Lot 263
Parliament of Scotland
[The 'Black Acts']
Auction: Books & Manuscripts | 01 October 2026 from 10am | Lots 253 to 285
Description
The Actis and Constitutionis of the Realme of Scotland Maid in Parliamentis Haldin Be ... Kingis James the First, Secund, Thrid, Feird, Fyft, and in Tyme of Marie now Quene of Scottis. [Edinburgh: Robert Leprevik, 28 November, 1566]. First edition, second issue, folio in fours (25.4 x 16.8cm), [maltese cross]⁴ (lacking [maltese cross] 4, blank), a-b⁴ c² A-2T⁴ (2F1 detached, with additional, loose, facsimile of leaf 2F1 from first issue; with additional, loose, facsimile of leaf 2K4 from first issue; -2L1, cancelled and not replaced, as called for, but with additional, loose, facsimile of leaf 2L1 from first issue; 2O1 + chi2O1; 2R2 + chi2R3.[4]) chi2U1.[2] 2U-2Y⁴, 2Z² [15] 3-132 134-145 [1] 146-158 [2] 159-168 [2] 169-182 ff., text mainly in black letter, woodcut royal arms to title-page, woodcut initials, xylographic signatures of compilers, 18th-century sprinkled calf, spine with raised bands, edges sprinkled red, boards scuffed, corner tips and edges worn, spine label heavily worn, text block closely trimmed with slight loss of text at head of title leaf and on some of the running titles, variable damp-staining to contents, slight worm damage to outer margin of second half of the text block with no text affected, loose leaves curled and torn at edges, with two leaves (2F1 and 2F1 facsimile) with sellotape repairs, with 15 blank leaves at end containing manuscript index to the acts in 16th- or early 17th-century secretary hand, verso of final leaf has faded manuscript notes, pencil notes in 20th-century hand on front pastedown and front free endpaper relating to collation and ownership [STC (2nd ed.), 21876a; ESTC S124603]; bound with:
The Actis of the Parliament of the Maist Hie, Maist Excellent, and Michtie Prince, and our Souerane Lord Iames the Sext, Be the Grace of God, King of Scottis, Begune and Haldin at Edinburgh, the XV. day of December. Imprentit at Edinburgh: be Iohne Ros, MDLXXV [1575]. First edition, folio in fours, 28 ff. [STC (2nd ed.), 21881, ESTC S116677];
In the Parliament of the Richt Excellent, Richt Heich, and Michtie Prince, Iames the Sext, be the Grace of God King of Scottis, our Souerane Lord, Begunne at Striuiling, the XXVIII. Day of August, the [Y]eir of God ane thousand fiue hundreth thre scoir and elleuin [Y]eiris, and in the Fyrst [Y]eir of his Hienes Regne. … The actis and constitutiounis following war concludit to be obseruit as lawis in time cumming. Imprentit at Edinburgh: be me Iohne Ros, MDLXXV [1575]. First edition, folio in fours, 26 ff. [STC (2nd ed.), 21883, ESTC S116679];
In the Parliament Haldin at Striuiling the XXV. day of Iulij, the [Y]eir of God, ane thousand, fyue hundreth, thre scoir and auchtene [y]eiris. Thir Lawis, Statutis, and Constitutiounis Ar Deuysit, Ordanit, and Concludit Be the Richt Excellent, Richt Heich, and Michtie Prince Iames the Sext, Be the Grace of God King of Scottis. Imprentit at Edinburgh: be Iohne Ros, Anno Do. 1579. First edition, folio in fours, [2] 3 [1] 4-20 [5] ff. [STC (2nd ed.), 21884; ESTC S116681];
In the Parliament Haldin and Begun at Edinburgh the XXIIII. Day of October, the [Y]eir of God, ane thousand, fyue hundreth, four scoir, ane [y]eiris. Thir Lawis, Statutis, and Constitutiounis, Ar Deuisit, Ordanit, and Concludit, Be the Richt Excellent, Richt Heich and Michty Prince, Iames the Sext, Be the Grace of God, King of Scottis. Imprentit at Edinburgh: be Henrie Charteris, Anno, MDLXXXII [1582]. First edition, folio in fours, 23 [3] ff., leaf E1 torn with loss of text in bottom corner [STC (2nd ed.), 21885; ESTC S116844];
In the current Parliament Haldin at Edinburgh the XXII day of Maii, the [Y]eir of God ane thousand, fyue hundreth, fourscoir four [y]eirs, thir Lawis, Statutis, & Constitutionis Ar Deusit [sic], Ordinit, and Colncludit [sic], be the Richt Excellent, Richt Heich & Michtie Prince Iames the Sext, Be the Grace of God King of Scottis, and Thrie Estatis of this Realme as Followis. Imprentit at Edinburgh: be Alexander Arbuthnet, Prenter to the Kingis Maiestie, [1584]. First edition, folio in fours, 14 [2] ff. [STC (2nd ed.), 21887; ESTC S114615]
Provenance
Ownership inscriptions of Thomas Rollock (d. 1631), son of David Rollo of Powhouse [Powis or Pows, Stirlingshire], advocate and depute of the sheriff of Edinburgh, on title page of 1575 acts and on recto of first blank leaf at the end, manuscript index probably in his hand, suggesting that this is his working copy of the acts; 18th-century armorial bookplate on front pastedown of John, Earl of Loudoun, presumably John Campbell 4th Earl of Loudoun (1705-1782), army officer who served in government forces during the Jacobite uprising and in North America in the 1750s; pencil note dated 1928 below bookplate records that the book was from the library of Dr Walter Biggar Blaikie (1847-1928), civil engineer, printer, historian and astronomer, manager of T. & A. Constable's printing works in Edinburgh, and renowned collector of Jacobite material.
Footnote
The ‘Black Acts’, as they became known on account of the Gothic typeface, are remarkable to a modern audience, for a reason unintended by the compilers, as they contain the first printed references to golf, with football also mentioned, in a succession of acts intended to prevent Scots from neglecting their military duties:
'That ilk man busk thame to be archaris' (James I, 1424, f. 4v.):
'It is statute and the king forbiddis, that na man play at the fute ball under the pane of xl s. to be raist to the lord of the land'
'Of wapinschawing' (James II, 1457, f. 40v.):
'It is decretit and ordanit, that the wapinschawing be haldin be the lordis and barronis spirtuall and temporall, foure tymis in the year. And that the futball and golf by utterly cryit downe, and not be usit. And schuting be usit ilk Sonday ... And as tuiching the futball and the golf to be punist be the barronis unlaw'
'The length of speiris, and that yemen have targeis, and of wapinschawing' (James III, 1471, f. 56v.):
'And at the fute ball and golf be abusit in tyme cumming, and at the buttis be maid up and schuting usit, efter the tennour of the act of parliament maid thairupone'
'Of wappinschawing' (James IV, 1491, f. 92v.)
'And attour that in na place of the realme their be usit futballis, golf, or other sic unproffitabill sportis, bot for the common gude of the realme and defence thairof'.