the party repulsed), certify your majesty or other patron of the cause of non-admission or deprivation, to the effect that another sufficiently qualified may be presented to the room of new; the like certification to be at the yearly examination of the bursars in case they be not found worthy to proceed forward in their degrees. That in all admission and promotion the examiners and assessors be sworn that they shall admit nor promote none but such as shall be, by the rigour of examination and sufficient literature, found worthy to be promoted. That all public lectures have a register of all the ordinary auditors coming to the lesson, as well of their own college as without, and that the said auditors subscribe the discipline and be subject to the exercise and disputation and the day of their entry to be registered. And seeing the persons presently to be displaced (beside the provost of the New College who has already the charge of the ministry of the city and parish of St Andrews, which is a burden great enough for any one man to discharge) are either regents or bursars in philosophy, therefore that the regents displaced be preferred to the places of bursars in theology in the said New College, if they will accept the same, and the bursars of philosophy therein which have been lawfully received to be still nourished and maintained until the end of their course, upon the stipends of two of the masters of the said New College which shall not enter until the rents of the same college conveniently may sustain them; and the said bursars to resort to their lessons in any of the other two colleges where they think suitable until the end of their course, to be continued in such form as they began. The principal masters of the colleges shall have no intromission with the common goods and rents thereof but a steward chosen and having commission of the whole masters of every college, of which steward they shall receive daily account; and that there be in every college one common chest, with a sundry lock and key for every master thereof, for preservation of the rents of the college until the same be rightly distributed with common consent. And touching the rents and distribution thereof, we ordain the rents of the kirks annexed of old to the fees of several masters in St Salvator's College to remain and be accounted in time coming amongst the ordinary rents of the same college; and that either of the two principal masters, professors of theology in the said New College, shall have for their fee and their own and their servants' board £100 money and three chalders of victual, namely, 12 bolls of wheat, one chalder of barley and one chalder, four bolls of oats; every one of the other three masters and professors of theology in the same college, £100 and one chalder of victual, namely, four bolls of wheat, six bolls of barley and six bolls of oats; every one of the eight bursars of theology within the same New College shall have for his board £22 6s 8d money, two bolls of wheat, five bolls of barley, two bolls of oats and the rest of the rents to be bestowed for the fees of the common servants, reparation of the place and reserved for public uses upon account; in the colleges of humanity and philosophy, the principal master and the lawyer and the mathematician, every one for his own fee and his own and his servants' board, £100 money and one chalder of oats; every one of the other four ordinary professors or regents written before for his fee and his board, 100 merks; and for the board of every bursar in philosophy, 50 merks, reserving the rest of the rents for the fees of the common servants, reparation of the place and other public uses upon account, providing that all persons thus ordained to live on the college rents and that have ordinary charges within the colleges apply that which is appointed for their board and eat together within the college in such sort as they can best agree amongst themselves. That it be in no way lawful to the masters of any of the said colleges to set the kirks, lands, fruits and rents annexed thereto in feu or tacks, to the diminution of the rental, or by the changing of victual in prices of silver, under the pain of deprivation from their places; and in case any shall happen maliciously to do otherwise, that it be worthy cause of deprivation to the setter and that the set, feu or disposition whatsoever shall be no longer valuable to the purchaser thereof, nor the setters, possessors, their places and rooms in the college. And for execution of this present reformation, we humbly and earnestly require your majesty to grant commission to such honourable, worthy and zealous persons as your highness and your estates shall think expedient that will and may attend thereto, specially to command them to call before them all such as have had the charge of the said colleges and intromitted with the rents thereof in time past, and to hear and see their accounts subscribed, discharges to them, receive their rentals, libraries, furnishings and plenishing, upon perfect inventory, and deliver the same upon the like inventory to the masters now to be placed according to this reformation in the said colleges, with formal and good rentals to be made of the rents of every one of the said colleges for the better collection and account thereof in time coming, inhibiting the persons now displaced of all further dealing and intromission with the said rents and all feuars, farmers, tenants, tacksmen, parishioners and others whatsoever of all answering, obeying and payment making of the same to the said displaced persons of the term of Martinmas 1579 of the crop of this instant year of God 1579, certifying those that do in the contrary they shall be compelled to pay the same over again. And that it may please your majesty to cause visit and consider the said university of new at the end of four years following 1 October 1579, that it may be known what fruit and effect follows by this reformation, and always from thenceforth at the end of every four years, and that it may please your highness according to your godly zeal, always to the advancement of God's glory and good letters, to grant to the said university and to the master and members actually resident therein and to the steward and procurator of every college the like privilege for calling and expedition of their actions and cause before the lords of council and session as is granted to the prelates and members of the college of justice, and so to provide for sustenance of the ministry at the kirks annexed to the said colleges by the surplus of the thirds and other ecclesiastical rents, as neither the rents of the colleges be diminished nor the founded persons withdrawn from their ordinary studies and teaching to serve as ministers at particular kirks. In witness whereof, we have subscribed this act with our hands. At Edinburgh, 8 November 1579. It is thus subscribed, [Robert Stewart, earl of] Lennox, R[obert Pitcairn, commendator of] Dunfermline, G[eorge] Buchanan, James Haliburton, P[eter] Young.
Therefore, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates, ratifies, approves and confirms the said reformation of the said University of St Andrews, made at his highness's command as said is, and for putting of the same in full execution, his majesty, with advice of his said estates, gives and grants full power, commission and authority to his dearest and only great uncle Robert, earl of Lennox, lord Darnley, commendator of the priory of St Andrews, Andrew [Leslie], earl of Rothes, lord Leslie, sheriff of Fife, Patrick [Adamson], archbishop of St Andrews, Patrick [Lindsay], lord Lindsay of the Byres, Robert [Pitcairn], commendator of Dunfermline, his highness's secretary and archdean of St Andrews, John Erskine of Dun, Master John Winram, prior of Portmoak, Master James Haliburton, provost of Dundee, or any three of them jointly, commanding all the present ministers and members of the said university to answer and obey the said commissioners in execution of the said reformation, according to the effect and meaning thereof, and if need be to make open doors and locks, for the which the doers shall incur no danger in their persons, lands or goods nor shall not be called nor accused for the same criminally nor civilly by any manner of way in time coming, the old foundations and erections of the said colleges and whole university, or anything contained therein, notwithstanding, whereat his majesty, with advice of his said estates, dispenses, and that the lords of council and session direct letters to the effect respectively above-written in the appropriate form.