[1600/11/45]¹

²Act anent provisioun for armoure

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament ratefeis, appreves and confermes the act of counsaill maid at Halyrudhous, the tuentie sext day of Februar 1597, in the haill pointis and articlis of the samyn and ordinis the samyn to have the force, strenth and effect of ane act of parliament, and ordinis his hienes thesaurar to be cairfull and diligent in uplifting and intrometting with the penalteis quhilkis salhappin to be incurrit be ony persone in nocht observeing of the said act, and the samin penalteis to be applyit haillelie to the furnessing of armour and of all uther wairlyk provisioun for his majesties houses, off the quhilk act the tennour followes: At Halyruidhous, the tuentie sext day of Februar the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir sevintene yeiris. Forsamekill as it is maist requisit that in tyme of peax provisioun be maid and cair takin for the wair, quhan at Godis plesure the samyn salhappin to fall out, and his majestie and the lordis of his secrete counsaill, considering that thair is diverse gude and lovible lawes and actis of parliament maid and sett out be his hienes maist nobill progenitouris and specialie be King James the fyft, his hienes gud father of worthie memorie, anent harnes, wappynnis and armour, that everie man be armit according to his rent and of generall mustoures and wappinschawingis and toward the premunitioun thairof, and sindrie utheris ordouris tending to the preparatioun for wair and defence of the realme, quhilkis of a lang tyme bigane hes nocht bene dewlie observit and put to executioun, to the great hurte and prejudice of the commoun weill; thairfoir his majestie, with advyse of the lordis of his secrete counsaill, hes thocht meitt, concludit and resolvit that everie erle, lord, baroun and utheris his hienes liegis of the rank, degrie and substance heireftir specefeit sall be furneschit and armit as is heireftir prescryuit within the space of ten monethis nixt eftir the publicatioun heirof at the mercat croces of the heid burrowes of this realme; that is to say, that everie erle be armit and furnessit with corslatt of pruif, heidpece, wambrais, teslettis and ane Spanische pyk and that he be furnessit with tuentie stand of armour in maner foirsaid for his awin houshald; that everie ane of the saidis lordis be alsua armit in the samin forme and maner, and furnessit with ten stand of the samyn armour for his awin houshald; that everie baroun be lykwayes armit as said is and furnessit with ane complete stand of the samyn armour for everie fyftene chalderis of victuall that he may spend; that everie baroun and gentilman quhais leving dependis nocht upoun victuall sall be provydit and furnessit with ane complete stand of the foirsaid armour for everie thowsand merkis of his yeirlie rent; that everie gentilman valiant in yeirlie rent thrie hundreth merkis, outher in victuall or silver, be furnessit with ane licht corslett and pyk or ellis ane muskat with forcat, bendroll and heidpece, and this to be extendit alsweill to thame duelland to burgh as to landward; that the provest, bailleis and counsaill duelland within everie burgh tak ordour everie ane of thame within thair awin boundis and jurisdictioun, that everie of thair nichbouris, burgesses and induellaris within thair towne worth fyve hundreth pundis of frie geir be furnessit with ane complete licht corslett, ane pik, ane halbert or tua handit sword or ellis ane muskat with forcat, bendroll and heidpece, and that for everie licht corslett and pick within thair burgh thair be tua muskattis, and that everie schiref and sic utheris as sall be appointit commissionaris to this effect tak the lyk ordour with all and quhatsumevir persones duelland to landwart within thair boundis and jurisdictioun being of the lyk rank, estait and substance. Attoure his majestie, with advyse of the saidis lordis, for the mair spedie effectuating of this ordour, hes alsua thocht meitt to appoint ane generall mustouris and wappinschawing to be maid be all his hienes lieges universallie throw all the partis of this realme upoun the first day of Maii the yeir of God J v^C fourscoir nyntene yeiris, to be ressavit be the schireffis, stewartis, bailleis of regaliteis and ryalteis, assistit with sic commissionaris in everie schyre as sall pleis his majestie be his missive letter to appoint, and be the provestis and bailleis within burgh; and to the effect nane sall pretend ignorance heirof, ordinis lettres to be direct to officiaris of armes, schireffis in that pairt, chargeing thame to pas and mak publicatioun and intimatioun of the premiss to all and sindrie his hienes liegis be oppin proclamatioun at the mercat croces of the heid burrowes of this realme and all utheris places neidfull, and als to command and charge all the saidis erlis, lordis, barones, gentilmen and utheris particularlie abone specefeit to prepair and furneis thame selffis and thair houshalderis with the severall armour befoir expressit within the said space of ten monethis nixt eftir the publicatioun heirof at the mercatt croces of the heid burrowes of the schirefdomes quhair they duell under the panis following; that is to say: everie erle under the pane of tua thowsand merkis; everie lord, ane thowsand merkis; everie baroun, for everie fyftene chalder of victuall that he may spend, ane hundreth merkis; and everie uther persone of the rank and substance abonewrittin, fourtie pundis. And siclyk to command and charge the foirsaidis persones and all utheris his hienes liegis duelland alsweill to burgh as to landward, regalitie as ryaltie, to prepair and adress thame selffis weill and substantiouslie provydit, furnessit and armit, ilkane of thame particularlie as is abone prescryuit, to gif and mak thair mustouris and wappinschawingis upoun the said first day of Maii in the yeir of God foirsaid in presens of the saidis schireffis, stewartis, bailleis of regaliteis and ryalteis and sic utheris as sall be appointit his hienes commissionaris within everie schirefdome for ressait of the sam mustoures; certefeing thame that failyeis in ony point of the premise or sall be fundin absent fra the samin mustouris or yit that beis present, sall nocht be armit according to the tennour of thir presentis in everie point, they being of the rank or substance abonespecefeit, that nocht onlie sall the panis abone mentionat be uptakin of thame bot that they sall be nochtit, repute and estimit as nocht comperand to the saidis mustouris and wappinschawingis and the panis prescryuit be the saidis actis of parliament maid thairanent sall be execute aganis thame with all rigour and extremitie in exampill of utheris.