The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 29 March 2024
[1584/5/14]1
2Ane act for punisment of the authoris of the slanderous and untrew calumneis spokin aganis the kingis majestie, his counsell and procedingis, or to the dishonour and prejudice of his hienes, his parentis, progenitouris, croun and estate
Forsamekle as it is understand to our soverane lord and his thrie estatis assemblit in this present parliament quhat great harme and inconvenient hes fallin in this realme, cheiflie sen the beginning of the civill trublis occurrit in the tyme of his hienes minoritie, throw the wikit and licentious publict and privat spechis and untrew calumneis of diversis his subjectis, to the disdane, contempt and reproche of his majestie, his counsell and procedingis, and to the dishonour and prejudice of his hienes, his parentis, progenitouris and estate, stering up his hienes subjectis thairby to mislyking, seditioun, unquietnes and to cast of thair dew obedience to his majestie, to thair evident perrell, tinsall and destructioun, his hienes continowing alwayis in luif and clemencie toward all his guid subjectis and maist willing to seik the saiftie and preservatioun of thame all, quhilkis wilfullie, neidles and upoun plane malice, efter his hienes mercie and pardone oftymis afoir grantit, hes not procurit to thame selffis be thair treasounable deidis to be cut of as corrupt memberis of this comoun weill; thairfoir it is statute and ordinit be our soverane lord and thrie estatis of this present parliament that nane of his subjectis (of quhatsumevir functioun, degrie or qualitie in tyme cumming) sall presume or tak upoun hand, privatlie or publictlie, in sermonis, declamationis or familiar conferencis, to utter ony fals, untrew or slanderous spechis to the disdane, reproche, and contempt of his majestie, his counsell and procedingis, or to the dishonour, hurt or prejudice of his hienes, his parentis and progenitouris, or to midle in the effairis of his hienes and his estate, present, bygane and in tyme cumming, under the panis contenit in the actis of parliament aganis makaris and tellaris of lesingis, certefeing thame that salbe tryit contravenaris thairof, or that heris sic slanderous spechis and reportis not the same with diligence, the said pane salbe execute aganis thame with all diligence,3 in exemple of utheris. Attour, becaus it is understand unto his hienes and to his thrie estatis that the buikis of the Cronicle and De Jure Regni apud Scotos, maid be umquhill Maister George Buchannan and imprentit sensyne, contenis syndrie offensive materis worthie to be delete, it is thairfoir statute and ordinit that the havaris of the saidis tua volummis in thair handis inbring and deliver the same to my lord secretare or his deputis within fourtie dayis efter the publicatioun heirof, to the effect that the saidis tua volumis may be perusit and purgit of the offensive and extraordinare materis specifiit thairin, not meit to remame as accordis of treuth to the posteritie, under the pane of tua hundreth poundis of everie persoun failleing heirin; and quhair ony ar not responable to pay the said sowme, to be punisit in thair personis at our soverane lordis will. And to the effect that this ordinance may cum to the knawlege of all our soverane lordis liegeis, ordinis publicatioun to be maid heirof at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of the schiris and utheris placeis neidfull, that nane pretend ignorance thairof, and the penaltie contenit thairin to be execute with all rigour aganis the havearis of the saidis bukis, the said space of fourtie dayis being bypast efter the publicatioun and proclamatioun of the said act in everie shire as said is.
- NAS, PA2/12, ff.118r-v.
- Cross beside title.
- APS has 'rigour'.