[1592/4/66]¹

Regarding the production of rentals and feus

²Forasmuch as in our sovereign lord's late dearest mother's time the thirds of all benefices within this realm were by act appointed to the sustentation of her majesty's house and of her highness's successors, so far as happened to rest free thereof by the sustentation of the ministry within this realm, and also, our said sovereign lord and [Mary], his said late dearest mother, and others of his highness's predecessors of good memory have founded, confirmed and augmented diverse hospitals within this realm with the gifts and donations thereto, which his majesty is willing to stand forever without any hurt or derogation, as also in the late parliament held at Edinburgh in the month of July 1587, the whole temporal, ecclesiastical lands of this realm are annexed to his highness's crown, and his majesty ordained to have present possession thereof, paying to the life-renters penny for penny and boll for boll. And because his highness's cannot understand what course to follow out regarding the premises, and cannot know perfectly what the said thirds will extend to, nor what will be the rent of the said hospitals, nor what present commodities will fall to his highness by the said act of annexation, nor how the ministry of this realm shall be duly provided according to his good will, mind and intention, unless his majesty and his highness's commissioners to be appointed to that effect have the sight of the rentals of all bishoprics, abbacies, priories, provostries, parsonages, vicarages, altarages, chaplainries, templaries and other benefices, and of all maison dieus and hospitals within this realm and of the rents thereof, foundations of the same and of all things founded, given and mortified thereto, and of all infeftments, tacks, titles, rights and securities made to whatsoever person or persons regarding whatsoever kirk lands, temple lands, teinds and other ecclesiastical rents and possessions whatsoever; therefore it is statute and ordained by his highness, with advice of his majesty's estates in this present parliament, that all and sundry persons within this realm as they shall be charged thereto in special or in general by open proclamations at the head burghs of the shires where in they dwell, compear, bring and produce with them, before his highness's commissioners, one or more to be appointed by his majesty to that effect, such day and place as shall be appointed to them to that effect under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to the horn, with certification to them if they fail that they shall be put thereto, and to put them to the same in case of failure, the rentals of the said bishoprics, abbacies, priories, provostries, parsonages, vicarages, altarages, chaplainries, templaries and other benefices, and of all hospitals and maison dieus within this realm, and of the rents thereof, foundations of the same and of all things founded, given and mortified thereto, and all and whatsoever infeftments, tacks, titles, rights and securities made to them regarding whatsoever kirk lands, temple lands, teinds and other ecclesiastical rents and possessions whatsoever, and all rights and titles that they or any of them may pretend thereto, and to deliver to the said commissioners' inspection of the same and the authentic copies thereof, with certification if they fail letters shall be directed simply as said is.