376 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxix. 



"Dr. Arthur, Botanist, 28th July 1715. 



" George &c. fforasmuchas Wee Considering yt. it is 

 necessary that the physick Garden at the palace of Holy- 

 rood house be keept in good order and for that effect that 

 all due Encouragement be given to a person skilled in 

 Botany who may have the Inspection of the said Garden 

 and may be oyrwise usefall to the lieges by Instructing 

 them in the usefall Science of Botany And we being well 

 Informed of the good Qualifications of Mr. Wm. Arthur, 

 Dr. of Medicine as to his fitness for the office of Botanist 

 and of his good affection to us and our Government 

 Therefor witt ye us with the advice and Consent of the 

 Lord Chiefe barron and remanent Barrons of our Ex- 

 chequer in Scotland to have made Constituted and 

 appointed Like as Wee by those presents Make Con- 

 stitute and appoint the Said Mr. Wm. Arthur During our 

 pleasure only to be our botanist within that part of our 

 Said kingdom And Wee Give and grant unto him the 

 oversight care and inspection of our said physick garden 

 to the effect he may keep the Same in good Order With 

 power to him to Sett up a profession of Botanic and 

 materia medica and to Teach the Same and to have and 

 Enjoy the haille fees Casualities priveleges and Immunities 

 of the said office as fully and freely as the Same was 

 possessed by Mr. James Sutherland heretofore And for 

 the said Mr. Wm. Arthur his further encouragement Wee 

 have given and Granted and hereby Give and grant to 

 him During the Space forsaid the yearly Sallary of fifty 

 pounds Sterling monie to Commence from the 25 day of 

 March 1715 years and So furth thereafter to Continue 

 During our pleasure as said is Given at our Court at St. 

 James's and under our privy Seale of Scotland the 10th 

 day of May 1715 in the first year of our reigne. 



" Per Signaturam Signo manu Q.D.M. Regis Suprascript. 

 " Manibusque Barrons. Scaccarii Scoticae subscript." 



Of Dr. William Arthur information will be sought in 

 vain in any botanical book. Not only this, but historians 

 of the Botanic Garden and of botanical education in 

 Edinburgh have failed to take account of any King's 

 Botanist and Custodian of the Garden between the 

 tenancies of James Sutherland and Charles Alston — the 



