DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
PROCLAMATION Regulating several Particulars anent the Pole, and Intimating the next Years Pole.  
WILLIAM by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To Macers of Our privy Council, Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally; specially constitute Greeting:  
Forasmuchas the first years Pole-money imposed by an Act of the last Session of this Our current Parliament, is not duly and completely paid in to the Tacksmen or Farmers thereof, by sundry Persons liable in Payment of the same, Notwithstanding of the foresaid Act of Parliament and several Proclamations of Our Privy Council past and published thereanent; But several Doubts and Difficulties are alleged and pretended before the several Magistrates and others appointed as Judges, betwixt the saids Tacksmen and Farmers, and any of Our Liedges, anent the payment of the said Pole-money, whereby the Diligence allowed by the foresaid Act of Parliament for raising and inbringing of the foresaid Pole-money, is very much Obstructed and Delayed: For Remeid whereof, We with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Appoint and Ordain all Ministers of the Gospel and Women Unmarried, who are of free Stock and Means, in the Terms of the foresaid Act of Parliament, to be liable in their single Pole, as well as any other of Our Leidegs; And that where there is a Widow Liferentrix and Fire upon one and the same Estate, That the Fire be liable in Pole-money, conform to his valued Rent, mentioned in the foresaid Act of Parliament, and the Widow to be liable to a third part of what her Husband would have paid, if polled the time of his Decease: And sicklike all Heretors below Sixty pounds of valued Rent, and of a thousand Marks of free Stock or upwards, besides their said's Lands, should be liable in Pole-money effeirand to the rate of their said Stock. Item that all persons out of the Kingdom, having an Estate Real or Movable within the same, to be liable in Pole-money according to the value thereof, in the Terms and conform to the respective Classes and Characters specified in the said Act of Parliament; And their Tutors and Curators, Factors or Chamberlands, may be convened for payment of the single Pole, for which the said absent Persons are liable accordingly, unless the said's Persons were out of the Kingdom forty days before the thirty day of August 1698, and did not return to the same for forty days after the first day of March, one thousand six hundred ninety nine years; And sicklike, that all persons not Writers to the Signet, who Design themselves Writers or commonly practices Writing of Bonds, Discharges or the like, be liable conform to the foresaid Act of Parliament: And We with Advice foresaid Require and Command the Sheriffs of the several Shires, Magistrates of burgh's, Commissioners of Supply, Stewarts of Stewartries, Bailies of Regalities or Baronies or their respective Deputes, and alother persons Authorized by any of Our former proclamations, to proceed and determine in the Cases above-set down, in manner : And that they and each of them keep Courts and hold Diets at the Head-Burghs of the respective Shires, Stewartries and Regalities, for deciding all Differences betwixt the saids Tacksmen and Our lieges anent their Pole-money, and that how oft they shall be Desired and Required by the saids Tacksmen for that effect, and that they shall not proceed to Judge and Determine any Differences anent the Pole-money, except at the said's respective Head-Burghs allennerly, unless the said's Tacksmen, their Sub-tacksmen or Collectors shall desire the same or Consent thereto. And Forasmuchas the time for Stateing and Classing all persons liable in the second years Pole imposed by the twenty fifth Act of the last Session of this current Parliament doth Approach, and that it is necessary Our Liedges have due Intimation thereof, To the effect they may prevent their being liable to the Certifications contained in the Act of Parliament made thereanent: Therefore We, with Advice foresaid, Require and Command all Our Liedges, whose Conditions or Characters are altered, or who did not duly Class themselves in the last years Pole, now to Class themselves and give in the List: of their Poles, under the Certification as for the former year, Declaring all persons who duly Classed themselves the last year, and whose Conditions, are not altered as said is, free of new Classing and Listing, but still liable as Classed the said last year; And the Commissioners of Supply are to meet and divide themselves, and do every other thing anent the Stating, Classing as above, and inbringing of the aforesaid Pole-money for this ensuing year, as they were appointed by the foresaid Act of Parliament, anent the last years Pole-money, and this present or any other former Proclamation past and published thereanent: All which are hereby Revived and Declared to be in full Force and Effect, in reference to all Persons and things therein contained, for Stating as above, uplifting and paying the said Pole-money for this ensuing year, sicklike and in the same manner as they were for the Pole-money in the year preceding. OUR WILL IS HEREFORE, and We charge you strictly and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and Remanent Mercat-Crosses of the hail Head burgh's of the several Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom, and their in Our Name and Authority by open Proclamation make Intimation hereof, That none may pretend Ignorance. And Ordains this presents to be Printed and published.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh the Fifteenth day of September, and of Our Reign the Eleventh year, 1699. Per Actum Dominorum Secreti Concilii. GILB. eliot Cls. Sti. Concilii 
 GOD Save the King   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, Anno Dom. 1699.