Burgh Records.—No. 4.

apon the forgait befor thair yetts and daioris , and ger devoid and red the hey gait of al swyne crvffis , " & e . 14 th August , 1525 . Is a letter from James Y ., "King of Scottis , " against that heretik Luthyr , and his bukis . " Also gives a copy of the act of " parlyament" 1525 anent

, , "the dampnable opinzeons of herecy ar spred in diuerse contreis be the heretik Luther , and his disciples ; and this realme and leigis hes fermly persistit in the halie faith sen the saniyn was first ressauit be thame , and nevir , as yit , admittit ony opinzounes contrar the Christan faithhot has beyne eleyne

, evyr of all sic filth and vice , therfor , " & c . Notwithstanding this strong confession of faith , in less than half a century after this the Reformation was carrying all before it . In 1544 , some of the inhabitants were guiltyof the liberty of " hinging of the image of St . Francis , " and , in 1559 , there seems to have been a

general scramble for " the gere , gudis , tymmar wark , leid , sklayttis and stanis , " of " the blakfreris and quhyt freris , " parties helping themselves and " applyand the samen to thair awin particular uses , " & c . In 1561 there is a regular roup of the valuables , silver warkf claythe of gold & cthe chalices of Sts

, yne , , . Peter , Johnne , Nicolas , Clements , Duthak , the Ruid Chalice , & c . In March , 1599 , they resolved to support the Congregation , and levied a tax of £ 400 to defray the expense of 40 men-of-war , who were to be sent to its assistance .

20 th December , 1544 . "The said day , the counsale vnder writin hes requistit my lord locumtenent to be freman of this burgh , to that effect that he may be abill to accept the office of prouestry of this burgh , presentlie vacand be renunciatioun ' & c

, . From two minutes of Sth February , 1523 , it would seem that many of the Craftsmen held back from attending the Candilmess procession and did not carry the taikin s of their crafts upon their breasts , and one notorious offeuder whose name and calling—Johne Pill , tailzeour—are duly recorded , is honoured with a minute

long preserving so much of his history from oblivion because " he refusit to pas in the Candilmess processioun with his taikin and sing of his craft in the place lemit to his craft , and in likwiss for the mispersoning of the said Dauid Andersoun , the merehandis of the said guid toun , in calling of thame Coffeis , and bidding of thame to tak the salt pork aud herboiss in thair handis , " & c * Johne had therefore to come next Sonday , "in the tyme of hiemes ,

barfut , and bairheid , with an candel of ane pund of wax , and offer the samyn to thair patroun Sanct Nicholace , and sit doun humelie on his kneis , beseikand the prowest and guyd toun to ramyb him his forsaid fait , and iuobedience doyne to the bailze , and to bring on his breist the usit taikin of his craftthat

, is to say , ane pair of patent sheris , " & c The following extract contains the oath to be taken by the Provost : — 30 th September , 1560 . " Be the lewing Lord , the eternal God , quha [ made ]

hevin and earth and all thing of nocht , and maid men to his awin jmage and similitud , to be just and trew in all promises according to his godlie will , quha also serchis and knawis the hartis and thochtis of men , and hes promesit to revenge falsat and to reward the treutbt , I de heir promise and sueir in his presens and his holy angellisthat I sail lelie and treulie ,

, after my wit and power , dewly exerce the office of provestry of this burght for the space of this yeir nixt following , and sail do equall iustice both to puir and rechee , without feid or favour , nor sail nocht spair to exerce the same iustice for luff , hatrent r wynningtynsellnor na wther thing ma happinhot

, , , sail treulie sett furtht and meyntene the same , and h'bertie and privilege of this burgh , for the commound weill and profytt ther of , and also sail mentene and furthsett the fayth and rellgioune of Jesus Cryst at my wtter power , and sail be innemy to all thaim that resistis and gauestandis the samen . Also I sell

assyst , concur , fortify , and furthtsett all thingis ordanit and concludit to be done be the nobile consell of this guid toune in all thingis concerning the avansment of Goddis glory and the libertie and fredomeof this burght and communitie tkairof , in equite and justice , as my wit , wnderstanding , puissans , and power will serwe me to do , at the will and plesure of God ; quhilk I avow and promise to obserwe in presens of God and this congregatioune . "

The absence of any reference to the Saints * in the above oath is remarkable ; I therefore suppose this to * be a new form of oath , hence it is here recorded for future guidance , its style being also another proof of the establishment of the reformed doctrines and ideas . On Gth Dec . 1560 the marcatt and fair on Sanct

, Nicholace day is forbidden " in respect of the commound marcat and publict fair in October . " 7 th Dec , 1560 , the thesauraris of the toune , receive a lot of brass work from Sanct Nicholace parroche Kirk , including many " chandlaris , lawaris , and throchtis of brass , " and " ane pillar of brass , with the imagis and

thre cattis , and vther grayth thairof , " & c . The 6 th January , 1561 , as I observed above , the " roup " takes place , and Patrik Menzeis buys all and sundry for " fyw hundreth xl lib . money of Scotland , " the money to be applied to the " commond weill and adois of this guid toun . " Several of the inhabitants ,

however , " dissentit to the said roiping , " & c . In 27 th July , 1529 , the breakers of certain statutes are to be banished the toune and burned with an iron on thair chekis . " _ 24 th November , 1505 , Philip Belman is fined for sellinge of ane apill for ane quhar he micht

penny , haue sauld thre for ane penny . " In Dec , 1549 , a number of Baxstaris are fined for selling below the statute price , their bread being " of insufficient stuf . " ( To be continued ?)