I ⁷ R  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
ACT For Burying in Scots Linen, June 14. 1686.  
OUR SOVEREIGN LORD, For the Encouragement of Linen-Manufactures in this Kingdom, and prevention of the Exportation of the Moneys thereof, by Importing of Linen, Doth, with Advice and Consent of His Estates of Parliament, Statute and Ordain, That hereafter no Corpse of any person whatsoever, shall be Buried in any Shirt, Sheet, or any thing else, except in plain Linen, or Cloth of Hards, made and Spun within the Kingdom, without Lace or Point; Discharging from henceforth the making use of Holland, or other Linen. Cloth made in other Kingdoms, all Silk, Hair, or woollen, Gold or Silver, or any other Stuff whatsoever, than what is made of Flax or Hards, Spungius and wrought within the Kingdom, as said is, and that under the pain and penalty of 300 pounds' Scots, toties quoties, for a Nobleman, and 200 pounds for each other person, whereof the one half to the Discoverer, and the other half to the Poor of the Parish, where the said's Corpse shall be so Interred: And for the better Discovering of the Contraveeners, It is hereby further Statute and Ordained, That every Minister within the Kingdom, shall keep a Book, containing an exact Account and Register of all Persons, buried within their said Parish; As also, that some one or more of the Relations of the person Deceased, or other credible person (Tenants in the Country and Cottars being always excepted) shall within eight days after such Interment, bring a Certificate upon Oath in Writing, Witnessed by two famous persons to the Minister, Declaring, that the said peason was Wound or Wrapped in manner herein-prescribed; Which Certificats are to be Recorded by the Minister or Reader of the Parish gratis, without exacting any Money therefore. And if no Relation of the party buried, or other person shall bring such such a Certificate, within the said time of eight days, that then and in that case, the Goods and Gear of the party Deceased, shall be, and are hereby Declared, to be liable to the foresaid Forefaulture, to be pursued at the Instance of the Minister of the said Parish, before any Judge competent; and in case the parties prove litigious by Advocating, or Suspending the said Sentence; The said's Judges are hereby Authorized and Impowered to modify Expenses, as they shall find cause: And if such persons died in familia, the Father and Mother, or other Relations, in whose Family they die, are hereby Declared liable for the said Fine: And it is hereby Statute and Ordained, that if the Minister in whose Parish any such Corpse shall be so Interred, prove negligent in pursuing the Contraveeners within six Months after the said Burial, he is hereby Declared liable for the said Fine, the one half to the Poor, and the other half to the Discoverer, to be divided in manner foresaid. As also, His Majesty, with Advice foresaid, Statutes and Ordains, That no Wooden Coffin shall exceed an hundred marks Scots, as the highest rate for persons of the greatest quality, and so proportionally for others of meaner quality, under the pain of two hundred marks Scots for the Contravention.  
GOD save the KING.   

Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, 1687.