[A1571/9/21]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Sederunt domini ut in die predicte.
[A1571/9/22]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The quhilk day the nobill men and utheris underwrittin wer nominat tobe of oure soverane lordis prevy counsall, thay ar to say: the Erllis of Ergyle, Montroise, Glencarne, Craufurd, Eglintoun, Cassillis, Buchane, Cathnes and the maister of Marschell; the Lordis Sympill, Lindesay, Glamis, Boyd and Cathcart; the Bischop of Orknay, the commendataris of Abirbrothok, Dryburgh and Newbottill, togidder with the chancellar, thesaurare, comptrollar, secretar, kepar of the prevy seill, clerk of register, justice, clerk advocat and maister of requeistis.
[A1571/9/23]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The nobilitie and estaittis of this realme of Scotland presentlie convenit in parliament at Striveling, in the feir of God and the lauchfull obedience of the king, oure soverane lord, to all personis now remaning in the burgh and castell of Edinburgh.
The sevint of September 1571
Albeit we mycht lay furth befoir your eyis particularlie how evill ye have deservit of the commoune weill of this oure native cuntre quhairin ye wer borne, in that ye have bene the verie instrumentis and occasioun bayth of your awin troubill and punisement and als of the greit calamitie that oure haill cuntrye and puyr people thairof hes and dalie dois sustene throw this unnaturall weare and civile discord, yit not meaning to irritat you be repetitioun of thingis unplesand (quhilkis to oure greif ar ower mony), and quhairof we doubt not your awin consciences accusis you, bot rather intending be geving you this hailsum admonitioun to discharge ws first to God and nixt befoir the warld that we have socht yow tobe win quhairthrow, in caise be your awin obstinat wilfulnes ye taist the uttirmest of the plaig and punisement, it may be rychtlie adjugeit tobe in your awin default. This consideratioun hes movit ws be this lettre to require yow to considder with youre selffis, in commoune and every ane in particular, the ground and circumstances of the caus and querrell that ye pretend your awin present conditioun, with quhome it is that ye contend and quhat probably mon be the end of all. The ground is twicheing the deprivatioun of the king, oure soverane lord, frome his croun and royall authoritie diverse tymes intendit be sum of yow, and yit be Goddis providence alwayis dissappointit for the caus. Amangis yow ar men that wer als ernist to promote it as ony uther, and be the same divers of yow acquirit honour, gude report and benefite; bot sen ye rejectit his hienes obedience, ye have fund your reward reproche, obloquy and skayth, and your intentis oftymes frustrat. As to your oppressioun of that toun quhair the seit of justice sould remane, for the weill of the haill subjectis, ye have not onelie thairby depaupereit the inhabitantis of the toun, bot hes maid your selffis contemptibill to this haill natioun. And now ye have to lay your compt quhethir the few nowmer of yow remaning thair sall conquest and owerthraw ws all, or gif be liklyheid we be not mair abill to mak yow conformabill. Your contentioun is for displaceing of the king, oure soverane lord, sum of yow being the cheif instrumentis of his promotioun; and the greitest part of yow all having promeist and sworne obedience to him, he is (ye se) the rysing sone and schortlie wilbe abill, Godwilling, to decerne this querrill him self be cours of aige. And the end mon be ayther he tobe obeyit and peace and justice restorit in this commoune wealth, or than the force of you now compassit within that toun and castell mon undo him, quhais subjectis we profes oure selffis, and consequentlie exterminat ws and oure posteriteis. Quhat ground ye build on in your interpryise, or quhat certanetie ye can louke for be the cours ye ryn, let every ane of yow considder be him self and louke upoun the inconvenientis of this weir, gif it sall continew, and of the frutis that peace and justice wald bring. Call alsua to your rememberance the desolatioun that hes bene in uther regionis nixt unto ws thir last yeris throw wearis, alsweill forayne as intestine, and yit ar the same at this day for the maist part quietit and peace restorit, owther be victory or than the waikest hes yeildit to tollerabill conditionis. Tak heid quhidder ye manteine that caus be your propir force or not, or quhat habilitie had ye to contend in it gif the kingis hous and munitioun wer not at your devotioun. Tobe schort, this realme may na langer sustene this contempt, rebellioun and confusit state, bot ayther mon the king, oure soverane lord, and his authoritie be obeyit, that toun of Edinburgh set at libertie and the seit of justice restorit to the universall commoditie and ease of the subjectis, or than mon we gif oure lyffis and employ oure freindis and substance in the querrell. And as we have ordourlie proceidit heirtofoir be law aganis yow, sa befoir the just executioun thairof, quhilk we can not, nor may not, leif undone, we have thocht meit to gif yow this admonitioun, that ye may in tyme eschew the eminent perrell and dangeare approcheing; quhilk advise, gif ye follow, than will we travell safar as in ws sall ly for your releif and saiftie. And gif oure admonitioun beis rejectit, then we protest that as ye your selffis hes bene and ar the occasioun of all the evill and extremitie that hes followit your obstinacy and contempt, sa quhatsumevir harme or inconvenient happen to ony of ws in prosequutioun of this just caus, that oure bludis and skayth be requirit at the handis of you and your posteriteis.
[A1571/9/24]* [print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsamekill as the troublit state of this realme being considderit, and the greit hurt that the commoune weill sustenis throw the fortificatioun and halding of the burgh and castell of Edinburgh aganis oure soverane lord and his authoritie be a few nowmer of declarit tratouris, rebellis and conspiratouris, throw quhais schamefull defectioun fra thair dew obedience, aganis thair fayth, promeis and allegeance, a dangerous civile weare is rasit within the bowellis of this realme, the cheif toun is occupiit be men of weare, the honest inhabitantis, sum benneist, sum impresonit and sum retenit in maist strait thraldome and slavery, the seitt of justice distroyit, the memberis thairof dispersit, and last, umquhile Mathow, erll of Levenax, lord Dernlie, oure sovarane lordis lauchfull tutour and regent to his majestie, his realme and liegis, is schamfullie murtherit and cuttit away eftir he had yeildit his body in thair tressonabill handis and had promeis of his lyff to be saif, and na thing left unattemptit that may bring the haill estait in extreme disordour and confusioun, quhairthrow nowther the kingis authoritie can be obeyit, justice ministrat nor the gude subjectis may leif quietlie upoun thair awin gif remeid be not providit. And considdering likwyis that seing the nobilitie, estaittis and gude subjectis of this realme hes, in all bypast aiges, preservit the same fra foreyn conqueist and vailyeantlie defendit the libertie to this tyme, it wer now to thair greit ignominy and aganis thair honouris gif a few nowmer of corruptit memberis, pollutit with haynous and odious crymes and worthelie cut of fra the societie of nobill men and honest men as now kend in thair awin cullouris, sould be permitted to continew in thair outraige, rebellioun and tressonabill attemptatis, to the subverssioun of the haill estaittis of oure realme. And thairfoir, aggreing with ane voce and consent of the nobilitie and estaittis of this realme, that the commoune weill in defalt of governament sall not dekay, Johnne, erll of Mar, lord Erskin is burdynnit with the office of regentrie to oure soverane lord, his realme and liegis; and he, with utheris of the nobilitie and estaittis of this realme, hes deliberat and concludit to set the said burgh of Edinburgh at libertie, and, for recovery thairof, to hazard thair lyvis and bestow thair gudis, quhair throw it is neidfull that oure soverane lordis subjectis be convenit be proclamatioun to this effect; and thairfoir ordanis lettres tobe direct to officiaris of armes, schireffis in that part, chargeing thame to pas to the marcat croces of the burrowis of Kincardin, Forfair, Perth, Cowpar in Fyff, Kinross, Clakmannan, Striveling, Linlythquow, Leyth, the Cannogait for Edinburgh, Hadingtoun, Duns, Lawder, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peblis, Lanark, Drumfreis, Wigtoun, Kirkcudbrycht, Air, Irwin, Renfrew and Dunbartane, and thair, be oppin proclamatioun in oure soverane lordis name and authoritie, command and charge all and sindry erllis, lordis, baronis, landit men and frehaldaris dwelland within the boundis of the schirefdomes of Kincardin, Forfair, Perth, Fyff, Kinross, Clakmannan, Striveling, Linlythquow, Edinburgh principall and within the constabularie of Hadingtoun, Berwik, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peblis, Lanark, Drumfreis, Wigtoun, Air, Renfrew and Dunbartane, stewartreis of Stratherne and Menteith, Kirkcudbrycht and Annanderdaill and bailliereis of Kyle, Carrik and Cunynghame, alsweill to burgh as to land, within regalitie as ryaltie, that thai and ilkane of thame in thair maist weirlyke and substantious maner, with fourty dayis victuales and provisioun efter thair cuming, and with palyeonis and cariage to ly on the feildis, addres thame to convene and meit my lord regentis grace at Leyth upoun the first day of October nixtocum, and to await and attend as thay salbe commandit for furthsetting of oure soverane lordis auctoritie and service, in asseging of the burgh of Edinburgh and restoring the same to the former libertie, and to remane for that effect during the space of fourty dayis efter thair cuming under the pane of tinsell of lyff, landis and guidis.†