[1581/10/40]¹

Against the abuse of some landed gentlemen and others forbearing to keep house at their own dwelling places

²Forasmuch as of late there is creeping in amongst some noblemen, prelates, barons and gentlemen in certain parts of this realm, being of good livings, great abuse contrary to the honour of the realm and different from the honest frugality of their forebears, passing to burghs, towns, clachans and alehouses with their households, and some abiding in their own places use to board themselves and others to their own servants, as in the hostelries, whereon hurtful and shameful inconveniences daily falls out, to the offence of God, defrauding of the poor of their alms, slander of the country and hurt of the authors; for remedy whereof, our sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates of this present parliament, has statute and ordained that every prelate, lord, baron and landed gentleman shall make his ordinary dwelling and residence at his own house with his family in all time coming after the publication of the acts of this present parliament, for setting forward of policy and decoration of their said dwelling places, supporting of the poor with alms and entertaining of friendship with their neighbours by all good and honest means, and that they forbear the said dishonest form of boarding of themselves and their families and households in burghs, clachans and alehouses, or in their own houses, under the pains following, that is to say: each lord and prelate under the pain of 500 merks, each great baron under the pain of 300 merks, and each landed gentleman under the pain of 200 merks; and if they fail, being called and orderly convicted of transgressing of this present act, the said pains to be uplifted to our sovereign lord's use.