Parliamentary Register

[July 1578]

Declaration: the king and the estates of parliament
The declaratioun off the king and estaitis of the fredome of this parliament

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.

  1. Goodare thinks that the most prominent attendees of this parliament can be 'guessed at' from an unusually well-attended privy council meeting the following day. See J. Goodare, 'The Scottish parliamentary records, 1560-1603', Historical Research, 72 (1999), p.263, and RPCS, iii, pp.6-7. A contemporary chronicler listed the lords of the articles before the legislation, D. Moysie, Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland, 1577-1603, ed. J. Dennistoun (Maitland Club, 1830), p.12. Back
  2. None of the proceedings below are given a specific date, although it seems likely that the bulk of the acts were passed on 25 July, when 'all and sindrie erllis, lordis, bischopis, abbottis, pryouris, commissionaris of burrowis and uthers havand vote' were ordered to attend. See RPCS, iii, p.9. Back
  3. NAS, PA2/12, f.1r. Back