Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 2

90 THE HTSTOEY OF THE AFFAIRS [1561.
Secundo Octohris 1561.
" The quliilk day the Provest, Bcaillies, Counsale, and hale
Deckynis,! persaving the preistis, monks, freris, and utheris
of the wikit rable of the Antechrist the Paip, to resort to
this tonne, incontrare the tenour of the Proclamationn maid
in the contrair ; thairfor ordanis the said Proclamationn to
be proclaymt of new, ehargeing all monkis, fi^eris, preistis,
nunnys, adulterai'is, fornicatouris, and all sic filthy per-
sonis, to remove thameselfis of this toun, and bounds
thairoff, within 24 hours, under the pane of carting throuch
the toun, byrning on the cheik, and banissing the saniyn for
evir."
Perhaps the readers may not be displeased to know con-
cerning the Proclamation here referred to. On the 20th
day of September 1560, proclamation was made in the town
of Edinburgh, of the Act of the pretended Parliament in
the month of August before, bearing this title — " Anent the
ISIesse abolished, and punishing of all that hearis or sayis the
samyn,"2 as may be seen in the printed Acts of Parliament.^
And on the 24th day of March 1560-1, we find the fol-
lowing Proclamation made in the town of Edinburgh, viz. —
" I command and charge in our Soverane Ladie''s name, and
in name and behalf of the Lordis of Secreit Counsale, Provest
and Baillies of this burgh, that within 18 lioureis nixt
heireftir, all priestis, monkis, freris, chanonis, nunnis, and
utheris of the ungodlie seidis and opinionis, quhilkis hereto-
^ [The Lord Provost of Edinburgh mentioned was Archibald Douglas
of Kilspindie, son of Sir Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie, in 1520 Lord
High Treasurer of Scotland, son of Archibald fifth Earl of Angus, sur-
named Bell-ihe-Cat, by his second Countess Catherine, daughter of Sir
William Stirling of Keir. Douglas of Kilspindie was again Lord Provost
in 1562. Knox mentions the names of two of the Bailies— Edward Hope
and Adam FuUerton, but this is at variance with the list printed bj'
Bishop Keith. — E.]
2 Perhaps it is from the proclaiming of this Act in the year 1560, that
the fore-mentioned two historians would infer the practice to have been
customary. But that pretext will not answer the purpose, since besides
that here was only the instance of one single year ; the Proclamation in
the year 1561, adds, " adulterers, fornicators, and such filthy persona," of
whom nevertheless there is not the least mention in the Act of Parlia-
ment ; and consequently there was no yearly practice to be pleaded for
such a Proclamation.
3 [See Acta Pari. Scot, folio, vol. ii. p. 535.— E.]