(2) At the end of the book: a short account of all the bishops of Aberdeen with a little information about each, concluding with (3) A list of the ornaments and vestments given to the church by Bishop Dunbar. (4) Lastly, an account of the first constitution of the chapter, of which documentary evidence then existed, by Peter Ramsay, Bishop of Aberdeen, between 1249 and 1256, and of its subsequent increase by the foundation of more prebendal stalls from time to time. It is possible that we have a clue to the identity of the writer of this additional matter, to whom most probably the bishop committed the preparation of the book. The list of the dignitaries concludes with the sentence, "Demum Arthurus Boethius decretorum doctor in supradictum numerum anno quo supra relatus," i.e., he was made a canon in the year 1526. There is some obscurity here: the list of dignitaries appears to be complete, each prebend having added to it the name of the canon holding it, but no prebend is given for Arthur Boece. As far back as 1506 he appears as vicar choral of the prebendary of Kinkell;' he was subsequently made canonist in the University; in 1521 he witnesses a charter as "Arthuro Boecio prebendario beate Marie ad niues capituli nostri clerico", from which we gather that the newly-founded "Snow Kirk " in Old Aberdeen had been made into a prebendal church of the cathedral. It is hard to see where sufficient revenues could be supported partly by revenues held in common, partly by an individual allowance or "prebend " derived from the gift of the greater teinds or tithes of the rectory of some parish church, for whose services the canon was responsible and which were provided by a vicar. Thus, e.g., in 1526, Mr John Ogilvy was canon of Aberdeen, prebendary of Cruden in Aberdeen cathedral, and rector of the church and parish of Cruden. Further, when not in residence at the cathedral the canon was bound to supply his place in the services by a deputy called a vicar choral, or choir chaplain. These vicars choral in time grew into separate corporations; they were a part of the collegiate foundation but not part of the chapter. There is a discrepancy between the order of dignities as given in this MS. and that in the earlier lists. In the earlier lists, beginning with Bishop Peter Ramsay's constitution of 1256, the order of the older prebends is Belhelvy (7), Mortlach (8), Oyne (9), Cruden (10), Clatt (11), Banchory Devenick (12). Here Mortlach and Oyne are transposed and so are Clatt and Banchory Devenick. At first sight some later rearrangement seems indicated, but an examination of the Epistolary text reveals an error in transcription, for Bishop Ramsay's constitution is referred to, and the order there is misquoted, the subsequent list merely repeating the misquoted order. 3 He was also treasurer of Brechin Cathedral and one of the first Lords of Session after 1532. Fasti Aberdonenses, Aberdeen, 1854, p. xviii. "1 derived in this case, and one may hazard the conjecture that the prebend was partly, if not wholly nominal, created in order to make Boece a member of the chapter. We know his reputation as a canonist from Ferrerius of Piedmont, who in the dedication of a book on Cicero, dated 1534, refers to Boece, saying, "In sacrorum vero canonum et pontificiarum legum responsis, non facile invenies quem cum Arthuro Boethio componas. His brother, Hector Boece, in his Lives of the Bishops of Aberdeen, wrote of him, "Arthurus Boetius, mihi germanus, in pontificio jure doctor, in civico (ut dicunt) licentiatus, vir multae doctrinae, plus literarum indies consecuturus, quod studio ei permanet animo indefesso." " We find him witnessing the charter already referred to as chapter clerk. He was generous in his gifts to King's College chapel, to which he gave a silver chalice, a brass chandelier hanging before the high altar, with two candlesticks, altar cloths, vestments, and a printed missal to the altar of St Katharine.' What is more likely than that it was he who wrote the additional matter in this Epistolary and prepared the "copy" from which it was afterwards written at Antwerp? The placing of the list of canons at the beginning of the book and of his own name in an isolated sentence at the end of the list, taken in conjunction with what we know of his qualifications and with his position as chapter clerk, may at any rate justify the suggestion, without of course affording any proof.* On the following page an attempt has been made, by means of a rough plan, to indicate the positions in the choir of the cathedral church occupied by the different dignitaries. The constitution of 1256 tells us that the four principal persons occupied the four terminal stalls, and goes on to indicate the positions assigned to the four prebendaries next in order. The arrangement, like the constitution itself, is derived from Sarum, and may still be seen to a greater or less extent there, and in some other English cathedrals; at Exeter it is less changed than anywhere. 1 Smart, J., Records of Kinloss, Edin., 1872, p. xxi. 2 Hectoris Boetii Murthlacensium et Aberdonensium Episcoporum vitae, ed. James Moir, Aberdeen, New Spalding Club, 1894, p. 91. 3 Fasti Aberdonenses, pp. 561-567. It is possible that Alexander Galloway, canon of Aberdeen and prebendary of Kinkell, who did much to help Bishops Elphinstone and Dunbar in matters connected with the building and furnishing of churches, and who was also learned in canon law, may have had some share in work of this kind. De canonicorum dignissimo cetu ordine et loco in stallis Capitulo et, processione insignis templi Aberdonensis tam ex primaria quam secundaria eorundem institutione in eodem hactenus observato Reverendo in Christo patre ac Domino Gavino divina protegente gratia eorundem pontifice dignissimo cathedram feliciter regente Anno 1526, et ad presens dum hæc agerentur supradictum capitulum representantium, hii venerabilis et egregii viri magistri et domini has dignitates et prebendas et dignitates possidentes reperti sunt de quorum numero prebenda pontificis inter premissas minime computatur. Decantum Cantoriam Cancellariam Thesaurariam Archidiaconatum Balheluy Mortlak Invercroudane Banquhorye Deyr Crechtmont Forbes Ellon Kincardin Philorcht Mechtlak Tullinesle Dulmaok Turref Kynkel Coldstaine Rochtwen Monimusk Jacobus kyncragi David dischington Gilbertus strathaquhyn Wilhelmus crechton Alexander dunbar Johannes ogilui Henricus forsycht Jacobus lyne Wilhelmus cabel Johannes gallousy Alexander haye Alexander gallouay crechton Thomas haye Patricius dunbar Demum arthurus boetius decretorum doctor in supradictum numerum Anno quo supra relatus, |