[1644/1/24]¹

Bond to the general of the artillery²

Forasmuch as the commissioners of the common burdens by their act of 19 August 1642, after account and reckoning, found the sum of £33,144 Scots money to be due by the estates of this kingdom to Colonel Alexander Hamilton, general of the artillery, and accordingly by their act of 31 March 1643 ordained William Thomson or any other receiver for the public to pay and deliver to the said general of artillery or any having his order the said sum of £33,144 Scots money, and likewise to make payment to him of the total annualrents of the said sum which shall be due therefore at the payment of the same; and the said general of artillery having now received the principal sum above-written, together also with the sum of £3,314 7s 11d aforesaid as a year and a quarter's annualrent of the said sum, from the term of Lammas [1 August] 1642 to the term of Martinmas [11 November] last in this year of God 1643, and accordingly has given a discharge thereof to the said William Thomson in name of the said estates of this kingdom; and whereas the said general of the artillery, out of his affection to the good of the cause now in hand and advancement of this expedition now intended by this kingdom for the prosecution of the ends expressed in the covenant, has at the earnest desire of the convention of estates of this kingdom lent at the feast and term of Martinmas last the sum of 50,000 merks good and usual money of this realm of Scotland of the sums above-written, to be employed and made use of by the said committee of estates to the use of the public for the ends above-written, therefore we, the convention of estates under-subscribing, do hereby grant the receipt of the said sum of 50,000 merks from the said general of artillery, and declare the same to be a public debt due by the estates of this kingdom; and accordingly do bind and oblige us and our successors, the estates of this realm present and to come, to thankfully satisfy and pay the said Colonel Alexander Hamilton, general of the artillery, his heirs, executors or assignees the said sum of 50,000 merks money aforesaid between the date hereof and the feast and term of Whitsunday [9 June] 1644, together with the sum of 2,000 merks money aforesaid as for the annualrent of the said sum from the said term of Martinmas last that the same was borrowed to the said term of Whitsunday next to come, that the same should be paid without longer delay; together also with the ordinary annualrent of the said principal sum yearly, termly and continually thereafter, always and so long as the same shall remain unpaid after the said term, as well, by virtue of this present act, they not being infeft and seised as infeft and seised in the said annualrent and not entered as entered thereto; without prejudice always of such action and execution as may follow hereon for payment of the said principal sum and annualrent thereof aforesaid at any time after the said term of payment be passed, without premonition or requisition notwithstanding of the aforesaid clause and condition of annual paying.