Abbotsford Club > Historical memoirs of the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a portion of the reign of King James the Sixth

xxii PREFATORY NOTICE.
outmoft love and refpe6l to her memory. This chartour is dated, very
dillindlly, 13G3. One Oliphant, Lindfay, and feveralls more, infert as
witneiie?, ten years before lie was marryed to Eupham Rofs ; nor do I fee
the loail ground of fuf]>icion in this writt. It is writt very clear, all in
contractions ufuall in thole days, but no fuch affe6led antiquity as very
probably a forgerer would have ufed. The fealls are diftindl, the firll
arms" of the family of the Stewarts, fett in its ordinary way, and no fup-
porters ; the infcription ' Robertus Rex Scotorum :' The other feal is not
fo diflincl, but reprefents the fame arms in a fliiold fett angularly, or like
a lozen (excufo my ignorance of heraldry), with a horfe iiRiing from the
angle of the crell, and no motto. The parchment is very fmall, and only
feven or eight lines in the whole, in a chancery hand. It has the word
^ guarantizare' in the claufe of warrandice. The next proof of this affair
lliewn to me was a chartour granted by King Robert of feverall lands in
the diocefs of Glafgow, containing thefe words : — ' Tejiihus Roberto filio
nojho primogenito et lieredi, Senefcallo Scotics ; and dated in the year
1371, about three years before his fecond marriage. It's true, flanderers
will not allow this to be demonflrative, becaufe his legittimation might
occalion this title ; but the former chartour proving the marriage, joyned
with this, will corroborat the matter, and make it as evident as the fun at
mid-day. This chartour was never controverted ; and truly, by compar-
ing, I think the writer is the fame with the former, though it be in larger
charadlers, and not fo many contra6lions : The feall is larger, but the
fame llamp and fubfcription. This production may fuffice to your con-
vi6lion to conclude the improbation.
" Tlu! nixt produiSlion was a currency of chartours, from Alexander,
Malcom Kenmure's fon, to the end of Robert Bruce's reign; for they
have none in Malcom's days. I think they are 13 or 14 in number; all
of them belonging to the archbiflioprick of Glafgow, and containing lands
granted to the feverall Billiops. The oldeft is very mufty, fmall, but ftill
legible, containing the lands of Cadyou. The fealls varys : fome fmall,
but moll of them large, with the King on horfeback on the one fide, and
his effigies on the other, with the continuall motto, ^Rcx Scotorum.'' But
in John Baliol's time they have one chartour, and no more in his days, with