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Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament ordain a ratification to be made therein to, and in favour of, the bailies, council, burgesses and community of the burgh of Lauder and their successors, ratifying, approving and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirming, likewise by the tenor hereof our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify, approve and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirm, the charter made, given and granted by the late King James [IV], his highness's [great-great-grandfather] of worthy memory, to the burgesses and community of the said burgh of Lauder under his majesty's great seal, of the date at Stirling, 21 December 1502, whereby the said late King James [IV] of worthy memory, considering and understanding that the charters, evidents and rights of the first foundation and infeftment of the said burgh of Lauder and liberty thereof, made and granted by his majesty's most noble progenitors to the burgesses and community of the said burgh, were destroyed and burnt by war, assaults and fire, through which merchandise ceased among them to the great hurt, decay and prejudice of the common good and liberty of the said burgh and great damage of his majesty regarding his customs, burgh mails and duties due to be paid to him out of the said burgh if timely remedy were not provided; therefore his majesty, moved of piety and justice and willing the reformation of the premises, with advice of his highness's secret council, of new infeft, gave, granted and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirmed to the burgesses and community foresaid the said burgh of Lauder in a free burgh for ever, with all and sundry lands, annualrents and possessions whatsoever pertaining thereto, with diverse ample powers, privileges, markets, fairs, tolls, customs and others specially and particularly mentioned in the said charter, to be possessed, used and exercised by the said burgesses and community of the said burgh likewise and as freely as any other free burgh within this realm possesses, uses and exercises their burgh lands and liberties thereof, and with all and sundry liberties and privileges of free burgage for ever to be held of his majesty and his highness's successors in free burgage, fee and heritage for ever, for payment of the burgh mails and other duties used and wont to be paid to his majesty out of the said burgh, as the said charter of the date foresaid at more length bears, with the precept of sasine and instrument of sasine following thereupon, and also all and sundry other infeftments, charters, precepts, sasines, confirmations, gifts, donations, ratifications, grants, erections, foundations, acts, decreets, sentences, liberties, privileges and immunities therein contained made, given and granted by any of his majesty's most noble predecessors and progenitors, kings and queens of Scotland, their regents or governors for the time, or by any others to, and in favour of, the said burgesses and community of the said burgh of Lauder, their predecessors or successors at any time bygone, of whatsoever dates, tenors and contents the same be of, in all and sundry the heads, points, passes, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditions therein contained and after the forms and tenors thereof in all points. And our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament will and grant and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually decree and ordain that this present ratification of the said infeftments and rights of the said burgh specially and generally above-written is, and shall be, of as great strength, force and effect to the said bailies, council, burgesses and community of the said burgh of Lauder and their successors for possessing of the said burgh lands, annualrents, possessions, markets, fairs, tolls, customs, liberties, privileges, duties and immunities therein contained and pertaining to the said burgh, and whereof the said burgh, bailies, council, burgesses and community thereof or their predecessors are, and have been, in possession, as if the said whole charter, precept and sasine specially above-mentioned, and all other charters, infeftments and other rights generally above-mentioned were all at length inserted and contained in this present ratification; concerning which, and with all other defects and imperfections which may be proposed or alleged against the said rights specially and generally above-written, or any of them, or this present ratification thereof and validities of the same, our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament, for his highness and his successors, have dispensed and, by this act, dispense for ever and that the said ratification be further extended with all clauses necessary.