Wee taking to our Conſideration the great prejudice the Kingdom doth ſuſtain, in the Decay of Deer, Roes, and Wild-Fowl, Notwithſtanding of the Care taken by our Royal Progenitors thereanent; and of the many good and uſeful Laws made for preſerving the Game, to prevent and repair this Evil and Miſchief, and againſt the deſtroying of Smouts and Trouts with Criels and other Engines anent Cruives and Ȝairs, ſteeping of Lint in Rivers, Lochs, and Burns, where Fiſhes are: And Particularly, that by the 31, Act, of the 23, Parliament of King Ja. 6th. All Perſons who are not Heretors are prohibited to Hunt or Hauk; and that neither Heretor or other Shoot, Deer or Roe, in time of Snow. As alſo that by the 11th, Act. of the 4th Parliament, K. Ja: 5th, and 210th, Act, of the 14th Parliament, K. Ja: 6th. Letters are ordained to be direct, charging all Keepers of our Forreſts to permit no Paſturage within the Marches thereof; But that they Sieze and Eſcheat them, under the pain of loſſe of their Office. And that Forreſters of Forreſts belonging to private Men, ſhall apprehend ſuch as Travel with Guns or Dogs in Forreſts, and carry them to the neareſt Sherriffs, Stewarts of Stewartries, Baillies of Bailȝieries, and Regalities, or Juſtices of Peace to be ſecured; to anſwer as accords of the Law. And that all ſuch of the Liedges who ſhall be required to concurr to apprehend ſuch Perſons, give ready obedience as is ordained by the Forreſt Laws, Cap. 15. and Cap. 22: And thoſe who conceal them to be fyned as art and part of the foreſaid fault. And ſicklyke, that all Perſons are Commanded to forbear, to ſlay any Muirfowl, Heathfoul, Partridge, Quaill, Duck, or Mallard, Tale, or Atail, or Tormicgan, from and after the firſt day of Lent, to the firſt day of July yearly according to the 108. Act, Parl; 7th. K. Ja, 1ſt, excepting Water-fowl, with Hauks in Dreidge-ing time. And that the Killing of Muir-Fowl, Powts, before the firſt of July, Heath-poutts before the firſt of Auguſt, or Partridge, or Quale before the firſt of September, yearly, is forbidden by the 23, Act, Parl. 16, K. Ja: 6th, Item, that by the 48, Act. Parl, 4th. K, Ja. 4th. Moor-burn, after the laſt of March, is diſcharged, and the Maſters are thereby to be lyable for all upon their Land. Item, That by the 210, Act, Parl, 14, K. Ja, 6th, Shooting, Hunting, or Haulking within ſix miles of our Palace, are prohibited under the pains therein contained, without expreſſe Licence of the Maſters of the Game, Item, That by the 23 Act, Parl: 16, K. Ja, 6th. All ſelling or buying of Deer, Roe, Hairs, Muirfoul, Tarmicgan, Heathfouls, Partridge or Quails are diſcharged under the pains contained in the ſaid Act. Item, That by the 51, Act, Parl, 6th. Queen Mary, Hunting is forbidden on other Mens grounds without leave of the Owner. And whereas by the 11th Act, Par. 1ſt. K, Ja: 1ſt, Cruives, and Ȝairs, ſet on freſh water without expreſſe Infeftment of Salmond Fiſhing are ordained to be deſtroyed and put away for ever, and that where Cruives are allowed by infeftments, that ilk heck be three inch wide, which is Ratified by the 73, Act, Parl, 10th. K. Ja, 3d. And that by the 87. Act. Parl. 14th. K, Ja, 2d, It is ſtatute, that no man ſet Veſſels, Creils, Weyrs, Netts, or any other Ingine to hinder Smouts from going to the Sea; And that Coups, Maſſes, N • tts, Prines ſet on waters that has courſe to the Sea, be deſtroyed, and who holds them up to be lyable as deſtroyers of Red-fiſhes. Item, That all Millers that ſlayes Smouts or Trouts, with Criels or with any other Engine, or any who Dames or Leaves ſhall be puniſhed as ſlayers of Red-fiſh, conform to the 73 Act, Parl: 5th, K. Ja, 3d. And where the transgreſſours has no means, they are appointed to be put in Priſon, Irons, or Stocks for the ſpace of one Moneth upon their own expenſes. And if they have it not of their own, To be fed on Bread and Water conform to the 89th, Act, Parl. 6th, K. Ja. 6th. And by the 13th, Act, Parl. 18th. K, Ja, 6th. The ſteeping of Lint in Rivers, Lochs, or Burns, where Fiſhes, are, is diſcharged, and that under the pain of Fourty Shillings Scots Toties Quoties, and confiſcation of the Lint. And likewiſe the ſhootting of Hares, or Herron, at any time, is expreſly prohibited and diſcharged under the pains contained in the Acts of Parliament made thereanent. And we alſo conſidering that by the 20th Act of the Parliament holden at Edinburgh, in the year, One thouſand, ſix hundred, and Eighty five, all the former Laws and Acts of Parliament made for preſerving of the Game, and an Act of King Charles the ſecond, with advice of his Privy Council of the date the ninth day of June, One thouſand ſix hundred, and Eighty two years, with the whole Laws and Acts of Parliament above-mentioned therein narrated, are Revived, Renewed, Ratified and approven, and whereby alſo all perſons are prohibited and diſcharged to have or uſe ſetting-Dogs, unleſs he be an Heretor of an thouſand pounds of valued Rent, and have expreſſe licenſe of the Maſters of our Game, within their ſeveral bounds under the pain of five hundreth Merks, Toties Quoties, in caſe of Failȝie; and that all Common-fowlers and Shooters of Fowl, or any Perſons, except they be Domeſtick ſervants to Noble-men or Gentle-men, who are Heretors of an thouſand pownds Scots of valued Rent, are diſcharged to have or make uſe of Setting-Dogs, or Fowl-ing Pieces, under the pain of eſcheat of ſuch Dogs, or Guns, and Impriſonment of their Perſons, for the ſpace of ſix weeks, Toties Quoties. And that the Selling or Buying of Deer, Roe, Hares, Moor-Foul, Tarmicgan, Heathfouls, Partridge, or Quailes, is diſcharged for the ſpace of ſeven Years next enſuing the Twenty of June, One thouſand, ſix hundred, and Eighty two years, (which we hereby think fit to prorogate and continue for the ſpace of Five years commencing from the dait hereof.) And we ordain the pains and Penalties contained in the 23d, Act, Parl, 16th, K. Ja, 6th, to be exacted from the tranſgreſſors, during the ſpace foreſaid) And by which Proclamation Ratified and approven as ſaid is, for the better diſcovery of the Contraveeners, Warrand is given to the Maſters of our Game, their Deputs or others impowered by either of them in their reſpective bounds, to make ſearch for any of the ſaid Deer, Roe, Hares, Moorfoul, Tormicgan, Heathfoul, Partridge, or Quails ſo killed in any ſuſpect place within or without Burgh, alſ well the Buyers as ſellers in Mercat or outwith the ſamen, or Foulers. And to Seize, Search, Secure, and confiscat the ſame for their own uſe: And by which Proclamation ſo ratified as ſaid is. The Maſters of our Game are ordained to require all Heretors and others, To throw down all Cruives and Ȝairs, ſet on freſh waters without expreſſe Infeftments of Salmond Fiſhing betwixt and the firſt day of July thereafter, under the Pain of an hundred Pound Scots; to be uplifted off theſe who refuſe. And the Sherriffs and their Deputs are appointed to give ſpeedy Juſtice therefore, when deſired by the Maſters of the Game or their Deputs. And the ſeveral Sherriffs and their Deputs, Stewarts of Stewartries, Bailȝies of Regalities, and their Deputs and Magiſtrats of the next adjacent Burrows are ordained to concurr with the Maſters of the Game, for throwing down of the ſaids Cruives, Criels, Netts, and Engines, when they ſhall be required. And if the ſaids Judges ſhall be found negligent, that the foreſaid Penalty be uplifted off themſelves, according to the 68th. Act, Par. 9th. of Queen Mary. And albeit that the Maſters of the Game were appointed to have put the ſaids Laws to full and due execution, conform to the power and warrand granted to them, yet the ſame hath hitherto been altogether ſlighted and neglected. And we being moſt deſirous to follow the Laudable example of our Royal Anceſtors, who in their Reigns have made ſo many good Laws for preſerving the Game; And to the end the ſamen may receive the more vigorous execution, We with advice of our Privy Counſel, do hereby revive all the former Laws and Acts of Parliament made for preſerving the Game. And Commiſſionat the Perſons Following to be Maſters of Game within the reſpective Bounds after ſpecified. viz. The Earl of Lothian, for the Shire of Edinburgh, and Town thereof; the Earl of Linlithgow, for the ſhire of Linlithgow and Bathgate: The Earl of Tweddale Lord high Chancellor, for the ſhire of Haddingtoun: The Earl of Callander, for the ſhire of Stirling: The Earl of Mar for the Shire of Clackmannan: The Earl of Melvil, Lord Privy Seal for the Shire of Fife: The Maſter of Burlich, for the Shire of Kinroſs: The Lord Ruthven for the ſhire of Perth, Be-weſt Tay, And the Lord Kinaird, for that ſhire on the eaſt ſide of Tay: The Marques of Athol, for the Stewartries of Strathern, Monteeth, and Ballwhidder: The Earl of Srathmore, for the Shire of Forfar: The Earl of Mariſhal for the Shire of Kincardine, and for all below Mormouth-hill and the Water of Eugie in Bamff-ſhire: Sir James Ogilvie of Church-hill for all the reſt of Bamff-ſhire: The Earl of Kintore for all betwixt Crathus, Bannachie and the Sea in Aberdene-ſhire: The Maſter of Forles in all above that in the ſaid Shire: The Lord Duffus for all from Spey to Neſs, high and low, comprehending Elgin, Nairn, and Inverneſs-ſhire, to Loch-neſs: Lord Lovat from Neſs to Conon, high and low, excluding Cromarty-ſhire: The Viſcount of Tarbatt, Lord Clerk-Regiſter, from Conon to Portnaculter and Okell Water, and on the Weſt from Lochew, Cuiliſcuack, including Cromarty-ſhire: The Earl of Sutherland for Sutherland, excepting Aſſine, which is in the laſt Diviſion: The Earl of Broad-Albine for the Shire of Caithneſs: The Stewart of Orkney, for Orkney: The Earl of Argyle for the Shires of Argyle and Bute: The Lord Polwart for the Shire of Berwick: The Earl of Roxburgh for the Shire of Teviotdale: The Duke of Hamilton for the Shire of Lanerk: The Lord Montgomery for Cunninghame: The Earl of Caſſils for Carrick: The Maſter of Cathcart for Kyle, within the Shire of Air: The Lord William Dowglaſs for the Shire of Peebles. The Earl of Glencairn for the Shire of Renfrew: The Laird of Luſs for the Shire of Dumbarton: The Viſcount of Stair for the Shire of Wigtoun: The Earl of Galloway for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright: The Duke of Queensbersy for the Shire of Dumfreis, and James Murray of Philiphaugh, one of the Senators of the Colledge of Juſtice, for the Shire of Selkirk: Hereby Impowering and Warranting them to put the ſtanding Laws in execution, in ſo far as concerns the preſerving of Forreſts, Wild-foul, and Fiſhing; eſpecially the Laws and Ordinances above-ſpecified: And We require all our Judges ordinar in their reſpective Bounds and Jurisdictions, to give ſpeedy Juſtice thereupon, in favours of the ſaids Maſters of Our Game, or their Deputs, when they delate or purſue Delinquents before them, as they will be anſwerable upon their Duties and Offices. And all Sheriffs, Mayors, and other Officers and Fiſcals of their reſpective Courts, are ordained to Cite Delinquents before theſe Courts, as they ſhall be informed thereof, and Witneſſes to prove the ſamine, and to proſecute the ſamine, until final Sentence be pronounced againſt them, and thereafter ſee theſe Sentences put to due and lawful execution, the expences whereof is to be payed out of the firſt and readieſt of the Fines of the Delinquents ſo uplifted, at the ſight of the reſpective Maſters of Game, under the pain of Deprivation, and further Cenſure, in caſe of neglect, as Our Council ſhall find cauſe. And for further enabling Our ſaids Maſters of Game, We impower them to appoint Deputs, one or moe, for whom they are to be anſwerable, as well for their Diligence as Fidelity, and that their ſaids Deputs themſelves, nor none by their connivance, take upon them to contraveen this Proclamation, and deſtroy the Game. And to encourage them in ſo good ſervice to Us and Our People, We hereby allow Our parts of all Fines and Unlaws due to Us by Our Laws, for the Crimes relating to Forreſts, Game, and Fiſhing, in favours of the ſaids Maſters of Our Game, within their reſpective Bounds, and during the time We ſhall think fit to imploy them in the ſaid ſervice; withal Certifying them, that if they be remiſs or negligent in their duty, they are to be diſcharged of their Offices, and Fined by Our Privy Council, as they ſhall find cauſe. And We declare Our ſaid Commiſſion to continue and endure for the ſpace of ſeven years after the date hereof, and until We or Our Privy Council think fit to recall the ſame. OUR WILL IS HEREFORE, and We Charge you ſtraitly, and Command, that incontinent theſe Our Letters ſeen, ye paſs to the Mercat-Croſs of Edinburgh, and other Mercat-Croſſes of the head Burghs of the ſeveral Shires of this Kingdom, and other places needful, and there by open Proclamation make Publication of the Premiſſes, that none pretend ignorance.