burgh in the month of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and ninety-four years, as other acts of dissolution made before. Having taken to our consideration the old, famous, and ancient constitution made to you our burgh of Perth, by our renowned predecessors the Kings of Scots, of most worthy memory, in making you a free incorporation, and a free, regal, and royal burgh, and of the great antiquity thereof, and of the commodious and pleasant situation, being in the midst of our native country and kingdom, conjoining the one half thereof to the other, and keeping them in obedience and subjection, and following of their Kings and their commands: And also considering our said burgh of Perth to be most apt, and commodious, and capable, both in time of peace and war, for keeping and holding public meetings of our estates, subjects, and people; and in which town our most illustrious predecessors, nobles, famous counsellors, and others our people, have lived; and also the court and counsellors of our kingdom, for determining the affairs thereof, have most often convened of long time since, and found the same most commodious for them; as also, in the time of war, both citizens, soldiers, and strangers, might convene there. In which our said royal burgh our most renowned predecessors, with their Queens, children, and family, have dwelt; as also we ourselves have been accustomed to dwell in our said royal burgh, and have used the same for our certain habitation and dwelling, and for the seat of war at all occasions; and in which our said royal burgh all the Parliaments and Convention of the Estates of our kingdom, now of long time since, were wont to convene and reside; and also seeing our said royal burgh of Perth is, and had been, most profitable and necessary for all uses to our kingdom.

Likeas the procurators and commissioners of the remanent burghs of our kingdom, being delegate and specially called and chosen by us, and our Estates of Parliament, for taking cognition of the case of our said royal burgh of Perth, by act of our Parliament, and public ordinance of

our

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our kingdom, all giving their own sentences and lawful decreet in one voice, without variance or dissension: Concluded, adjudged, and ordained, That our said royal burgh of Perth, and the procurators and commissioners thereof, shall be preferred, in order of antiquity and dignity, before our village of Dundee; and that the inhabitants thereof, and commissioners and procurators thereof, give way and place of dignity to them, as their priors; and that in all our suc cessors' Parliaments, public Convention of the Estates of the kingdom, and conventions of burrows and counsels, our said royal burgh of Perth shall have, and enjoy perpetually, the principality, prerogative, first place, dignity, and or der; as also in giving votes and suffrages, shall be preferred before our said village (burgh) of Dundee, and the inhabitants, procurators, and commissioners thereof; and that in the said village of Dundee, the inhabitants, procurators, and commissioners thereof, shall altogether and wholly give place to our said royal burgh of Perth, inhabitants, procu rators, and commissioners thereof, in order of antiquity, priority of place, and dignity; and for that cause, that they altogether cease and leave off to contend with our said royal burgh of Perth, inhabitants, procurators, and commissioners thereof, or to do unto them any, whatsoever trouble, skaith, or wrong, or to hinder or fash them in their lawful business. And because the bridge of our said royal burgh of Perth, which is called the Bridge of Tay, is a most precious jewel of our kingdom, and a work not only profitable and prymly necessary to our whole kingdom and dominion, and for the suppression of rebels, and such as are viciously. affected, most commodious; and also keeping the one half of the kingdom, with the other half thereof, in faith, obedience, duty of office, towards us their Kings, in our kingdom and dominion. And, by reason of the manifold R 3 gifts,

Village. Villa de Dundee should have been translated town, or burgh. Perth was anciently called Villa de Perth; and therefore the modern idea of Village neither suits Dundee nor Perth. Both of them were royal burghs when this charter was granted,

gifts, singular and egregious offices, done by the inhabitants and burgesses of our said royal burgh of Perth, often and at several times, towards our renowned predecessors, in matters concerning the public well of our kingdom, performed in most strict, dangerous, and difficult affairs: Our most renowned predecessors have not only beautified, but abundantly heaped on our said royal burgh of Perth, greatest benefices and egregious gifts, liberties, privileges, and immunities; that almost all the donations, liberties, benefits, and privileges, conferred on other royal burghs of our kingdom, are referred to our said royal burgh of Perth; and the benefices conferred on the said royal burgh of Perth (as being first bestowed on our said royal burgh of Perth, and in a manner depending thereon) are granted as agreeing thereunto. But also the said bridge, as a public and common work, is edified and builded upon the common tribute and expences of all the people and subjects of our kingdom and dominion: And because our most renowned predecessors (before any act of annexation) conferred and bestowed forth of their yearly burgage-farms of our said royal burgh of Perth (extending to the sum of eighty pounds Sterling money yearly), by parts and portions, the sum of sixty-nine pounds, eight shillings, and eightpence, sterling money, and perpetual alms, to the prior and convent of St Andrew's, abbot and convent of Scoon, abbot and convent of Cambuskenyth, prior and convent of the Charter-house, beside our said burgh of Perth, to the Dominical Friars, or Minor Predicatory Friars, and to the Carmelite Friars, or White Friars of our said royal burgh of Perth, respective.And also, before any act of annexation, they gave and disponed the residue of the said burgage-farms of our said royal burgh, in pure and perpetual alms, to the aldermen and community of our said burgh of Perth, and their successors, in the same kind of Sterling money, to the sustentation and upholding of the said bridge of Tay. And likeways we, by our chatter, have given and conferred, in pure and perpetual alms, to the hospital and poor of our said burgh of

Perth, the foresaid burgage-farms and portions of the same, whilk, was first conferred and bestowed by our most renowned predecessors, in pure and perpetual alms, to the said abbots, convents, priors, and friars, respective, in manner foresaid. As also, in the yearly accompts of the said burgage-farms and rents, made and perfected by the bailies of our said burgh of Perth, and others in their names, in our exchequer, before the auditors of the same; the foresaid auditors did liberate and exoner the counters of the said burgage-farms, by allocating and approving to them of the foresaid sum of sixty-nine pounds, eight shillings, and eightpence Sterling money, allocate and paid to the said poor, and whilk first was paid forth of the said burgage-farms yearly, to the said priors, abbots, convents, friars, respective, as said is; and by the allocation and approbation made to the said counters of the said residue of the foresaid bur-· gage-farms, as being allocate and conferred forth of the same in pure and perpetual alms, to the reparation, sustaining, and upholding of the foresaid bridge of Tay, as in our account-books and rolls underwritten of the said burgagefarms, made, compted, and perfected at more length, is contained.

And because we having in memory, and calling to mind the good, faithful, and thankful service and managing of many affairs, the many gifts and egregious offices which have been performed by our said royal burgh of Perth, citizens and inhabitants thereof, to our most renowned predecessors, how often occasion offered at all times bygone, as well in time of peace as war, in honour and praise of the native country, and that not only in our and our predecessors' public affairs, but also in the public and affairs of the commonwealth. We have resolved and determined to satis- / fy those services by commodity, as occasion offers, whereby we may manifest our thankful and benevolent mind towards our said royal burgh of Perth, burgesses and inhabitants. thereof, and successors of the same. And seeing it is expedient for the part of satisfaction and recompence; likeas,

it is most conducible in time coming for the amply fixing of our crown and kingdom, and for the exciting and stirring up others to the performance towards us and our successors, of all those offices performed to us by our said royal burgh of Perth: Therefore all and sundry donations, benefices, possessions of lands, profits, rents, liberties, privileges, communities, commodities, accidents, casualties, and others whatsoever, at whatsoever time the same hath been granted, given, and conferred on our said royal burgh of Perth, either by us or our royal predecessors; we will that the same remain and be observed, defended, beautified, and augmented with many and greater immunities, privileges, profits, and rents, to our said royal burgh of Perth, provest, aldermen, counsellors, and community thereof, and their successors, and to the said hospital and poor of the same.

We therefore, approving of the premises, and for diverse other good deeds and considerations in reason moving us, of our certain knowledge and proper motion, with the advice, counsel, and consent of our well-beloved and faithful counsellors, Sir David Murray of Gospetrie, Knight; our treasurer, John, Earl of Montrose; our chancellor of our kingdom; and Mr John Skene, clerk of our rolls and registers, not only have we ratified and approven, but also for us and for our successors perpetually confirmed: Likeas, by the tenor of this our present charter, for the causes above written, with advisement, counsel, and consent foresaid, we ratify and approve, for us and our successors, perpetually confirm in all and sundry heads and articles, points, conditions, circumstances, and causes, conform to the tenors of the same in all things.

All and sundry the particular charters, infestments, confirmations, decreets, indentures, titles, rights, securities, letters, writings, evidents underwritten, gifts, benefices, liberties, commodities, immunities, privileges contained in the same, made, given, granted, and confirmed by us, and our most renowned predecessors, Kings and Queens of this our kingdom, for the time, and made by others under

written,