Help with Latin

[Ryohei56]

Hi. I'd like to ask for some help with figuring out a piece of Latin I came across in a document I'm working on.

The entry in question is dated 1694, and concerns the admission of an individual to the hammermen guild. At the foot of the entry is a four-line paragraph, which I have tentatively deciphered as follows:

'Demandat Gulielmi Deas et Davidis
Carstairs scribere xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ego Jacobus reid novius publicus xxx
etiam clericus dicta artis subscribo'

Sadly, my school Latin is not what it could be. The last line (I think) reads 'sometime clerk (of the) said craft, subscribe'. Subscribo' is first person singular, so agrees with the 'I, James Reid....' in the previous line. Any help with the rest would be appreciated.

Alan Stewart

[Bookbox]

Demandat(um) Gulielmi Deas et Davidis
Carstairs scribere nescien(tium) notass[in]ent*
ego Jacobus reid no(ta)rius publicus ac
etiam clericus dictæ artis subscribo
Ja: Reid Cl(ericus)

It was demanded of William Deas and of David
Carstairs, not being able to write, that they should make their mark.
I, James Reid, notary public and
also a clerk of the said skill/art, do write below
James Reid, clerk

     * I’m unsure of the spelling of this word as written, but the verb and its meaning are clear enough.

[Ryohei56]

That's amazing - thanks! It's tricky enough spotting possible contractions in English, but doing it with Latin is beyond me. Amo, amas, amat is about all I can remember.

Thanks again

Alan

[Watson]

Bookbox, I wonder if it is "notas ponent" (two words), but, as you said, the meaning is clear.

[Bookbox]

Good call, Watson.

[Ryohei56]

I think I can now declare this page complete, thanks to you guys. However, as is often the case, the answer begets another question.

The two individuals who had been asked to make their mark (William Deas and David Carstairs) do not appear anywhere within the main text below which the Latin paragraph appears. That text names only Andrew Edie, deacon of the hammermen, and William Sword, admitted as freeman. Furthermore, beside the Latin there appear three signatures (Robert Scott, William Waddell and William Morris) and two sets of initials (AED and WG). There are no other marks; the page is quite clear throughout. I also looked at entries immediately before and after - no trace of Deas or Carstairs.

Ah well... the golden rule is to transcribe what you see. I've done that, but will be adding to the notes section at the end of the entire 368-page document. If/when it finally makes publication I'll be sure to give credit for the help I've received.