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Forsamekle as it wes murmurit and meanit be sum evill advisit personis, our soverane lordis liegeis, disfavoraris off his grace gubernament and regiment of this realme and liegeis thairof in his awne persoun, and of the halding of this present parliament within the castell of Striveling, quhairby it wes allegeit that thair wes na frie acces nor libertie to the saidis liegeis to frelie repair and resort to our said soverane lord, his thrie estatis and lordis of articulis to intercommoun in sic effairis as wes treatit thairintill, albeit the contrare thairof be notour, and that all our said soveranis liegeis had, and hes, frie acces thairto, and nane stoppit to cum to his hienes nor to the saidis lordis to that effect; thairfore oure said soverane lord, with advise of his thrie estatis of this present parliament, hes declarit and declaris the samyn to have bene, and to be, ane frie and publict parliament quhair all his liegeis had and hes frie access, libertie and fredome to resort and repair to the said castell quhair the samyn is and wes haldin quha plesit to cum thairto, but stop truble or interruptioun.
A meeting of 'the estaittis convenit' on this date voted a tax of £12,000 for maintaining a force on the Borders. However, there were neither lairds nor burgesses in attendance, and a number of those sitting were not regular council attendees, instead being present in the capacity of supernumaries. Because of the business transacted by this 'convention', complaints arose as to its unrepresentative nature. See RPCS, first series, iii, 56-7.
A series of particularly large sederunts recorded at Stirling from 12 to 21 March 1579, and the repeated use of the phrase 'our soverane lord and his thre estaittis' in a number of the measures passed, seems to imply that this meeting should be regarded as something other than an ordinary gathering of the privy council. However, despite the use of the term 'thre estaittis', there are neither barons nor burghs in attendance and the business conducted is strictly privy council in nature. Rather than a convention of the estates, this gathering seems instead to be a convention of nobles and prelates. It is not clear from the record for what purpose they convened. See RPCS, first series, iii, 108-20 for the proceedings of this council or convention.