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Forasmuch as the king's majesty, being come at God's pleasure to this estate and age, and understanding the necessary occasions urging him to have the aid and support of his estates touching the settlement and relief of such debts as have been contracted in the troubling time past of his highness's young age, as also for making of such charges as will be required toward the preparation for his marriage and other most needful and weighty affairs concerning his highness's honour and welfare, his majesty, having now convened a good number of his estates for their good advice in the premises, so as his highness might be once relieved of bygone debts and good order to be prescribed for the honourable maintenance of his estate hereafter, the said estates presently assembled, after mature deliberation hereupon, willing to give his majesty their best advice in all things according to their bound duty and to condescend to the support of his necessary and honourable affairs to the uttermost of their ability, finding that the charges requisite hereupon crave the presence of a greater number of the estates, have thought expedient, therefore, that the final resolution and advice upon his highness's present proposition shall be deferred until the assembly of his highness's estates in his next parliament to be held and begin, God willing, in the tolbooth of Edinburgh on Thursday, 24 October 1583, with continuation of days, or to a new convention of the estates in greater number than is presently assembled; and in respect of such needful charges as necessarily are to be provided for in the meantime, which may not goodly suffer delay, the said estates presently convened have willingly granted a taxation of £20,000 to be uplifted and paid by the said estates, to be accounted and allowed in the first end of that sum that shall be condescended upon by them at the next parliament or convention: that is to say, £10,000 by the spiritual estate, providing that the third thereof be taken off the thirds of benefices, so that such as pays their thirds shall only be restricted in payment of two parts of the said £10,000, and the ministry to be free for as much of the said thirds as is assigned to them in their stipends, and so much as happens to be defaulted through that occasion, to be added to the parts respectively ordained to be paid by the other estates; £6,666 13s 4d to be paid by the barons and freeholders, together with the king's property; and £3,333 6s 8d in complete payment of the said taxation of £20,000 by the burghs; and that at one term, namely upon 1 August 1583. And for collection of the spiritual mens' part of the said taxation, that letters be directed charging all and sundry bishops, abbots and other beneficed persons contained in the tax roll, their chamberlains or factors, personally or at their dwelling places, and failing thereof, by open proclamation at the principal parish kirks of the benefice upon a Sunday before noon in time of divine service and at the market cross of the head burgh of the shire where the benefice lies, to make payment of that sum that they and each one of them are assessed at to the officer, executor of the said letters, at the term above-specified, under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail therein, the said term being past, to denounce them immediately thereafter rebels and put them to the horn and to escheat etc., and to charge the said officers to pay the same, or at the least to deliver letters duly executed and endorsed upon the persons restricted to pay the same to Alexander Clerk of Balbirnie, provost of Edinburgh, collector general appointed to the said whole taxation, within the space of twenty days after the said term, under the said pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail therein, the said 20 days being past, to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat etc.; and that the prelates and beneficed men, for their relief, have letters to charge their freeholders, feuars, vassals, subvassals, ladies of terce, conjunct fee holders, liferenters and pensioners to make payment of their parts of the said taxation proportionally within ten days next after they be charged thereto, under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail, etc., to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat etc. and if need be to poind and distrenzie for that. And for payment of the third of the spiritual mens' part of the said taxation ordained to be taken up of the thirds of benefices, that letters be directed charging all and sundry ministers, readers and other persons whatsoever to whom the said thirds of benefices in whole or part are assigned or conveyed in fee, pension, stipend, remitted, given free or resting in the general collector's hands, or other intromitters with the said thirds whatsoever of the crop and year of 1582, to make payment of their part of the said taxation according to the stent roll to be made thereupon at the said term, to the officers, executors of the said letters, within 15 days next thereafter they be charged thereto, under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail therein, the said 15 days being past, to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat etc., and that the like execution to pass against the said officers for payment of the sums to be received by them to the said collector of the said taxation. And for the barons' and freeholders' part and our sovereign lord's property, that there be uplifted off every pound land of old extent within this realm 6s 8d, for payment whereof that letters be directed charging all and sundry sheriffs, stewarts and bailies and the bailies, chamberlains, receivers, feuars and intromitters with our sovereign lord's property, that they and each one of them within the bounds of their offices raise and uplift the said sum of 6s 8d off every pound land of old extent and bring in and deliver the same to the said collector general at the term above-written, under the pain of rebellion, etc.; and if they fail therein, the said term being past, to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat etc.; and for their relief, that letters be directed charging all and sundry earls, lords, barons and freeholders, feuars, farmers, occupiers and intromitters with our sovereign lord's property to make payment and deliverance to the said sheriffs, stewarts, bailies, chamberlains and receivers of his majesty's property, each one of them for their own part, of the said sum of 6s 8d off every pound land of old extent within 15 days next after they be charged thereto, under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail, etc., to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat, etc., or else that the sheriffs, stewarts, and bailies poind and distrenzie for that as they shall think expedient, and the said earls, lords, barons and freeholders have likewise letters for their relief against ladies of terce, liferenters, conjunct fee holders and subvassals. And for collection of the burghs' part, that letters be directed charging the provost and bailies of each burgh to make payment of the tax and stent thereof to the said collector general at the term above-specified, under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn; and if they fail therein, the said term being past, to denounce them rebels etc. and to escheat etc.; and for their relief, that letters be directed charging all and sundry the inhabitants of each burgh to convene and elect certain persons to stent their neighbours and to command the persons elected to accept the charge upon them in setting the said rent upon the inhabitants of each burgh, and to convene and set the same and make a tax roll thereupon as is appropriate, within 24 hours after they be charged thereto, under the pain of rebellion etc; and if they fail etc., to denounce etc., and to escheat etc.; and likewise the said stent roll being made and set as said is, to charge the burgesses, neighbours and inhabitants of each burgh to make payment of their part of the said stent to the said provost and bailies, according to the said tax roll to be made and given out thereupon, within the space of three days after the charge, under the pain of rebellion, etc.; and if they fail therein, the said three days being past, to denounce etc. and to escheat etc.; and, if need be, that the said provost and bailies poind and distrenzie for that as they shall think most expedient. Moreover, the king's majesty has promised and promises that he shall not give discharge to any person or persons subject to the payment of any pain of the said taxation, likewise it is presently concluded by his majesty and the said estates that if his highness happens to give any such discharge, that in that case none other shall be held nor restricted to make further payment of their parts of the said taxation, but be simply discharged thereof, as if the same taxation had never been granted. Also the king's majesty, with advice of the said estates, requires the lords of council and session to grant no suspension to any persons charged for payment of the said tax, but that they remit the cravers of the said suspensions to seek the same before the lords of his highness's privy council, and there, none are to have the said suspensions granted until they consign the sums charged for, to remain consigned until the decision of their complaints as appropriate. Be it always understood that the said lords of council and session, under prelacies and the kirks and rents founded to colleges for bringing up of the youth in the study of good letters, are hereby exempt from all payment of their parts of the said taxation.