Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Poems of Alexander Montgomerie

LIFE-RECORDS OF MONTGOMERIE.
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seing he be his new prowisioun can be in na better conditioun }>an ])e
said vmqu/iile mr lames, quha in veritie was neuer laufullie prowydit,
}>air being ane vther persoun on lyiff prowydit and institute in J>e said
benefice, \vit/i lang and cowtinuall possessioun following ^rvpoun,
neuer as jit laufullie tane away; At the leist }?e said mr lames, giff
ony be or may be prefendh, be sperz'all act of parliament is reducit,
retreittit and rescindit Jwof; it followis ]?at ]?e persewaris authoris
ryr^t being tane away, his rycht and prowisioun, in sua far as ]?e
samyn leins be ]?e said Mr James deceis, man also fall. § 18. And on
}>e vther pairt, in sua far as J>e samyin prowisioun takkis fundament
fra J>e allegit foirfaltonr of vmqn/n'le lames archiebischope of glasgow,
It is crawit ante otrnna }>at }?e said pr^fendit foirfaltonr salbe producit,
seing it is exceptit negatiue }?at he was neuer foirfalt to ]?is hour;
and J>air is na specfall caus sett doun in }?e prowisioun bot J>e deceis
of boyde, and foirfaltonr of betoun, nather of J>e tua being causfi
efficient to mak J>is benefice &c. in onr souerane lordA handis, seing
be boydis deceis, hawing na rycht, nathing culd fall, and be ]?e
allega*'onis of beatonis foirfaltonr, na sic foirfaltonr being, far les
can fall. § 19. And it is crawit J>at Jonr \ordskips diligentlie aduert
to J>is argument, }>at na vther subiect be tane in in J>is judgment for
mantenance of J>e said prowisioun, bot ]?e speciall caus contenit in
J>e gift producit; ffor quhair indirectlie It is meanit J>at seing nather
be J>e deceis of boyde, nor foirfaltonr of betoun, qn^flk was not,
ony ryr/it can be establischit or prafendit, sentence of baratrie is
obtrudit be J>e persewaris ansuer, It is crawit J>at Jonr \ordships
be nor^t mowit }>erby, ffirst, seing J>e prowisioun is nor^t tane in
}>at respect, nor makkis ony mentioun of J>e said sentence; Nixt,
seing J>air is na sentence of baratrie producit to J>e quhiWt,
giff J>e persewaris prowisioun suld lein, it man be ane pairt
of his ryr^t, And J>e excipient man be hard to obiect J>air
aganis ; And It is merwellit J>at 302/r lordships be 307/r decisioun will
suddanlie proceid in J>is matter, quhen as J>e samyw argument and
sentence of baratrie being vsit befoir J>e lordis of counsaile, in J>e
caus of J>e reductioun of J>e rheto^r persewit be J>e kingis aduocate,
and J>e laird of balfour, aganis andro lamb for retreitting of ane
smiice, quherby bischope betoun was spruit gcncrall and nearest air
to vmquhile lohnne beytoun 1 of balquhairge, his father, The lordis
fand J>e said matter sua intricate and difficill pat J>e samyw lyis as
jit vndecydit. § 20. And jit of superabundance to answer forder,
certane it is, pat anis bischope betoun was laufullie prowydit, and his
prowisioun cled noeht onlie with arrie^nal bot with diriewnal pos-sw-
jioun,2 and ^rfoir his ryr^t anis standing man stand coratinuallie
1 MS. has “seytoun.”
2 So in the original, but clearly a scribal error for “triennal” and “dicennal.”
These terms have reference to a privilege extended by the law of Scotland
to churchmen at this date, which is explained in the following passage from