From pages 5, 6 & 7 of The Master Masons to the Crown of Scotland and their works, by Rev. Robert Scott Mylne, 1893.

Till all and syndry quhom it efferis quhais knawlege thir present lettres sall cum The provest ballies counsall dene of gild and dekynnis of the hale craftismen within the burgh of Edinburgh greting in the Sone of the glorious Virgine Wit ye us in the honour worschipe and glore of Almychte God and of the glorious virgin Sanct Mary and of our patrone Sanct Gele and for the furthering helping eiking and suppleing of divine service daily to be done at the altar of Sanct Jhone the Evangelist foundit in the College Kirk of Sanct Geile of Edin burgh and forreparatioun beilding and polecy to be maid in honour of the said sanct of Sanct Jhone and of the glorius sanct Sanct Jhone the Baptist to have consentit and assignit and be thir our present lettres consentis and assignis to ourlovit nychtbouris the hale craftismen of the Masonis and of the Wrichtis within the said burgh the ile and chapell of Sanct Jhone fra the ald hers of irne inwarts als frely as it is ouris with all the fredomis proffittis and esementis thairto pertenand that we haf or may haf richt to nocht doand nor committand ony preiudice or skaith to Sir Jhone Scaithmure or his successouris in his first feftment or privilegis that he has broukit orjoisit of befor To be haldin and to be had the said ile and chapell of Sanct Jhone fra the irne hers inwart with the pertinentis to the saidis craftismen the Masonis and Wrichtis of the said burgh and to thair successouris for evir with power to edify big reparell and put it ony pairt thairof to polecy or honour of the saidis sanctis outhir in werk or divine service quhatsumevir at the altar or uther wayes nocht hurtand the old feftment And the saidis craftismen to use occupy and aduorny the said ile as thair awin proper ile siclyk as utheris craftismen occupiis within the said College Kirk nocht doand ony preiudice to our patronage or to the auld feftment or to the auld laus in the said Ile And that the said craftismen sall adonry and haf the day of Sanct Jhone the Baptist and to thig to the licht of the said altar as utheris dois in the kirkyerlie And this till all thame quhom it efferis we mak it knawin be thir our present lettres And in witnessing hereof our common sele of caus of the said burgh togidder with the selis of Alexander Turing David Quhytehed Bartillmo Carnis balyeis for the tyme and Alexander Richardsons sele dene of the gild in token of gevin consent and assignatioun to the saidis craftismen of the said ile be the handis of the dekin for them all ar to hungin at Edinburgh the xv day of the moneth of October the yeir of God j^m four hundreth sevinty and five yeris.

STATUTES FOR THE RULING OF THE CRAFTS OF MASONS AND WRIGHTS TO THE HONOUR OF ST. JOHN.

• Each New Mason on entry and admission to the Town, after Certificate of Proficiency by the Craft Masters, shall pay to the Altar of St. John 13s. 4d. Scots.
• No Master of the Crafts shall take an Apprentice for less than 7 years, and, on his entry, shall pay to the Altar 6s. 8d. Scots.
• Each Apprentice, in case of disobedience, shall pay – For the first Fault, 1 pound of Wax to the Altar ; for the second, 2 pounds of Wax ; and for the third, shall be punished by the Provost and Bailies.
• Each Apprentice, at the expiration of his Term, shall be examined by the Craft Masters, and, in case ofProficiency, shall be entered a Fellow ofthe Craft, and pay to the Altar 6s. 8d. Scots.

Till all and syndry quhom it efferis quhais knawlege thir present lettres sall cum the provest ballies counsall and the dekynnis of the hale craftismen of the burgh of Edinburgh greting in God evirlestand, Wit your universiteis that our comburgessis and nychtbouris all the craftsmen of the Masonis and the Wrichtis within the said burgh quhilkis presentit to us in jugement thair bill of supplicatioun desyring of us our licence consent and assent of certane statutis and reullis maid amangis tham selfis for the honour and worschip of Sanct Jhone in augmentatioun of devyne seruice, and richt sa for reuling and governyng of the saidis twa craftis, and honour and worschipe of the towne, and for treuth and lawte of the saidis craftis proffitable baith for the wirkaris and to all biggaris, the quhilk bill togidder with thair statutis and reullis befor us red, and thairwith we beand well avysit, considerit and fand that thai war gud and loveable baith to God and man, and consonand to ressoun, and thairto we assentit and grantit tham thair desyris, togidder with the Ile of Sanct Jhone in the College Kirk of Sanct Gele to beild and put to polesy in honour of the said Sanct, and for the sufferage of devyne service, and thir ar the artikallis and statutis that we haf approvit and for us in sa fer as we haf power ;

1. In the first it is thocht expedient that thair be chosin four personis of the best and worthiest of the twa craftis that is to say twa masonis and twa wrychtis, that sall be sworne, quhilkis sall serche and se all wirkis that the craftis men wirkis, and that it be lelely and treulie done be all biggaris ;
2. Item, gif ony man beis plentuous of ony wirk or of ony wirkman of the saidis craftis thai to complenye to the dekin and the four men or to ony twa of tham, and thai persons sall caus the scaith and wrang to be amendit, and gif thai can nocht, the provest and baillies to gar it be amendit as efferis.
3. Item, gif ony persoun or persouns of the saidis craftis cummis of newe after this act to the guid towne and schapis to wirk, or to tak wirk apoun hand, he sall first cum to the said four men and thai sall examyn him gifhe be sufficient or nocht and gif he beis admittit he sall lay downe to the reparatioun of the altar a merk.
4. Item, that na master nor persone of ony of the craftis tak ony prentis for les termis than sevin yeirs, and ilk prentis to pay at his entre to the said altar half a merk, and gif any prentis of quhatsumevir of the saidis craftis men, or yit his feit men, pasis away or the ische of his termes but leif of his master, and quha that resavis the prentis or feit man thai sall pay to the altar ane pund of walx the first falt, the secund falt, twa pundis of walx, the third falt to be punist by the provest and ballies of the towne as efferis ; and allswa quhen ony prentisses has completit his termis and is worne out, he sall be examinit be the four men gif he be sufficient or nocht to be a fallow of the craft, and gif he be worthy to be a fallow he sall pay half a merk to the alter and brouke the privilege of the craft, and gifhe be nocht sufficient he sall serf a master, quhil he haf lirit to be worthy to be a master, and than to be maid freman and fallow.
5. Item, gif thar be ony of the craft that disobeyis or makis discord amangis the craftisman of ony of the craftis, or that ony of them plenyeis apoun them they sall be brocht befor the dekynnis and overmen of the craftis, and thai to gar amend it be trety amangis thamself, and gifthai can nocht to be faltouris to be brocht and punist be the provest and bailles of eth towne for thair trespas as efferis.
6. Alswa the saidis twa craftismen shall caus and have thair placis and roomes in all generale processions lyk thai haf in the towne of Bruges, or siclyk gud townes, and ifony of the craftismen of outher of the craftis decesis and has naguds sufficient to bring him furth honestly, the saidis craftis sall upoun thair costes and expensis bring him furth and gar bery him honestlie as thai aucht to do of det to thair brother of the craft ;
7. and allswa it sall be lefull to the saidis twa craftis and craftismen of Wrichtis and Masounis to have power to make quhatsumevir otheris actis statutis or ordinancis that thai think mast convenient for the utilite and proffet of the gud towne and for tham to statut and ordane with avys of the hale craftis and of our successouris, thai to be ratifiit and apprufit siclik as thir actis, and to be actit and transsumpt in the commoun buke of Edin burgh, hafand the samyn forme, force and effect as this present writ has.

The quhilkis actis ordinance and devys shewin to us and considerit we appruf ratifyes and for us and our successouris confirmis and admittis in so far as we haf power. In witness of the quhilk thing to thir present lettres we haf to affixt our common sele of caus, togidder with the seles of the baillies of the said burgh for the tyme, in takynyng of appreving of all the thingis above writtin.