[1592/4/29]¹

Aganis adulteraris

²Forsamekle as, albeit be divers actis and constitutionis maid of befoir, it wes statute and ordanit that adultery, notour and manifest, sould be punishit be death, quhilk nevirtheles hes not yit bene put to dew executioun, be occasioun quhairof the cryme of adultery daylie incres and for the samynn ane grite nowmer of maryit personis hes bene devorceit for adultery committit be ane of the pairties, and the pairtie committare of the offence privatlie contractis pretendit mariages of new with the said persone with quhome be the said sentence of divorcement they ar tryit to haif committit the fault, quhilk is na wayes to be allowit be the law of God and the publict honestie of the realme; and the ischew and successioun proceding of the saidis unlauchfull mariages breidis mony questionis in the law and oftymes tendis to the greit hurt, prejudice and disheresing of the successioun begottin in thair formare lauchfull mariage, quhilkis of the law of God and man aucht to succeid to thair inheritance, specialie be wemen heretrices quha ar lauchfullie divorcit frome thair housbandis for thair awin falt and offence, quha efter the unlauchfull miariage with the adulteraris, haif defraudit and may defraude, hurte, prejudge and dishereis thair lauchfull successioun begottin in the said lauchfull mariage be disponing of thair heretage, tackis, stedingis, rowmes and possonis ather to thair said unlauchfull housband or to sum uther mediat persoun to his utilitie and proffite, or to the successioun proceding be the said damnit mariage efter the divorcement, quhilk pretendit mariage is rather to be accomptit ane continewatioun of thair former adultery nor ane lauchfull and Chrystiane conjunctioun, lyk as it is providit be the commoun lawis and in all tymes bigane hes bene ressavit in practise within this realme, that the woman being divorceit fra hir housband throw and be hir awin offence sall amit and tyne hir tocher and all uther thingis gevin to hir in respect and for the caus of the said mariage, sua it is providit be the commoun law that the woman, having comittit the said offence, and being divorceit thairfoir and mareand the persone with quhome sho committit the offence for quhilk the said divorcement followit, sall not be hable to enriche hir said unlauchfull housband, nor the successioun following upoun the said unlauchfull mariage, quhilk oure said soverane lord and estaittis of parliament, upoun greit and weichtie considerationis tending to the punishement of the said cryme of adultery, haif ordainit to be observit and kepit in all tyme cuming within this realme; and, thairfoir, it is statute and ordanit be oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament foirsaidis that quhensoevir ony woman is, or hes bene, divorcit fra hir lauchfull spous for hir awin falt and offence of adultery, and compleitis unlauchfull and pretendit mariage with the same persone with quhome scho committit the said offence, or planelie and oppinlie duellis and resortis in cumpanie with him at bed and burde, gif scho haif ony landis, heretage, takkis, roumes or possessionis it sall not be lauchfull to hir to dispone, annalie and put away the same in all or in pairt, ather to hir said pretendit housband and adulterair or to the successioun proceding of that pretendit mariage or carnall daill, nor to quhatsumevir uther persone or personis in prejudice and hurt of the airis and successioun procreat upoun the said first lauchfull mariage, or failyeing of thame of hir uther lauchfull aires quhatsumevir, nor to do ony deid directlie nor indirectlie that may hurte and prejuge thame thairin; and declairis and ordanis that the airis and successouris of hir procreat in the said first lauchfull mariage and failyeing of thame hir uther lauchfull airis quhatsumevir, ar and salbe hable to succeid to hir eftir hir deceis in the saidis landis, heretage, takkis, roumes and possessionis, notwithstanding ony alienatioun or dispositioun maid in ony tyme bigane or to be maid heireftir in the contrair, quhilkis pretendit alienationis and dispositionis maid or to be maid in maner foirsaid, oure said soverane lord and his estaittis of parliament, decernis and declairis to haif bene and to be null frome the begyning, and ordanis the said nullitie to be ressavit and admittit be way of exceptioun or reply but ony proces or summoundis of reductioun alsweill befoir the lordis of counsall and sessioun as befoir the inferiour juges in service of brevis and all uther actionis and caus quhairevir the samin may occur, and ordanis this present constitutioun to haif full effect anent all dispositionis and alienationis foirsaidis, gif ony be maid sen the parliament haldin be oure soverane lord efter his perfyte aige of xxj yeiris compleit in the moneth of Julii the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxvij yeiris.