[1581/10/52]¹

For punishment of the fraudulent mixing of the wines by the taverns and sellers thereof and other abuses

²Forasmuch as by an act of parliament made at Edinburgh on 1 February 1551 [1552], it is statute and ordained that no manner of taverners take upon hand to make any mixing of any old wines and new wines, or put any water in the same, under the pain of escheating of the puncheon that such wine or water shall be put into, together with all the rest of all and sundry the wines, being the owners of such a tavern, and loss of their freedom for ever; and in like manner, that none of our sovereign lord's lieges, buyers of wines to be sold again, and owners of taverns, take upon hand to hoard or hide any of such wines cost by them in their houses and privy places, but that they put the same in their common taverns and vaults thereof, to be sold indifferently to our sovereign lord's lieges upon the prices that shall be set, made and proclaimed thereupon, under the pains aforesaid; which act our sovereign lord, with advice of three estates in this present parliament, ratifies and approves, ordaining the same to stand in force and effect as a perpetual law in time coming. And for the better execution thereof, makes and constitutes the provosts and bailies of all burghs his highness's justices in that part, with power to them to make searchers, take inquisition and hold justice courts every month once within each burgh where wine is to be sold, upon the contraveners of the said act, and as they be found culpable, to execute the said pains upon them; and in case the said provosts and bailies be found remiss or negligent therein, being called and convicted thereof, they to incur the pains of loss of their freedom and not to enjoy honour or office within burgh in any time thereafter.