[1662/5/7]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forasmuch as the king's majesty, out of his affection to this his ancient kingdom, and for settling and securing the true interest, laws, liberties and peace of the same, has been pleased to call a meeting of his estates in parliament to be here at Edinburgh at this time, and it being most necessary for these ends, and for the advancement of his majesty's service, that all members of parliament should, according to their allegiance and duty, attend and keep the meetings of the parliament; therefore, the king's majesty, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, has statute and appointed and accordingly does hereby require and command all archbishops, bishops, noblemen, commissioners of shires and burghs to come and attend his majesty or his commissioner in the meetings of this present parliament and in all succeeding parliaments, certifying all such as, without a lawful excuse timely represented and admitted by his majesty or his commissioner, shall, after 27 May instant be absent from this parliament, or who, in any succeeding parliaments, shall be absent at the diets to be appointed by his majesty, they shall be liable to and incur the pains and penalties following, namely, each archbishop, bishop and nobleman the sum of £1,200 Scots, each commissioner of shires the sum of £600 Scots and each commissioner of burghs the sum of £200 Scots, which penalties are presently to be raised and letters of horning and poinding are hereby ordained to be directed for payment of the same to his majesty's treasurer or depute treasurer. And it is hereby declared that these penalties are to be in addition to and without prejudice to what further censure the parliament shall think fit to inflict for so high contempt and neglect of his majesty and his authority, and ordains publication to be made hereof at the market cross of Edinburgh by heralds, with sound of trumpet, through which none pretend ignorance of the same.