[A1609/1/3]¹

Anent nobilmen who sendis thair sones oute of the cuntrie

Forsamekle as the saidis estaitis, considering that ane of the grete causes whiche hes procuret the growith and incresce of papistis within this kingdome hes proceidit frome the small cair and regaird that hes bene had of the educatioun and upbringing of the youth, who, being send forth of the realme to placeis of contrarie professioun and not being first wele grounded in religioun and accumpaneit with pedagogis skairse weele affectit to religioun, they do often returne bak so possest with superstitionis and hereticall errouris as thay may be justlie suspectit for dangerous subjectis in the estaite; for preventing of whiche growith and incresce of defectioun frome the trews faith by the occasioun foirsaid, the estaitis presentlie convened statutis and ordanis that all suche noblemen and utheris who heirefter salhappin to direct ony pedagogis with thair sones out of the cuntrey salbe haldin be virtew of this present act to have a sufficient testimoniall of the bischop of the dyocie quhair the said pedagog for the maist pairt laitlie before maid his residence, testifeing and approveing the said pedagog to be godlie and of good religioun, learned and instructit in the same. And gif ony nobleman or uther salhappin to send ony pedagog with thair sones out of the cuntrey without the testimoniall and approbatioun of the bischop in maner abonewrittin, in that caice the saidis estaitis declairis, statutis and ordanis that everie suche nobleman and utheris, according to thair severall degreis and rankis, sall incur the panes particularlie undirwrittin, viz: everie erll, fyve thousand pundis; everie lord, fyve thousand merkis; and everie barroun, thre thousand merkis, quhilk sowmes salbe intrometit with and upliftit of thame be his majesteis thesaurair and his depute to his heynes use. As alsua the saidis estaitis ordanis the saidis noblemen, barronis and utheris to haif a speciall cair and to gif ordour and directioun that the remaneing of thair sones forth of the cuntrey salbe in places quhair religioun is professit, or at leist quhair thair is no restrent of the same by the crueltie of inquisitioun; and that during the tyme of their absence they sall not hant ony idolatrous exercise of religioun, and that suche personis that hes not the moyane to intertenye with their sones a pedagog sall send thame to suche pairtis quhair religioun is profest in. And incaice thair sones efter thair depairture out of the cuntrey sall hant the exercises of contrarie religioun, the saidis estaitis ordanis that their parentis or suche utheris as hes the chairge of thame salbe straitit to find cautioun actit in the buikis of secrite counsale, undir suche panes as sall be modifeit, that thay sall not supplie, interteny nor furneis thame with ony thing necessair or comfortable unto thame.