[1579/10/31]¹

Aganis sic as troublis thair nychtboris be criminale persute saikles

²Forsamekle as sindry personis of mere malice and invy calumpniatis innocent personis and daylie persewis thame befoir the justice upoun panes criminall, quhairof the personis accusit, being innocent, ar acquite and maid clene be the assysis; and likewise sindrie personis that, owthir in thair awin names or be the kingis advocattis upoun thair informatioun raisis criminall lettres and summonis assysis fra the far partis of this realme oftymes uses to pas fra the persute of the lettres at the bar, to the greit prejudice of oure soverane lord and trouble of his hienes liegis. For remeid quhairof, oure soverane lord, with avise of his thrie estaitis in this present parliament, statutis and ordanis that the saidis unjust persewaris sall pay the panes and unlawis respective following incaise the personis accusit happynnis to be acquite of the crymes laid to thair charge, to be equalie devidit betuix oure soverane lord and the partie acquite: that is to say, gif the pairty acquite be onlie ane persone, or ma of or within the nowmer of ten, the sowme of ten pundis; and gif the nowmer acquite be past the nowmer of tene, the sowme of twenty pundis; and that dome be gevin thairupoun befoir the justice without further calling and the persewar haldin in waird quhill he mak pament. And gif the kingis majesties advocat be onlie persewar, his informar to pay the pane foirsaid, and lettres of poynding or horning to be directit for pament thairof upoun the sicht of the act of adjornall without uther calling or proces of law. And that in tymecuming the justice clerk and his deputtis at the granting of the lettres tak souirtie for agane bringing of the lettres dewlie execut and indorsat, and that the raisaris thairof sall persew the samyn lettres at the day appointit undir the pane contenit in the actis of parliament.