[1578/7/2]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Oure soverane lord and thrie estatis of parliament, understanding how that efter the lang trublis and dangerous civill weir quhairwith this realme wes inquyed from the birth and coronatioun of his majestie unto the moneth of November, the yeir of God jM vC lxxij yeiris, umquhill Johnne, erll of Mar, lord Erskyne etc., than regent to his hienes, his realme and liegeis being laitlie decessit, James, erll of Mortoun, lord Dalkeyth, at the ernist sute of the nobilitie and estatis than convening, being nominat and electit be thame, acceptit upoun him the regiment of oure soverane lord, his realme and liegeis, quhilk electioun and nominatioun, with his acceptatioun of the said charge, being dewlie ratefeit and confirmit be his hienes and his estatis in his majesties parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the xxvj day of Januar, the yeir of God foirsaid, he, according thairto, enterit in the regiment of this realme in ane maist perralous tyme in respect of the said civill weir, and the castell of Edinburgh being than stuffit and detenit aganis our said soverane lord be sic as rebellit aganis his hienes and ane great numer of the principallis of the nobilitie than standing disobedient in his majesties auctoritie, quhilk castell being recoverit and the disobedient subjectis reduceit to thair allegeance, and the haill estatis schortlie pacefeit be the prudent and diligent travell of the said James, erll of Mortoun, with his great and sumptuous chargeis, he hes sensyne worthelie ussit and exerceit the regiment of this realme fra the acceptatioun of the samyn to the day of his dimissioun thairoff, quhilk wes the [...] day of March last bypast; at the quhilk tyme, our said soverane lord, the end of the tuelt yeir off his aige approcheand, acceptit the administratioun of his realme and liegeis in his awin persoun, the said lait regent haveing earnistlie lang of befoir wischit our said soverane lordis habilitie for the charge and craving na thing mair earnistlie to be disburdenit thairof withe honour and [...] of our soverane lordis persoun and estait and the publict peax and tranquillitie of this realme and subjectis, quhilk the said James, erll of Mortoun planelie testefeit not onlie be his lettres patent of dimissioun under his seall and subscriptioun of the dait foirsaid, bot utherwys be his maist humill obedience randerit to his majesties auctoritie, acceptit in his hienes awin persoun as said is, and be his humill obeydience in randering of all thingis committit to his charge and keping during the tyme of his regiment, and of his movablis and jowallis quhilkis he had during the tyme of the samyn regiment recoverit fra utheris efter the appaising of the saidis lait trublis; thairfore, our said soverane lord and thrie estatis of parliament have ratefeit, approvit and affirmit and, be the tennour heirof, ratefeis, apprevis and affermis the dimissioun and renunciatioun of the said regiment maid be the said James, erll of Mortoun to our said soverane lord, to be exerceit thairefter in his awn persoun fra the dait of the said dimissioun and renunciatioun be the said James, erll of Mortonis, lettres of dimissioun patent under his seall and subscriptioun of the dait abonespecifeit, notwithstanding the said dimissioun wes maid in the minoritie of our soverane lord, befoir the said erllis regiment wes expyrit, be reasoun that the said act of parliament maid at his acceptatioun thairof appointit his said regiment to continow during the minoritie of our soverane lord and that, in respect thairof, thair sall na falt be imput to the said erll. And als our said soverane lord and his thrie estatis of parliament ratefeis and apprevis our said soverane lord acceptatioun of the said regiment efter the foirsaid dimissioun, and findis and declaris that the administratioun of his hienes realme, guvernament and auctoritie thairof is in his hienes awn handis, to be governit and administrat be him selff with advise of the counsell, quhilk, be this present parliament, salbe appointit to his hienes. And, thairfoir, our said soverane lord, with the saidis thrie estatis of parliament, all in ane voce, hes declarit and declaris that thair is na uther auctoritie, nor forme of auctoritie, counsall nor regiment within his hienes realme bot that quhilk is establissit in his majesties awne persoun, to be ministrat and exerceit be his hienes, with advise of the foirsaid counsell, be the estatis of this present parliament to be establissit, dischargeing and annulling all uther forme of auctoritie and regiment, except the forme, regiment and auctoritie abonespecifiit. And forthair, our soverane lord and thrie estatis foirsaidis findis and declaris that the office, power and auctoritie of our soverane lordis counsell electit of befoir at Striveling, the [...] day of [...] last bypast, endit and expirit upoun the tent day of Julii instant, and rescindis, retretis, casis, and annullis all and quhatsumevir thingis procedit and done be thame in name of our soverane lord or as his counsell to be of nane availl, force nor effect, with all that followit thairupoun sen the said tent day of Julii. And thairfoir commanding all his hienes liegeis that they, nor nane of thame of quhatsumevir qualitie, estate or degrie that ever thay be of, tak upoun hand to cum incontrare the premissis or ony part or point thairoff, directlie or indirectlie, or tak upoun thame to do ony thing in name and be the auctoritie of oure soverane lord, or to obey ony uther auctoritie, guvernament or counsall bot as is befoir specifiit, under all hiest pane and charge that the saidis contravenaris and everie ane of thame may incur be the lawis of this realme aganis thair allegeance, and his hienes auctoritie. And that publicatioun be maid of this present act at the mercat croces of all burrowis and utheris placeis neidfull withe convenient diligence.