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Edinburgh, the twenty one day of December, 1676.

Instructions given by His Majesties Privy Councill, to the persons appointed by them, to be common[?] Tasters of Ale and Drinking-beer within the City of Edinburgh, and Suburbs thereof, Cannon-gate, Leith, and the Burghs royal in the Shires of Edin­burgh, Linlithgow, Haddingtoun, &c.

IT is ordered, That the [...] who are appointed for each Balies respective quarter, in the the City of Edinburgh, shall change their Quarter each moneth: These who are appointed for the eldest Baylies Quarter the first moneth, shall be for the youngest Baylies Quarter the next; and these appointed for the third Baylies, shall be for the second Baylies the next moneth: And so forth by turns monethly, which the Magistrates are to see done accordingly.

All Brewers are discharged to give out any Ale or Drinking-beer out of any of their Breweries, untill the same be tasted by one of the ordinar Tasters, who are ordered to taste every Browst after [...]he same is tunned, and before it go to the Tapster, and the like to be done for such Drink as shall be both browen and tapped by any particular person, be­fore they shall tap any thereof. And the Tasters for Edinburgh, Leith, and Cannon-gate, are ordered weekly to give up the names of the contraveeners, to the Clerks of the Council, to be communicate to the Committee; and the Tasters of the rest of the Burghs to give the same up to the Commissioners of the Excise of the Shire.

It is ordered that the several Brewers give up a list to the Tasters of the Tapsters to whom they sell their drink in their respective bounds weekly, that the Tasters may know what Tapsters sells the same, and the Tasters are ordered to taste the Ale in the several houses of the Tapsters at least twice a week; and the Tapsters are to give up to the Tasters the Brewrs names from whom they receive their Drink: And in case, either the Brewer or Tap­ster refuse, the Tasters are appointed to give up their names as aforesaid.

It is ordered that the Tasters take particular notice at what price each Brewer and Tap­ster sells their Ale and Drinking-beer, and give a particular accounpt as aforesaid weekly of the names of such Brewers and Tapsters as they shall finde do brew and tap Ale and Drink­ing beer, which is not sufficient, and sells the same at higher rates than is allowed by the Pr [...]c [...]m [...]tion.

The Tasters appointed for the West-port, Potteraw, Pleasants, and Teard-heads of Leith, are [...] to taste the Ale and Drinking-beer of all Brewers, not only, these that vent [...] brewes there, and vents the same in the [...] Edinburgh; as also of the Brewers of Gorgie Milne, Dalry, Dam-head, [...], Water of Leith, Dean, Colt-bridge, Gorgie-town, Merchiston, Cannon-milnes, and all[?] other places within a mile and a half of Edinburgh, except Duddingstoun, and Restal­rig. That the Tasters in the Teard-heads of Leith do he like, as to the Brewers and Brewries in the part of the Shire, that either vents their Drink themselves, or imports the same to the town of Edinburgh, or any other place within a mile of Leith, and the Tasters in Restalrig and Duddingstoun are to do the like in their bounds as to what is consumed in the place, or imported an aforesaid.

The Tasters sworn and received for the bounds foresaids are to continue in that service from the first day of January, 1677. to the first day of January, 1678. In which trust they are required to be exact and diligent, as they will be answerable.

GOD Save the King.

Edinbrugh, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to the Ki [...] [...] Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1676.

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