much of the same tenor. They have the great seal of Scotland, in A. D. 1179. green wax, appended to each, in a good state of preservation.* From these authorities, and from various circumstances occurring in history, it is not unreasonable to presume, that Aberdeen, at this early period, was comparatively respectable as a place of some little commerce. In the year 1153 it seems to have been known as such in Norway; and, in 1179, Esteyn, one of the joint kings of that country, landed, and pillaged the town,† in the course of a piratical cruise along the British coast. But this disaster was probably soon retrieved. C King Vide Plate. *FORMA RECENTIOR ALTERIUS. "W. dj gra Rex Scott. Epis. Abbtib'. Com. Baroñ, Justič. Viceč ppoitis. Minist's. & omib' pbis homib9 tot9 tře sue cticis & laicis salt. Sciant psentes & futi me in ppetuũ quietes clāmasse ões burgenses meos de Aberdon a tolneio de põis catalł suis p totũ regnũ meũ p bono seruicio qd iđe burgenses mei m' fecerut. Et ido uolo ut nltm p regnũ meũ dent tolneiũ de põis catalt. suis. & firmit pcipio ut ubicuq, in regno meo uenerit. ppetuo a tolneio qeti sint de ppis catalł suis. Qf phibeo firmit nequis in regno meo eos iniuste uexare psupmat in exigendo ab eis de pprijs catalł eó tolneiữ. sup meam plenariã forisfacturam. Test. Rič. Epõ Morauie Com Duneč. Justič. Gillex. Com de Mar. Willo & Walto capltis meis. Philipp de Valeñ. Alañ. fit Rolland. constab. Wilto de Haia. Wilto Giffard. Uniff. de Berkat, Henr Rouel. thom. Thancard. Yuone de veti ponte, Walt fit Sibald. apd Aberdon xxvIII. die Auğti.” King William probably granted these charters in the year 1196, when he was in his progress northward, to suppress the insurgents in Caithness, headed by Harold, Earl of Orkney and Caithness. The witnesses, whose names are mentioned in the testing clause, are:-Richard, Bishop of Moray, who succeeded to the See in 1187, and died in 1203; Dunecan, or Duncan, Earl of Fife, Justiciary in 1165, he died in 1203; Gilchrist, Earl of Mar; William, Chaplain to the King, Bishop of Glasgow in 1208; Walter, Chaplain to the King; Philip of Valoniis, Lord of Panmure; Allan, the Son of Rolland de Galloway, Constable of Scotland, from whom John Baliol was descended; William de Hay, Pincerna, or Cup-bearer to King William, and one of the hostages to Henry II.; William Giffard, Son of William, one of the hostages for King William in 1174; Unifred de Berkeley, probably Son of Walter Berkeley, who obtained from King William a grant of the extensive manor of Inverkeilor, in Angus; Henry Rouel; Thomas Thancart; Yvan de Veteri Ponte, baron of the manor of Great Sorby and Little Sorby, obtained from the Lord of Galloway in the time of King William Chalmers' Caledonia, vol. i. p. 552. note-Index to Anderson's Diplomata-Crawford's Peerage. + Macpherson's Commerce, vol. i. p. 332.-(Snorro Hist. Magni Blinde, cap. 20.) In these times piracy was pursued by the Danes as an occupation, not only by persons of inferior rank, but by kings and nobles, as an honourable profession. Some of these pirates acquired so much wealth and fame, and had such numerous fleets at their command, that they were called sea kings. Dr. Henry's History of Britain, vol. iv. p. 322. A. D. 1179. . King William appears, on frequent occasions, to have visited Aberdeen. In the early part of his reign, he erected, in the lower side of the town, near the east end of the Green, an edifice for his occasional residence, which was dignified with the title of palace.* 121f. This he afterwards bestowed upon the monks of the Holy Trinity, who were, about this time, introduced into Scotland.† 1222. The same monarch also established an Exchequer in the town, near the south end of Castle-street, where money was coined during his reign. From this circumstance the street called the Exchequerrow evidently derived its name. King Alexander II. occasionally made Aberdeen his residence. About this period, he, along with his sister, the Princess Isabella, visited the town, where they continued during the Christmas festival.§ In his reign, the Dominican, or Black Friars, were first established in Scotland. He appears to have introduced the order at an early period into Aberdeen, having, in imitation of his father, King William, founded a monastery for them in the place which is now occupied as the site of Robert Gordon's Hospital, in the north side of the School-hill. The above-mentioned King Alexander, by a charter to the borough and burgesses, granted and confirmed to them the same laws and liberties which his royal predecessors had given to the borough and burgesses of Perth; with the privilege of holding their weekly fairs on Sabbath. The charter, among other matters, comprehends various regulations with regard to merchants in the country, who were not burgesses of guild, bringing their commodities to market within * After the Reformation, it became private property; and, in the year 1631, Dr. William Guild, one of the ministers of the town, bestowed it, by deed of mortmain, upon the incorporated craftsnien, (artificers) for an hospital to their decayed brethren. + Boetius Hist. lib. xiii. p. 279. s. 50. An ancient house, supposed to have been originally erected in the time of King David II. though it has since undergone many alterations, distinguishes the place where the Exchequer was situated. From one of the rooms of this building a very fine carving, in oak, of King William's arms, was taken some years ago; and is now preserved in the Museum of the Marischal College. within the town; and for manufacturing dyed and dressed cloth in A.D. 1222. the county, for sale, at a certain period of the year, namely, betwixt the feast of Ascension and Ad Vincula Sancti Petri, commonly styled Lammas day. It also grants to the burgesses certain other immunities and privileges, and authority to establish their guild of merchants, with the exception of fullers and weavers. This charter is dated at Alicht, xxvII. die Februar.* +9 « Alex. dei Grā Rex Scott Epis. Abbatibs. Comitibs. baronibs Justic vicecomitibs ppositis minist's omib' probis homib' totius terre sue, clericis & laicis salut sciant ẞsentes & futi me concessisse & hac Carta mea confirmasse burgo meo & burgensib' meis de Aberden jura & libtates que predecessores mei concesserut burgo burgensib' o Pert scilicet ut habeant forum suum die Sabbati in q libet Ebdomada meamq, firmam pacem dedi juste omib' pbis homibs qui ad forum illa uenient. Et phibeo ne quis eis i ueniendo ad forum vel i redeundō ijuriam vel molestiam aut guamen injuste iferat sup meam plenariam forisfacturam Bhibeo firmi ne q' mchator ex neus infra vicecomitatu de Aberden ext burgum meum de Aberden aliqd emat vel vendat sup meam defensionem ext ́nei merchatores deferant merchalas suas ad burgum meũ de Aberden ≈ eas ibi vendant denarios suos implicent. Si quis vero merchator extraus sup defensionem meã inven? fuit i. vicecomitatu de Aberd aliq' emens vel vendens capiať detineat2 don voluntate mea de eo pcepo. Phibeo & firmit? ne q merchator ex❝tneus fecit pannum sūm ad vendendū in foro de Aberden nisi a die Ascensionis dni usq, ad vincula Sti Peť infra q terminos volo ne iẞi fecerit pannu suū ad vendend in foro de Aberden & ibi emant e vendant pannum aliasq merchafas suas commutal cum burgensib' meis sicut. burgenses mei salvis Rectitudib meis. Precipio ut omes qui manent in burgo de Aberd cum bğensib' mei ad forù comunicare voluerit comunicent cum illis. ad auxilia mea reddenda cuj' cuq homies sint. Phibeone aliqua taberna habeñ in aliq, uilla in vicicomitatu de Aberden nisi ubi miles sit dns ville in ea manens & ibi nõ habeat n' una sola taberna. Concedo eisdem burgensib9 meis de Aberden ut habeant Gildam suam merchatriam, exceptis fullonib' telarü. Phibeo firmit ne q' manens ext" burgu meu de Aberden vicecomitatu de Aberden faciat pannum tinctum vel tonsum in vicecomitat de Aberd vel facere faciat pref bğenses nro? de Aberden q' sunt in Gilda Merchatoria e qui comunicant ad auxilia mea reddenda cũ bğensib' meis de Aberden exceptis illis qui de hac libertate cartam suam huiusq, habuerf. Qre phibeo firmi? ne q' i vicecomitata de Aberd. facere psumat pannu tinctu vel tonsū sup mea plenaria forisfacturã. Si vero alicuj pañu' tinctus vel tonsus. invenf inffactus sup hac defensionem precipio vicecomiti mo qtn' capiat pañum & inde faciat sedm qd censuetudo fuit tpr Regis M. p' avi Mei Phibeo firmit ne q' extraneus extra burgum meum de Aberden emat vel vendat coria vel lanam nisi i burgo ñro de Aberden has auf ões libertates consuetudines illis concedo hac carta mea confirmo salvis libtatib liberis cõsuetudinib' q' ante concessionem istam date furet aliis burgis burgensib9 infra balliam de Aberden. Precipio aut firmit baillivis meis de Aberden qtn' pdictis burgensib' meis de Aberden auxiliantes sint eos juste manuteneant ad pređtas rectas consuetudine burgi habendas. Et Phibeo ne q' påtos burgenses ñros cont ẞdictas rationabiles leges consuetuđus injuste vexare psumat sup mea plenariam forisfacturam. Test Will de boscho Canch não Comite Malcolm de fif Waller de |