Forasmuch as by the second Act of the third Session of Our Current Parlia­ment, Our Estates of Parliament Have humbly Offered to Us, Fourteen Shilling Scots for every Hearth within this King­dom, payable at Candlemass last, by the Inhabitants dwelling in the Houses where the saids Hearths are, without excepti­on or exemption of any, except the Hearths of Hospitals and of Poor People, who are upon the Charity of the Paroch; and where any Houses are not Inhabited, that the said Hearth-Money should be payed by the Heretor, Liferenter, or proper Wodsetter, to whom the same for the time doth belong, to be applyed for the uses and ends in the foresaid Act of Par­liament contained. Likeas We, and Our Estates of Parliament, by another Act of the date, the tenth day of September last by-past, have remitted to, and impowered the Lords of Our Privy Council, to give such Orders for Collecting, and In­bringing of the said Hearth-money, as they should judge fit. For the better Inbringing whereof, We by Our Commission, under Our Royal Hand, have Nominated and Appointed James Melvill of Cassingray, Receiver and Collector of all the Hearth-money within this Kingdom, with Power to him to Constitute and Appoint Sub-Collectors, and Receivers under him in every Shire or Paroch, for whom he is to be answerable: Therefore, and for the more effectual and orderly Col­lecting, Uplifting, and Inbringing of the same, We with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Covncil, Do hereby Command and Ordain, all Heretors, Liferenters, and proper Wodsetters, by themselves, their Tutors or Curators, or Chamberlains and Factors, to give in to the said James Melvill, or to his Sub-Collectors and Deputs, within the several Shires and paroches, upon Intimation of their Commissions at the several Paroch Churches, or Mercat-Crosses of the respective Shires on a Mercat day, or any other manner of way they shall think fit, true and exact Lists, Subscribed with their hands, of all Hearths in the Houses or Lodgings possest by them, and in the waste Houses belonging to them not possest, and of all Smiddies, Kilns for drying of Corn, Ovens, Furnaces for Brewing, Salt-Pans, Soap and Glass-Works, possest by them, or standing waste within their Ground and Estate: And sicklike, Ordains all the Inhabitants, Tennents and Possessors in this King­dom, to give in to the said Collector, or his Sub-Collectors and Deputs foresaids, upon Intimation of their Commissions, in manner above-mentioned, true and exact Lists of all the Hearths in the Houses possest by them, and of all Smiddies, Kilns for drying of Corn, Ovens, Furnaces for Brewing, Salt-Pans, Soap, and Glass-works possest by them, excepting alwayes Hospitals and poor people, who are upon the Charity of the Paroch; VVith Certification to the saids Heretors, and other Inhabitants, if they failȝie to give up the saids Lists, or give up false and short Lists, they shall be Cited and Processed before the saids Lords of Our Privy Council, and proceeded against with all rigor therefore: But prejudice always to the said James Melvill, and his Sub-Collectors foresaids, to use all other Legal Methods for discovering of the true number of the Hearths of this Kingdom, and Collecting and uplifting thereof: And Ordains all Magistrats, and Ministers of the Laws, to be Assistant, and give their Concurrence to them, for that effect. And VVe, with Advice foresaid, Do hereby Com­mand and Require, the said James Melvill, Collector foresaid, and his saids Sub-Collectors, and Deputs, to report and give in the saids Lists, to the Lords Commissioners of Our Thesaury upon Oath, when they shall be called or required there­to; To the effect the said Hearth-Money may be uplifted, and Employed for the ends and uses in Our said Act of Parlia­ment appointed. Our VVill is herefore, and VVe Charge you straitly and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and to the Mercat-Crosses of the whole remanent Head-Burghs of the several Shires within this Kingdom, and there, in Our Name and Authority, by open proclamation, make Publication of the Pre­misses, that none may pretend ignorance, as ye will answer to Us thereupon, the which to do, We commit to you, con­junctly and severally Our full Power, by these Presents, delivering them by you, duly execute, and indorsed again to the bearer.