his several writings and subscriptions yet extant.

VI. The said registers are more perfect, lesse vitiated, scored, and
interlined, then any other authentick and famous registers of the most
prime judicatories within this Kingdom:

VII. _Master Thomas Sandilands_, in name of his father, who was late Clerk
by dimution of _Master Thomas Nicolson_, hath produced a Volume, which
proveth the saids two registers of _Master James Richie_ to be sufficient
records; because that same Volume is begun by that same hand, whereby the
said _Master James Richie_ his registers are written, and is subscribed
once in the margine by _Master James Richie_ his hand, and followed forth,
and continued in the same book by _Master Thomas Nicolson_, who succeeded
him in the place, and was known by most men here present to be of such
approven worth and credit, that he would never have accomplished a
register which had not been famous and true: and whereof the hand-write,
had not then been known to him sufficiently.

VIII. That register produced by _Master Thomas Sandilands_, and prosecuted
by _Master Thomas Nicolson_, proves the first part of that register to be
true and famous, and that first part being by ocular inspection of the
same hand writ, with _Master James Richies_ registers, and subscribed in
the margine with the same hand writ, proveth _Richies_ two books to be
good records, and _Richies_ registers doth approve _Grays_ books by the
act of Assembly before written: specially considering the same hath come
by progresse and succession of Clerks, in the hands of _Alexander Blair_,
now living, and here present.

IX. The compts anent the thirds of benefices between the Regent for the
time, and the Assembly, in the second volume, pag. 147. are subscribed by
the Lord Regents own hand, as appeareth: for it is a royall-like
subscription, and there is no hand writ in all the book like unto it, and
beareth not _Sic subscribitur_, which undoubtedly it would do, if it were
a coppie.

X. _Master Iames Carmichell_ was commanded by the generall Assembly 1595,
Sess. 9, in the book produced by _Master Thomas Sandilands_, to extract
the generall acts forth of their books; and it is evident that these books
are the same which he perused for that effect, because he hath marked
therein the generall acts with a crosse, and hath designed the act by some
short expression upon the margine, which is cognosed and known to be his
hand writ, by famous and worthy