Bannatyne Club > Papers relative to the Regalia of Scotland

28 OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORY
upou this occasion (in itself a prodigy) prevented the Regalia from being brought in
procession to the Parliament, and that the hated articles were not greeted with the
presence of the Honours when they were adopted.
During the sitting of Parliament, the royal Insignia were placed under the care and
custody of the Earl Mareshall of Scotland, whose high office of state was hereditary
in the family of Keith. It would also appear that the same Officer claimed a right to
preserve the Regalia during the intervals in which Parliament was not sitting ; but as
this must have been attended with much inconvenience, the castles, estates, and vas-
salage of that great nobleman, by which alone he could protect the Regalia, lying far
in the north, and at a distance from the seat of government, the Honours, excepting
upon one memorable occasion, to be hereafter noticed, seem to have been usually
lodged, with the rest of the royal treasure, in the Jewel-House, under the care of the
Treasurer for the time. We find them, accordingly, repeatedly given up in the in-
ventories of the royal treasure ; as, for example, in the year 1539, when this entry
occurs in the inventory of the royal wardrobe : —
" JOWELLIS.
" Item, ane crowne of gold sett with perle and precious stanis.
" Item, in primis diaraentis tuenty.
" Item, of fyne orient perle thre scoir and aucht, wantand ane floure delice of gold
" Item, ane septour with ane grete bereal and ane perle in the heid of it.
" Item, twa swerdis of honour, with twa beltis, the auld belt wantand foure stuthis.
" Item, the hatt that come fra the Paip, of gray velvett, with the Haly Gaist sett
all with orient perle." *"
In a subsequent inventory, given up by John Tennand, 28th November, 1542, a
similar entry occurs concerning the Regalia.
" Item, in the first his grace's croun, full of precius stanes and orient perle, with
ane septur set with ane greit banell.
" Item, twa swordis of honour, with twa beltis wantand four stuthis.
• Collection of Inventories and other Records of the Royal Wardrobe and Jewel-IIouse, Stc. Edin,
1815, 4to,