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NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. xn. DEO. is, 1915.

At a later Council held at Holyrood we find that a representation was made to the King, by the baillies, Council, assessors, and deacons, that, having received the royal commands, they had at once met, and elected the said Alexander Clerk to be Provost, " and not onlie that, bot alsua, seeing he is now absent in Fyff, they have alreddy directit thair writing to him, declairing the manner to him, and willing him to cum owir and accept the office."

The petition was presented for the Council by Henrie Neisbett and Johnne Adamsoun, two of the baillies, who were fortified in the advocacy of their case by an extract from the Burgh records, signed by Alexander Guthrie, the Common Clerk of the Burgh. The King's command had been given " in the palice of Halieruidhous, in presence of his Hienes Secreit Counsall, with his awin mouth," regarding the election ; and in respect that it had been duly given effect to, and that the baillies and Council had sent their missive to the Provost " requeisting him with all diligence to repair towartis thame for executioun of the said office," his Majesty was pleased to grant the prayer of the petition and suspend the aforesaid letters.

The duties of the magistracy in those days were as multifarious as at present. Educa- tional matters came under their control, and on many occasions the solution of difficulties was not easy. Such a position is thus indicated. The baillies, Council, and kirk of the Burgh of Canongate had a grievous complaint, inasmuch as their rights had been infringed,

" they being ane burgh, havand privilegis and liberteis lyke unto uther burchis within this realme, gran tit of auld be his Hienes maist nobil .predicessouris, as alsa ane severall and particular kirk establischit amangis thame, sa have they bene evir cairfull according to their dewiteis that thair youth sould have bene instructit and brocht up in the knowlege of God and gude letters, and thairfoir hes had grammar sculis, ane or ma, and that not onlie sen the Reformation of Reli- gioun, bot also in tyme of papistrie and past memorie of man."

This being so, they carried an' appeal to the Lords of Council, on the grounds that one Williame Robertoun,

" scule maister of Edinburgh, be sum particular so lisitatioun, pure best ot his Hienes in the moneth of October last (1580) the confirmatioun of ane papisticall gift, gottin in tyme of blindnes at the abbot of Halieruid hous, then bein in minoritie, without consent of the convent, and be the same hes stoppit and dischairgit thair sculis be the space of ane quarter of ane yeir or mair last bipast ; throw the quhilk thair haill infantis and childrene ar dispersit and scatterit, as presentlie they yit rexnane, to the great dishonour of God, hurt of

thair commoun weil, and tinsell of thair haill youth."

All the parties interested charged to compear before their Lordships. Johnne Achesoun, Mr. Johnne Hart, baillies of the Cannongait, and Johnne Brand, minister, for themselves and in name of the rest of the baillies and others, as also the said William Robertoun, accompanied by Thomas Craig, " his prolocutour," having each presented their case, the Lords

' flndis thameselffis not to be judges competent to the said mater, and thairfoir remitts the samin to be decydit befoir the judges competent thairto as accordis."

It will be noted it was left to the appellants to determine to what other court of appeal they would carry their claims.

It can easily be supposed that in the matter of trades carried on within a burgh some supervision or regulation was neces- sary. In 1587 certain Flemish workmen approached the King, asking permission " to cum within his realme to exercise thair craft and occupatioun in making of searges growgrams." As a set-off to the privilege of settlement, they agreed for the sake of the common weal of the realm to give the benefit of their experience, so that everything would make towards " ane perpetuall floresching " of the trade within the kingdom. Naturally, the King was inclined to consider Favourably any request which would tend to the prosperity of the kingdom without impairing the privileges of those subjects already engaged in its commerce. Ac- cordingly, after reasonable provision had been made that the

' saide strangearis are obliged not to suffer any aersonis of thair awn natioun and vocation to 3eg or trouble this countrie for povertie,"

arrangements were concluded by which they were admitted, and " his Matie appointet me honest and discreit man Nicolas Vduart, burges of Edinburgh, to be visitor and oversear of the craftsmen." Furthermore, he magistrates of Edinburgh and other burghs where they might remain were ordained to make them burgesses of their burghs, and to furnish to each of the workmen " ane sufficient workhome to begyn thair work and na further."

On 17 Dec., 1576, an attack had been made upon the King in the Tolbooth by " ane Rascall multitude in armes, at the instiga- ioun of certain seditious ministeris and Daronis." It does not seen to have been anything of a particularly harmful nature to any of the retinue, but his Majesty found that any taking part in it had been guilty