[A1590/7/2]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The king's majesty and lords of his secret council, considering the barbarous and cruel murders and slaughters universally committed over all parts of this realm, besides the convocation of his highness's lieges at all times in arms for building or casting down of dykes, leading of turves and peats and other causes of small importance, but chiefly for leading of teinds this present season of the year, whereupon has followed and daily is likely to follow sundry deadly feuds and other great inconveniences, to the offence of God and great contempt of his majesty, his authority and laws, therefore his highness, in presence of his nobility, council and estates presently convened, signified and declared his majesty's godly and good intention to the punishing and repressing of the disorders, which his highness willed them to communicate to all others: that is to say, that if any persons, of whatever estate, quality or degree they be of, shall presume or take upon hand to commit any of the crimes and offences particularly above-mentioned, chiefly now in this time of vacation, that they shall incur his highness's high displeasure and indignation, besides the ordinary pains of the law to be executed upon them. And for this effect, his majesty, upon advertisement to be given to his highness of the committing of any such deed, making of convocation and gathering of his highness's lieges, shall, with all convenient expedition, thereafter repair to the parts where the same is done, and shall apprehend the persons, chief authors and committers thereof, and commit them to ward until justice be executed upon them for that. And, if they or any of them be of the number of his highness's privy council or of the officers of state, besides their deprivation from their place, office and pre-eminence that they possess thereby, they shall also be pursued and punished most extremely, according to the laws of this realm and acts of parliament. And to the effect none pretend ignorance hereof, ordains letters to be directed to make publication and intimation of the premises to all and sundry his highness's lieges by open proclamation at the market crosses of the head burghs of the realm and all other places needful. As also, to command and charge all his said lieges to contain themselves in quiet and peaceable manner under his majesty's said obedience, and in no way to invade or possess others either for old feud or new, nor to make provocation of troubles to others in word, deed or countenance, but to observe his highness's peace, quietness and good rule in the country, and in special that none of them take upon hand to make convocation or gathering of his highness's lieges in arms, or otherwise, for leading or withstanding the leading of any teinds of this present crop and year of God 1590 or for staying or hindering the execution of any of our letters and charges that shall be directed to that effect, but to suffer the same letters to take execution, according to the tenor thereof, and the said teinds to be collected and led by the persons having right and title thereto and who have been in possession of leading of the same the last year preceding, without attempting anything to the contrary otherwise than by order of law and justice, under the pains foresaid, testifying that if they fail that the said pains shall be executed upon them with all rigour and extremity in example of others.