[1644/6/158]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsameikle as the estates of parliament, now presently conveind by vertue of the last act of the last parliament haldine be his matie and thrie estates in anno 1641, being now certanlie informed that some of the McDonalds, assisted with ane nomber of the rebellious forces, have latlie come from Ireland in some warrlyke shippes, and with ane considerable force invadite in hostile maner the west pairts of this kingdome and iles adjacent therto, committing therin many barbarous and disloyall actes aganes his maties good subjectes; and considdering also that this bold attempt of these malignant and disloyall persones doeth neerlie concerne religioune, his maties authoritie royall and the peace of this kingdome, if the same be not tymlie adverted wnto and the evilles therof prevented beforce of armes before the power of that wicked crew shall be increased further by the comeing of more papistes and rebelles forces to ther assistance from Ireland; and withall considdering and perfytly wnderstandinge the affectione of Archbald, marques of Argile to the good of religioune, his maties honor and the peace of the kingdome, togidder with his abilitie and power in these pairtes to repress the saides rebelles, therfore the saides estates of parliament have made and constitute and be the tennor heirof makes and constitutes the said Archbald, marques of Argile, his maties lieutennent be sea and land for repressing of the saides rebelles, with power to him to make, constitute and create deputes, ane or mae, wndir him in the said office, giveand, grantand and committand, lykeas be the tennor heirof the saides estates of parliament gives, grantes and committs to the said marques of Argyle his maties lieutennent as said is, full authority, power and commissione to raise all his maties good subjectes within ony of the shyres invadit or other shyres adjacent therto in such nomber as he shall thinke convenient, and to make such nomber out of other shyres more remote as he shall requyre and the committie of parliament or committie of warr within the shyre shall agrie wnto, and to arme and furnish them with victuelles, amunitioune, cannoune and other warlyke armes and all furnitor requisit, and to appoynt commanderes and officeres over them and to leade and conduct them be himselfe or ony otheres whom he shall appoynt for the forces of the shyres invadite or shyres adjacent therto or whom the more remote shyres shall appoynt be themselves or ther committies to be leveyed from them be sea or land to whatsomevir pairtes or places where the saides rebelles are, and to persue them, there adherentes and accessaries as enemyes to religioune, his maties honor and the peace of the kingdome with all kynd of hostility, by fyre and suord, assaiging of houss with cannoune and everie other engyne untill they and every one of theme be repellit, distroyed and apprehendit; and such of them as shall be apprehendit, to sit and doe justice wpoun them as persones of the qualityes foirsaidis. With pouer also to the said marques of Argile, his maties lieutennent as said is, and to his deputes, ane or ma, as they shall find it necessar and expedient for the good and peace of this kingdome, to treate with the saides rebelles or ony of them, ane or ma, for the recleameing of them from the said rebellioune and wicked courses, and to grant to them, or such of them as the said marques or his deputes shall thinke good, remissione (excepting the crymes of witchcraft, incest and murther) in such ample and large forme as hes bene heirtofore done or might be done to any of his maties lieutennentes. And farder with power to the said marques and his deputes, if neid be, to take viveres and victuell for ther intertenement at the ordinarie pryces and rates of the cuntrie wher they shall repair, with power also to him and his saides deputes to command all ships, ther captanes, souldieres and haill equipage whilke are allreddie imployed or shall heireftir happine to be imployed and conduced in that service, and generally with power to the said marques of Argile, his maties lieutennent foirsaid, and his saides deputes, ane or ma, to doe and performe everie thing be sea or land quhilke for the executioune of this commissioune is requisit and necessar in als ample and full maner as wes evir heirtofore done or might have bene done be any of his maties lieutennentes and commissionares aganes tratores and rebelles, firme and stable halding and for to ha[l]d all and quhatsomevir things shalbe laufully done therin, dispensing heirby with all slaughteres, mutilationes, raisings of fyre, assaiging of houss, taking of prisoneres and otheres inconvenientes quhatsomevir shall fall out in executioune of this commissione, and exonering the said lieutennent and his deputtes and all these to be imployed or who shall fallow them in this service of the same and of all danger they may incurre therthrow for evir be thir presentes. And the saides estates of parliament ordenes letters to be directed dischairgeing all and sindrie the gentlemen and heritores of the iles and other pairtes of the cuntrie and neightboureing shyres whom it concernes to reverence, acknowledge and obey the said marques of Argyle, his maties lieutennent and his saides deputes to the effect foirsaid, and to ryse with them in ther best armes and warlike furnitor one horse or foote and to concurre with and assist them for persute of the saides rebelles within the bounds of there owne severall shyres or other places needfull by night or day, by sea or land so oftine as they shall be warned be the said marques of Argile or his saids deputs by word, writ, messinger or ony other maner of way in maner foirsaid, and to obey reddily and cheirfully everie directioune and order to be givine by them for the advancement of this service wnder the paine to be called, persewed and punished as enemyes to religione, his maties honour and the peace of the kingdome and countenanceres and favoureres of the said tratores with all rigor and severitie; and sicklyke to command, chairge and inhibit all [and] sundrie his maties leidges and subjectis quhatsomevir be oppine proclamatione at all places needfull, that none of them presume or take wpoun hand to reset nor supplie any of the saides rebelles or tratores, nor to furnishe them with meat, drinke, house, herberie, poulder or ball, nor no other thing comfortable and necessar, bot that they reveill and discover them and the places of ther abode and reset to all such as shall be imployed be the said lieutennent or his deputs in this service, and that they intercommoune not nor have any intelligence with them be word, writ or message directlie nor indirectlie in ony tymecomeing wnder the paines conteyned in the actes of parliament made aganes the resetteres and supplieres of tratores; and, for this effect, gives, grantes and committes to the said Archbald, marques of Argyle, his maties lieutennent foirsaid, and to his said deputes full power and authoritie and commissione to call and conveene before them the transgressores of this kynd, and to doe justice wpoun them conforme to the saides actes or by fyneing of them or by inflicting such other punishment wpoun them as shall be thought most advantagious for the furtherance of the service, and to keepe and hold courtes, cite and wairne pairties and witness, creat clerkes and otheres memberes needfull and to doe everie other thing necessare and requisit for the advancement of the service in this behalfe. And farder, with power to the said marques, lieutennent foirsaides, or his deputes to use, exerce and put in executione over the souldieres to be leveyed be them the ordinary military discipline used in such and the lyke imploymentes in als ample maner as any commanderes of forces have bene in use to doe. And in regaird this comissioune is laid wpoun the marques of Argile for the publict weel of the kingdome, it is therfor heirby expreslie provydit and declaired that his acceptioune heirof in and wpoun him shall nowayes be hurtfull nor prejudiciall to him anent his heritable offices of justiciarie, lieutennendrie, shereffshipe and other heritable offices belonging to him within the boundes of Argyle or the iles; and this commissioune to indure whill the first day of November nixtocome or longer whill the said rebellione be suppressed and the commissioune be recalled or dischairged be the estates of parliament, conventioune of estates or ather of ther committies.