[1600/11/25]¹

²Anent beraris and schuteris with hagbuttis and pistolettis

Oure soverane lord, understanding that calling and persewing of beraris, weraris and schutteris with hagbuttis and pistolattis and utheris ingynes of fyre wark befoir his justice and his deputtis breiddis sic truble to pairteis and assyssouris and sic difficultie in the tryell that oftymes innocent persones ar thairby vexit, and sic as ar giltie eschewes thair dew punischement be declyning of the assyssouris that best knawis the veritie of the fact and uther sic subterfuges and delayes of lauchfull tryell; for remede quhairof his hienes, with advyse and consent of his estaittis of parliament, statutis and ordinis that the beraris and weararis of hagbuttis and pistolattis and utheris ingynes of fyre wark quha hes nather committit slauchter nor mutilatioun or uther odious violence thairwith, bot onlie borne and worne thame upoun thair persones or in thair cumpanyes contrair his hienes lawes and actis of parliament, may be ather persewit criminalie befoir the justice and his deputtis according to the custome heirtofoir observit, or befoir his hienes and the lordis of secrete counsaill and lauchfull probatioun of witnesses or aith of pairtie at the optioun of his hienes thesaurar or advocat, provyding alwayes that sic as sall be persewit befoir his hienes and lordis of his secrete counsaill and tryit be probatioun of witnesses giltie of ony of the saidis crymes sall nocht incur the corporall punischement prescryvit be the former actis be amputatioun of the richt hand, bot onlie tobe punischit be wairding of thair persones, escheat of thair gudis moveabill, or payment of sik ane pecuniall penaltie and sowme of money as his hienes and lordis of his secrete counsaill sall decerne, but prejudice onywayes of the executioun of the former actis of parliament aganis sic as sall be criminallie persewit, convict and fundin giltie be ane condigne assyse befoir his hienes justice generall or his deputtis foirsaidis incais his majestie lyk rather that they be persewit criminalie befoir the justice nor befoir the secrete counsaill. And forder, his hienes and estaittis foirsaidis annulus and discharges all licences gevin be his majestie for bering and weiring hackbuttis, pistolattis and utheris ingynnis of fyrewark and statutis and ordinis that na licences sall be grantit in tyme cumming to na persones for beiring and weiring of the samyn except that the samyn licences be grantit be his hienes and lordis of secrete counsaill sittand in counsaill; and quhan the samin licences ar sua grantit, ordanis the samyn licences to pay compositioun to his hienes thesaurar and to pas his register and to pas the signet and haill seallis, and decernis and declaris all licences nocht grantit in counsaill and quhilk sall nocht pay compositioun and pas the signet and haill seallis as said is to be null and of nane availl; and nochtwithstanding thairof the saidis persones to be accusit conforme to this present act and actis of parliament maid of befoir.