quibuscunque a nobis [uel] nostris predecessoribus eisdem religiosis indultis et concessis, libere et quiete vti et gaudere permittant. In cuius rei testimonium sigillum nostrum presentibus literis precepimus apponi, apud Edynburgh quintodecimo die Decembris anno Regni nostri vicesimo nono.

(Abstract)

'OF the PROTECTION of KING DAVID [11.].'

'DAVID, by the grace of God, King of Scots, to the bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justiciars, sheriffs, and other officers of our kingdom clerical and lay, health everlasting in the Lord.' It behoves the royal majesty' to cherish in peace, tranquillity, and quiet the religious who devoutly serve God, and to protect, defend and preserve with pious devotion their rights, liberties, and privileges, which were granted by some of his progenitors, the Kings of Scotland. After an inspection of the Charters of the Abbot and Convent of Lundors granted by his predecessors, he understood fully that the monks, their monastery, their men, lands and possessions wherever they were throughout the kingdom, their goods, and all other rights possessed by the monks, were under the patronage and royal majesty of the Kings of Scotland, with no intermediary. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors he took under his protection, patronage, jurisdiction, and royal majesty, with no intermediary, the monastery, men, lands, and possessions of the monks, and declared that they were not subject to, nor ought to recognise, any other so far as related to title of superiority, claim, or secular exaction, although the monastery and the monks were founded of old by Earl David, brother of William, of revered memory, King of Scotland, his [King David's] predecessor, and endowed by him with divers lands and possessions in divers parts of the kingdom. Wherefore we signify and declare to all of you by the tenor of these presents that although we have transferred and granted by charter to our cousin, Thomas, Earl of Mar, our land of Garvyach, coming to us by right, it neither was nor is any part of our intention or will to transfer to the Earl of Mar himself, or to any other, the said religious, their monastery, their lands, rents, or possessions wherever they may be, which pertain to us without an intermediary, or to renounce, separate, or alienate them from the title of the royal majesty.' Wherefore he strictly forbids the Earl of Mar or any other whomsoever to molest or disturb the monks and their possessions by reason of, or under pretext of, any gift or grant made, or to be made, in any way by him, or to raise any question in law against the will and intention of the royal majesty, to the no small prejudice and grievance of the king's state. For such action they would be liable to the king's full forfeiture, and the loss of all which they could lose to 1 Or, as we should now say, 'the king's majesty.'

the king. On the contrary they are to permit the monks to use and enjoy freely and quietly the liberties, privileges, possessions, and other easements of all kinds which had been granted by him or his predecessors. The King's Seal. At Edynburgh, on the 15th of December, in the twenty-ninth year of our reign.'1

CXLVIII

De Contrauersia inter nos et dominum Thomam

Comitem de Mar.

OMNIBVS hoc scriptum visuris vel audituris Thomas | comes de Marre et dominus de Garvyach, salutem in domino sempiternam. Nouerit vniuersitas vestra quod licet nuper quesiverimus et petiverimus a religiosis viris abbate et monachis monasterii sancte marie et sancti andree apostoli de Lundors, Sancti Andree dyocesis, homagium, fidelitatem, sectas et compariciones ad curias nostras, sicut a ceteris libere tenentibus nostris de le Garvyach, racione terrarum quas predicti religiosi tenent et possident infra le Garviach, nunc vero alio modo de veritate informati et de eorum libertatibus ad plenum instructi, predictos religiosos et eorum terras ad predicta onera nobis vel successoribus nostris prestanda pro nobis, heredibus nostris 2 vel successoribus nostris recognoscimus in nullo fore obligatos; Et istud omnibus quorum interest vel interesse possit pro nobis, heredibus, et successoribus nostris tenore presencium manifestamus. In cujus rei testimonium hoc presens scriptum sigillo nostro magno autentico muniri fecimus penes predictos religiosos perpetuo remansurum. Datum apud castrum nostrum de Kyldromy, decimo nono die mensis Augusti, Anno domini M° cccmo quinquagesimo nono.

(Abstract)

'Or the DISPUTE between us and the LORD THOMAS, EARL of MAR.'

THOMAS Earl of Mar, and Lord of Garvyach, makes known to all that although he had lately sought and claimed from the abbot and monks of Lundors, in the diocese of St. Andrews, homage, fealty, and suits and compearances in his courts, as from the other free-holders of the Garviach, by reason of the lands which the aforesaid religious held and 1 That is, 15th of December, 1357.

2 This word 'nostris' is subpunctuated in MS. as a sign that it should be omitted.

[fol. 19.]

possessed within the Garviach, yet now, having been informed as to the truth, and being fully instructed as to their liberties, he acknowledges that the aforesaid religious and their lands are in no way under obligation for the burdens aforesaid due to him, his heirs, and successors. By the tenor of these presents he declares this for himself, his heirs, and successors, to all whom it may, or could, concern.

In testimony of this he has caused the present writ to be fortified by his Great Seal. The writ was to be kept in the custody of the said religious. 'Given at our castle of Kyldromy, on the nineteenth day of the month of August, in the year of our Lord MCCCLIX.'

CXLIX

Dauid Comes de Hunthyngton.1

DAVID Comes de Huntinetoune [frater] regis Willelmi fundavit Abbathiam de Lundores et dedit et concessit deo et beate marie et monachis ibidem Deo servientibus, in liberam, puram, et perpetuam elemosinam, post certas terras et ecclesias, ultra month Fyntre, et in Garvyach Lethgawyl et Malynd cum pertinenciis suis et concessit eisdem decimam omnium lucrorum et placitorum suorum infra terram suam et extra, ultra month, quam habuit tempore donacionis illius Et decimam omnium rerum suarum et heredum suorum scilicet decimacionem bladi et farine, butiri et casii, carnis et venacionis, cibi et potus, coriorum ferarum cum mota canum captarum, et salis, uncti et cepi, et omnium aliarum rerum que decimari possunt et que dabuntur, vel vendentur, vel ad firmam ponentur, de maneriis suis vltra month. Et voluit et concessit vt predicta ecclesia de Lundors et monachi habeant et teneant omnia predicta in liberam, puram, et perpetuam elemosinam, de se et heredibus suis, cum omnibus libertatibus suis 2 et liberis consuetudinibus

1 This legal opinion on a disputed point of law has presented more difficulties of transcription than the whole of the rest of the Chartulary. In some places the ink has so far faded as to render the script illegible. In other places the references to the medieval commentators on the Civil and Canon Law are given in such an abbreviated form that much perplexity has been caused. The endeavour has been to present the text with the utmost possible accuracy. But it is obvious that even after the best endeavours of the editor, the text is, in some places, corrupt. In the Notes and Illustrations, the passages of the Civil and Canon Law and of the Commentators, who are referred to, are exhibited so far as they have been identified.

2 The word 'suis' is subpunctuated.

sine omni seruicio et consuetudine et auxilio et seculari exaccione, bene et in pace, integre et honorifice, sicut aliqua abbathia in toto regno Scocie melius et liberius, quiecius et honorificencius aliquam elemosinam tenet et possidet, et ita libere sicut ipse eas vmquam tenuit et habuit, Et ita libere et pacifice vt nullus sibi succedencium aliquid ab eis nisi solas oraciones ad anime salutem exigere presumat. Teste Willelmo rege Scottorum.

Et Rex Willelmus concessit et confirmauit predicta omnia et vtitur uerbo concedo eis etc., et sciant presentes et futuri me dedisse et concessisse et hac carta mea confirmasse, etc. Et concedo eciam eisdem monachis vltra month fyntreth et ecclesiam eiusdem ville, et in garvyach Lethgawylle et malynde, ita vt prenominati monachi predicta omnia in terris et ecclesiis ad proprios vsus et sustentaciones habeant et teneant: Et concedo eis cuream suam omnino liberam, et dignitatem pacis, sine omni seruicio et consuetudine et auxilio et seculari exaccione, in liberam etc. Et subdit in fine, ita vt nullus heredum | prefati comitis, fratris mei, a predictis monachis quicquid nisi solas oraciones ad anime salutem exigere presumat. Et sic interpretatur verbum succedencium in carta comitis Dauid. Post istam donacionem religiosi isti possidebant omnia ista pacifice in libera regalitate, confirmata et priuilegiata per sedem apostolicam, absque exaccione seculari per tempus et tempora viuente ipso Dauid comite, et Johanne de Scotia, filio suo, et tribus sororibus et eorum filiis, quibus demum successit recolende memorie Rex Dauid Scocie vterinus + iure sanguinis et propinquitatis qui terram de Garvyach dedit consanguineo suo Thome, comiti marrie, cum libere tenentibus, bondagiis, et seruiciis, et ita libere in omnibus et plene, vt dicitur, sicut Dauid comes de Huntynton ipsam habuit vel tenebat. Qui dominus comes marrie petiuit ab ipsis religiosis compariciones et sectas, fidelitatem et homagia, et super istis vexauit: set demum informatus ad plenum de eorum libertatibus, vt asserit, ipsos religiosos et eorum terras ad predicta onera sibi vel successoribus suis prestanda pro ipso, heredibus, vel successoribus suis recognouit in nullo fore obligatos; Et hoc pro se et heredibus suis vel successoribus manifestat per suas literas patentes vniuersis de anno domini millesimo [ccc°] 1. ix. Et dictus dominus Dauid

[fol. 20.]

1

SMS. et.

[fol. 21.]

Rex Anno regni sui xxix° suscepit istos religiosos, monasterium suum, homines, terras et possessiones vbicumque infra regnum scocie existentes, sub sua proteccione, patronatu, iure et regia magestate, [n]ullo medio, et recognoscit fore subiectos, Nolens quod ipsi alium quemcumque, quo1 superioritatis titulum, clameum, vel exaccionem secularem, preter ipsum recognoscerent, licet ipsi fuerint ab antiquo per comitem Dauid de diuersis terris et possessionibus dotati, et significat et declarat quod quamuis ipse terram suam de Garvyach sibi iure obuenientem in a consanguineum suum dominum Thomam, comitem marrie, transtulit, Intencionis sue seu voluntatis non extitit dictos religiosos homines, suas terras, vel redditus ab eo abdicare, Inhibens ne predictus comes de marre vel quicumque alius, racione cuiuscumque donacionis per ipsum facte quouismodo seu faciende in futurum, predictos religiosos homines, suas terras vel possessiones vbicumque infra regnum suum existentes, molestare vel inquietare presumat super suam plenariam forisfacturam, ac sub pena omnium que erga ipsum amittere quoquo modo [poterit]. Isti comiti marrie succedit dominus comes de Duglas, et petit quod isti religiosi recognoscant eum vt patronum suum, et heredem quondam comitis Dauid, et prestent sibi obsequia que ipsi comiti Dauid prestare tenebantur, et inter cetera petit fidelitatem nominatim, et ostensionem cartarum suarum in curia sua. Et processum fecit per tres dies contra ipsum abbatem sicut contra tenentes alios, quo processu | stante et valido, promisit abbas die proxima assignanda per dictum comitem, ut in quarto die processus, comparere et facere que in quarto die facere tenebatur: quo die comparuit et dictum dominum comitem disclamauit, et dominum nostrum regem inuocauit, et de curia comitis sic recessit. Et comes postea terras in manu sua fecit recognosci, quas idem abbas a domino nostro rege infra tempus debitum peciit debite restitui. Qui ipsum restitui mandauit plene et integre ad easdem modo queritur, ex quo dictus comes Dauid eis terras istas et ecclesias in puram et perpetuam elemosinam etc. et quod sint libere ab omni seruicio, consuetudine, et exaccione temporali. Et Rex Willelmus ista nominatim confirmauit ymo magis donauit; et eciam concessit et quod teneatur de comite Dauid amiserit, 1 The Ms. reads 'quo'; but compare ‘quantum ad' in CXLVII.