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“MARIE Be the grace of God Quene of Scottis, to all our liegis and subditis, quhais knawlege thir present letters shall cum, greting, WIT ZE VS mouit of greit zeill of Justice to retene the haill subiectis within this our Realme & dominiounis in gude ordoure, and obedience toward vs, and mutuall societie amang thame selfis, according to the gude Lawis, constitutiounis, ordinances and actis maid be vs and our maist Nobill progenitouris of gude memorie, considdering that be the misknawlege and Ignorance of the same Lawis, all misordour, inobedience, tumult, and troubling of the common weil proceidis: And because sindrie Lawis, constitutiounis and ordinances hes been maid be diuers our predecessouris, that certane leirnit, wyse and expert men, quhilks best knawis the Lawis sould be chosin to see and examinat the bukis of the Law, and set thame furth to the knawlege of our subiectis: ¶ Thairfoir we for the weill and instructioun of our saidis liegis in the Lawis of this our Realme, according to our zeill of Justice and intentioun oft tymes had of befoir, with auise of the Lordis of our secreit counsall, [to ] mak, constitute, and ordand be thir presentis our rycht traist cousingis and counsalouris George Erle of Huntlie Lord Gordoun and Badzenach our Chancellar, Archibald Erle of Ergyle Lord Campbell and Lorne, James Erle of Murray Lord Abirnethy, James Erle Bothuile Lord Hailis Chreichtoun and Liddisdaill, Johne Erle of Athole, Lord Baluany, William Erle Marchell, Lord Keith, Johne Erle of Mar Lord Erskin, Reuerend fathers in God Johne Bischop of Ros, Commendatour of our Abbay of Lundoris, Alexander Bischop of Gallaway, Commendatour of Inchaffray, Adame Bischop of Orknay, Schir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun Knycht, keipar of our priuie Seill, Schir James Balfour of Pettindreich Knycht, Clerk of our Register, Schir Johne Bellenden of Auchinnoull Knycht, Clerk of our Justiciare, Maister Williame Baillie Lord Prouand, Maister John Spens of Condie, and Robert Creichtoun of Eliok our Aduocatis, Maister Dauid Chalmer, Chancellar of Ros, and Maister Edward Henryson doctour in the Lawis, our Commissaris in that part: Geuand, grantand and cmittand to thame, or any sax of thame ciunctlie (as persounis of quhais science and experience in the Lawis of our Realme, we specialle dois confide, and is assurit of thair industrie and trew diligence in executing and perfyting of our cmand and chargeis) full powar and autoritie, expresse command, and charge in our name and behalf to visie, sycht and correct the Lawis of this our Realme maid be vs, and our maist Nobill progenitouris, be the auise of the thre Estatis in Parliament haldin be thame, beginnand at the buikis of the Law callit Regiam Maiestatem and Quoniam Attachiamenta. And swa consequentlie following be progres of tyme unto the dait of this our commission. Swa that na vthers bot the saidis Lawis sychtit, mendit and correctit be our saidis traist counsalouris and Commissaris, or ony sax of thame coniuctlie, salbe be our priuilege Imprentit, or haue place, faith or autoritie, to be allegeit and reheirsit afoir ony our Jugeis and Justices quhatsumeuer in Jugement and outwith. And generallie all and sindrie vther thingis to do, exerce and use, that in the premissis or anent the samin salbe necessare, or ony manner of way opportune. Firm, and stabill, haldand and for to hald, all and quhatsumeuer our said counsalouris and Commissaris in that part, or ony sax of thame coniuctlie in the premissis rychteouslie leidis to be done. Attour we promit to cause this our present Commissioun, with all and quhatsumeuer thingis, quhilkis our saidis counsalouris and Commissaris be vertew heirof sall happen to do, performe, accomplische, and determinat, be ratifeit, appreuit, and perpetuallie confirmit, be the avise of our thre Estatis in our nixt Parliament. ¶ In witnes of the quhilk thing, we have causit our greit Seill be put to thir presentis. At Edinburgh the First day of Maij the zeir af God ane thousand fyue hundreth thre scoir sax zeiris, and of our Regne the twentie foure zeir.

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“IT is maist certane, that na thing is swa eirnistlie to be socht and straitlie keipit, as the knawlege of the Lawis and thair authoritie. Because the Laws rychtlie disponis, and ordouris to the best baith godlie and manlie effairis, and banisis thairout all iniquitie. Thay ar the gift of God, the statute and decreit of wyse men, the amending and rychting of forthoct and suddane faultis, the common promeis, band and obligatioun of the Realme and of ilk Member thairof to uther, efter the quhilk it appertenis all the saidis members to leid thair lyfe gif thay will not onlie leif, bot als manerlie, weill and godlie leif. And lyke as ilk man aucht and sould seik the understanding of the Lawis that they may cast thame with all thair intent to obserue, and keip the samin: Rychtswa it is the office of the Souerane powar and of the Magistratis and Officiaris constitute under the samin, to cause publis and mak patent the Lawis, to the effect foirsaid, as we see the Israelitis, Athenienis, the Romanis, and uthers pepill and Impyris lauchfullie reulit, and thairby lang lestand, and continewand in prosperitie, had thair Statutis and Ordinancis ingraifit, or writtin in Tabillis, and fixit in the maist publique and patent placis, or inrollit, bukit, and solempnitlie red to all the pepill. And als all weil maid constitutioun contenis in the self ane prouisioun, that it be proclamit and publist. Misknawlege is ane maner and kynde of excusatioun to mony men of thair fault, albeit the Law sayis, thair is, nor sould be na excusatioun to the man pretendand Ignorance of the Law. Quhairfoir? Because the Law is understand to be notifeit, and publist to all Man, and thay sould seik to the knawlege thairof. Thairfoir our Souerane Lady seing the Lawis and Actis of hir maist Nobill progentouris to be for the maist part unknawin bot to the Jugeis, and men of Law, and zit the samin to be throuch Ignorance of the copistis confusit and full of errouris, hes maist commendablie and conuenientlie to hir Royall estate and Maiestie, and maist graciouslie for the weil of her subiectis, geuin commissioun to certane Nobill and leirnit Lordis, hir traist counsalouris, to sycht, considder, correct, and cause publis in prent the haill body of the Lawis of this hir Realme. In the undertaking of the quhilk charge and work the saidis Lordis