Manuscripta juridica

Ius proprium Scotiae - Practicks (digest of "Auld Lawis"), systematic in seven books (in Latin).

The handwriting may be older than fol. 1r-9v and fol. 103 ss., still saec. XVI.2. Earliest written in 1555 because that year is mentioned in Liber 5. Used for the edition in APS I, red page nr. 177 ss., xxxi n 23. F oliation in ink from 1 to 86, probably foliated by the scrivener himself. The old numbering shows that four sheets were lost between the present fol. 28 = old number 19 and the present fol. 29 = old number 24, and again four sheets between the present folios 91 and 92 (old foliation 86 and 91). Books, titles, and chapters within them are numbered.

The text is also preserved in MS London, BL, Addit. 48050, but the present MS is more correct, and interspersed texts in Scots maintain more ancient traits of the language. Readers may be reminded that an attempt to translate the present Latin text into Scots is preserved in MS Edinburgh, UL, Laing III.423, but the translation breaks off after the first three pages.

The character of this work was described by John Buchanan in a letter to the National Library, dated 1937/8/22, which is pasted into the Library's Folio catalogue, shelfmark 'FR.185', vol. 2 fol. 49. Later the MS was also mentioned by Peter McNeill in his introduction to the reprint of Balfour's Practicks, p. lviii n. 47.

References to Regiam maiestatem (only 'lib.' and 'tit'. are quoted, without mentioning the title of the work - which was obviously thought to be self-evident), Quoniam attachiamenta, Liber Scon. (e.g. fol. 73 ss. = tit. 17, very often 'ex lib. Scon. de except.'), and from several treatises, e.g. de iudicibus, tractatus de bastardis, modus tenendi curiam, leges burgorum, leges forestarum, de maritagio, de aleatoribus (fol. 88r), and to statutes: 'Assys.' or 'Assys. reg. Da.'. Text passages correspond to the translation which is provided in Balfour's Practicks At times, page numbers are quoted - the author thus consulted a volume whose pages were numbered - e.g. fol. 88r 'pag. 505, c. 10'; fol. 90r 'pag. 836, ex lib. Scon.'

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No. of pages: Fol. 10r-92v

Rubric: [{i}Title, only supplied by a hand saec. XVIII:{/i}] Ex libro Majestatis etc. a Skeen collectum

Incipit:

• [{i}Preface, fol. 10r:{/i}] Prooemium. Regiam maiestatem non solum armis contra rebelles sibi regnoque insurgentes decoratam esse oportet ... Leges autem et iura regni universaliter scripto concludi nostris quidem temporibus omnino impossibile est, tam propter scribentium carentiam, quam propter multitudinem causarum confusam. Verum sunt quaedam generalia in curia frequentius usitata quae scripto commendare non mihi videtur absurdum vel presumptuosum, sed ad iuvandam memoriam admodum necessarium. Harum itaque quandam particulam ad mandatum populi quam cleri in scriptis decrevi redigere, stylo vulgari et verbis utens curialibus ex industria, et ad totius regni notitiam in hunc modum duxi distinguendum. Liber i., in principio. [{i}Thus shortened, and neither King David nor any later king mentioned{/i}].

  [{i}Main text, first book, fol. 10r-34v:{/i}] Liber 1. De iure personarum [{i}38 titles, dealing with persons, and beforehand with persons holding offices as legislators, governors, judges. Thereafter dealing with procedure. The topics thus correspond to books 1-2 of the collections of Decretals in the Corpus iuris canonici{/i}].

  [{i}Survey of titles of the first book, also indicating how many chapters they contain:{/i}].

  Titulus 1 [{i}contains 3 chapters{/i}]

• (Main text:) Cap. 1 Divisio iuris tripartita. Ius dividitur in tria, scilicet in ius naturale et ius divinum et ius posit(iv)um. Ius naturale est quod digito Dei vel naturae scriptum est in corde hominis. Quod natura docuit omnia animalia. Ius divinum est quod divina promulgatur sententia. Ius posit(iv)um est idem quod ius gentium, quod ab humana sententia procedit tantummodo. De maritagio c. 3, et Statutum Wilhelmi c. 29, et De iudicibus 12 c. 2.

  Cap. 2 Per quos et ad quid feruntur leges. In nomine sanctae et individuae trinitatis ... Robertus dei gratia rex Scotorum anno regni sui 13 ... Stat. 2 Rob. Br. in prin.

  Cap. 3 Mandatum regis de promulgandis et servandis legibus. Robertus dei gratia rex Scotorum ... Stat. 2 Rob. Br. c. 28.

  Tit. 2 De rege [{i}contains but 1 chapter{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Forma iuramenti regis. I sal be leill and trew to God ... and his halydome [{i}The present MS inserts 'Liber primus' - probably by mistake copying the ancestor manuscript's page header here{/i}].

  Tit. 3 De feudo cancellarii [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 4 De senescallo et aliis [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  [{i}After 1.4.1:{/i}] De iure personarum [{i}immediately followed by the heading of title nr. 5. This mistake of the present MS is shared by MS London, BL, Addit. 48050. I deem that it derives from the fact that the common ancestor MS had here a page header 'De iure personarum' - which was mistakenly copied along with the text{/i}].

  Tit. 5 De constabulario et marescallo [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 6 De vicecomite et eius officio [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 [{i}no heading{/i}]. Cap. 2 De officio vicecomitis. Cap. 3 De feudo vicecomitis. Cap. 4 De placitis vicecomitis. Cap. 5 De clerico vicecomitis.

  Tit. 7 Leges forestarum [{i}14 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Omnes forestae pertinent ad regem. Cap. 2 Foresta debet servari ab animalibus. Cap. 3 De animalibus forestam intrantibus. Cap. 4 De animalibus burgensium et nativorum regis. Cap. 5 De ovibus. Cap. 6 De capris. Cap. 7 De porcis. Cap. 8 De equis. Cap. 9 De carris et bigis. Cap. 10 De canibus. Cap. 11 De homine a certa via aberrante in foresta. Cap. 12 De homine deprehenso cum viridi. Cap. 13 De homine quercum in foresta prosternente. Cap. 14 De licentia capiendi feram in foresta.

  Tit. 8 De ecclesia [{i}7 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Iuramentum praelatorum. Cap. 2 De iurisdictione ecclesiae. Cap. 3 De libertate ecclesiae manutenenda. Cap. 4 De terris ecclesiasticis non alienandis, etc.

  Tit. 9 De baronibus eorumque iure [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Forma iuramenti baronis. Cap. 2 Barones possunt tenere curiam de malefactoribus. Cap. 3 Barones, quomodo cognoscent de furto, etc.

  Tit. 10 De domino capitali ... [{i}9 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 11 De homagio ... [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 12 Effectus homagii praestiti ... [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 13 De origine wardae ... [{i}10 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 14 De origine relevi [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 15 De his qui debent dare vel non dare relevium ... [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 15(a) De nuptiis heredum et aliorum [{i}10 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 16 De generibus feudorum ... [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 17 De modo cognoscendi terras ... [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 18 De modo disclamandi aliquem ... [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 19 Maritus, qualis debet eligi ... [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 20 Uxor nec fideiubere, nec iudicio agere vel respondere potest [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 21 Quot modis dicitur dos [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 22, (De dote) [{i}16 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 23, De tutoribus [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 24, De curatoribus [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 25, (Leges burgorum, de magistratibus) [{i}13 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 26, (Leges burgorum, de diversis speciebus burgensium) [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 27, (Leges burgorum, de libertate burgensium et mercato) [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 28, (Leges burgorum,) de lana tingenda [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 29, (Leges burgorum, Ordo iudiciorum) [{i}36 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 30, (Leges burgorum, de namis capiendis) [{i}10 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 31, (Leges burgorum, de plegiagio) [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 32, (Leges burgorum, de varis occupationibus in burgo) [{i}19 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 33, (Leges burgorum, de terra in burgo) [{i}17 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 34, (Leges burgorum,) statuta gildae regni Scotiae [{i}text breaks off after heading of cap. 8{/i}].

  In nomine sanctae et individuae trinitatis. Hae sunt gildae burgensium statutae per dispositionem Roberti de Durhame tunc maioris de Bervik ... [{i}The preface mentions no date - in contrast to some other manuscripts. The text breaks off after the heading of chapter 8 De animalibus, because four sheets were lost. The lost sheets must also have contained titles 35, 36 and the beginning of title 37. The old foliation in ink jumps from 19 to 24.{/i}].

  Tit. 37 (Iter Camerarii) [{i}33 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 38, Leges navium [{i}25 chapters{/i}].

  [Fol. 35r-39v Liber 2:] De contractibus{i}{/i}[{i}contents correspond to book 3 of the collections of Decretals in the Corpus iuris canonici. The text breaks off in the middle of title 9. There may have been more titles. Almost all the provisions of law originated from (or happened to correspond to) Jus Commune{/i}].

  Tit. 1 Definitio pacti [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Eaque duplex, nempe definitio rei et definitio nominis.

  Tit. 2 De mutuo [{i}11 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 3 De vadio et eius speciebus [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 4 De commodato [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 5 De emptione et venditione [{i}7 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 6 De locato et conducto [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 7 De nundinarum pace et privilegiis [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 8 De revocandis donationibus [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Quum donatio facta fuerit, regulariter non revocatur. Tamen ex causa et casualiter revocari potest, utputa propter ingratitudinem, et ex quinque casibus: 1. Si ille cui donatio fit, in donatorem manus violentas iniecerit, 2. si atrocem iniuriam sibi intulerit, 3. si grave damnum rerum suarum molitus fuerit, 4. si vitae periculum inferre presumpserit, 5. si conditionem appositam non adimpleverit [C.8.55.10]. Sed donatio facta ecclesiae revocatur propter conditionem vel modum appositum. Item propter facti turpitudinem. Item propter donantis enormitatem, ut si pater iratus filium exheredet. Item propter fraudem suscipientium, ut si monachi alliciendo laicum commoverint ut eius bona percipiant. Item propter donantis impotentiam, ut si res ecclesiastica detur vel legetur. Statutum Rob. 3.19.

  (Tit. 8a De obligationibus) [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 9 (De chartis) [{i}4 chapters. End of a quire = fol. 39v. There is no gap in the old foliation in ink. Thus no text lost.{/i}].

  Cap. 1 Definitio cartae.

  (Fol. 40r) blank = start of a new quire.

  [Fol. 40v-44v Liber 3:] De ultimis voluntatibus [{i}6 titles{/i}].

  Tit. 1 Quomodo et de quibus rebus testamentum facere licet [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 2 De heredibus primis et remotis [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 3 (De hereditate collateralium) [{i}thus titled in MS London, BL, Addit. 48050{/i}], [{i}7 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 4 Quibus modis hereditas amittitur [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  (Tit. 5 De alienatione hereditatis) [{i}thus in MS London, BL, Addit. 48050{/i}], [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 6 (De bastardis) [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  (Fol. 45r) blank = probably start of a new quire.

  [Fol. 45v-57v Liber 4:] de praeparatoriis iudiciorum [{i}15 titles. Almost all the contents are lifted from Jus Commune's law of procedure{/i}].

  Tit. 1 (De arbitris) [{i}7 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 2 (De iudiciis in genere) [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 3 (De diversis curiis) [{i}20 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 4 (De reo) [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 5 (De plegio dando ab actore) [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 6 (De procuratoribus) [{i}9 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 7 (De iudice) [{i}10 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 8 De attachiamentis [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 9 De summonitione [{i}15 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 10 (De essonibus) [{i}29 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 11 (De clameis) [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  (Tit. 12 De replegiatione) [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 13 (De advocatione actionis) [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 14 (De waranto) [{i}23 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 15 (De minore) [{i}15 chapters{/i}].

  [Fol. 58r-80v Liber 5:] de actionibus civilibus [{i}22 titles, dealing with specifically Scottish types of procedure{/i}].

  Tit. 1 De placitis civilibus [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 2 (De brevibus) [{i}40 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 3 (De purprestura) [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  [{i}From fol. 63r line 13 onwards text in Scots, because a judicial document's text is quoted as an example. The document is dated 1480. The text goes ahead with explanations in Scots. Further ahead, the text repeatedly leaps from Scots into Latin, and back into Scots. This is again caused in part by the fact that texts of procedural documents in the pertinent language are quoted.{/i}].

  Tit. 4 Breve de terra vel tenemento and of haldin [{i}15 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 5 Breve perambulationis [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 6 De lineatione terrae [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Cap. 8, a summons 'registrat in the buikis of the Lordis of Counsale', dated 7 Decembris 1555 et infra, 9 Martii 1555(fol. 67r-v).

  Tit. 7 Breve de districtione pro debito [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 8 Forma brevis de liberando hominem de plegiagio [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 9 Breve de protectione regis infractae [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 10 De placito nativitatis inter dominum et natum [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 11 Forma brevis idiotriae [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 12 De advocationibus ecclesiarum vacantium [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 13 Catallorum hamaldatio [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 14 De damno ab animalibus dato [{i}6 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 15 (De molendinis) [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 16 De agricultura exercenda et terra colenda [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 17 (De exceptionibus) [{i}25 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 18 Actori incumbit probatio [{i}8 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 19 De iuramento testium [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  (Tit. 19a De periuriis) [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 20 (De sententia et eius executione, et de appellatione) [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 21 De modo falsandi iudicium [{i}14 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 22 In namis capiendis quae sint observanda [{i}10 chapters. Fol. 77 is torn, and must be handled with utmost care!{/i}].

  (Fol. 80v) Book 5 ends in line 8. The rest of the page remained blank. This is not an end of a quire.

  [Fol. 81r-91r Liber 6:] de causis criminalibus [{i}17 titles{/i}].

  Tit. 1 De placitis criminalibus [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 2 (De emenda pro iniuriis) [{i}5 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 3 (De furto) [{i}19 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 4 De extraordnariis criminibus ... [{i}11 chapters{/i}].

  Combustio morum, piscatio salmonum, venatio leporum, iter nocturnus, excitatio discordiae inter regem et populum, fractio pacis publicae, de advenis hospitandis.

  Tit. 5 De deforciante ministros regis in officio suo faciendo [{i}only 1 chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 6 De bonis usurariorum [{i}only one chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 7 De crimine laesae maiestatis [{i}4 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 8 De incendio (et rapina, de raptu mulierum) [{i}12 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 9 (De calumniatoribus) [{i}only one chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 10 De thesauri occultatione dolosa [{i}only one chapter{/i}].

  Tit. 11 De falso [{i}3 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 12 (De homicidio) [{i}13 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 13 Communia iudiciorum criminalium [{i}22 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 14 De eschetis et eorum generibus [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 15 De felonis restitutione [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 16 Preceptum de captando indictamento. The breve of dittay [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  Tit. 17 (De justitiario) [{i}2 chapters{/i}].

  [{i}Last but one item:{/i}] Preceptum de amerciamentis levandis, c. 10. Wilhelmus comes vicecomiti et ballivis suis de E. salutem. Quia vos in itinere Justitiariae domini nostri regis per vos ultime tento apud Edinburgum ... itineris proxime et immedite sequentes. Et hoc nullo modo omittatis, etc. Datum Edinburgi etc.

  [{i}Last item:{/i}] De convictis in placito Justitiarii, c. 11. Si aliquis per vicecomtem de murthro sive roboria vel consimilibus feloniis ad coronam domini regis pertinentibus fuerit convictus, omnia catalla sua sine contradictione aliqua domino regi remaneant ... militum et libere tenentium hereditarie transibit. Statutum Alexandri, c. 2.

  Fol. 91v is blank.

  [{i}MS London, BL, Addit. 48050 shows that there followed a seventh book. In the present MS, the first leaves of that book are lost, and only the present fol. 92 is preserved.{/i}].

  [Fol. 92r-v Liber 7:] de re militari, remnants.

  [{i}MS London, BL, Addit. 48050 shows that a seventh book followed. In the present MS the first leaves of that seventh book are lost, and only one leave is preserved (= fol. 92). The contents of that leaf are identified in a 20th century note in pencil on fol. 91v: 'Continuing of Leges Marchiarum 1249'.{/i}].

  Old foliation in ink = 91, whereas modern foliation 91 corresponds to old foliation 86. This shows that four leaves are missing. Heading in the upper margin: 'Tit. 3'. The preserved text corresponds to MS London, BL, Addit. 48050, fol. 105v linea 15 - fol. 106r (which constitutes the end of the text, also in the latter MS).

  [{i}Preserved text:{/i}] suo. Si autem neget debitum suum, purgabit se ad (mar?)chias infra primam.

  Item dixerunt quod omnes calumniatores ex utraque parte iurabunt.

  Item dixerunt quod nemo potest facere actornatum pro se ad iuramentum faciendum ad (mar?)chias.

  Item dixerunt quod, si aliqua querela sit in marchiis inter duo regna.

  Item dixerunt quod, si aliquis latro de Scotia furatus fuerit agrum in Anglia.

  Item dixerunt quod, si aliquis malefactor existens in una regione.

  Item si aliquis dixerit de equo, vacca, bove vel porco seu quocumque alio animali in regno Scotie.

  Item dixerunt quod nullus de regno Anglie potest probare aliquem de regno Scotie per testes