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In presence of the kingis majestie and thrie estatis convenit in this present parliament Maister David MacGill, advocat to our soverane lord, for his hienes, at his speciall command, schew and declarit how thair is certane domes of foirfalture gevin aganis certane personis for crymis of lesemajestie, speciallie aganis umquhill James, sumtyme erll of Mortoun, and Williame, sumtyme erll of Gowrie, and becaus the memorie of tratouris suld remane to the shame and slaunder of thame that ar cum of thame, and to be terrour to utheris to commit the like crymis in tyme cumming, and becaus the buikis of adjornall may be tint and be oft handeling be worne away and utherwayis the saidis domes of foirfalture be destroyit, desiring thairfoir that it wald pleis his majestie and the saidis thrie estatis to command the saidis domis of foirfalture to be drawin out of the buikis of adjornall and attentictlie copeit and the kingis majesties great seall to be hung to the same, and siclike that the saidis thrie estatis suld append thair seallis thairto for the fortificatioun, approbatioun and confirmatioun thairof; the quhilk desyir the saidis thrie estatis thocht verie reasounable and be sensament of parliament thocht the same to be done and grantit to append thair seallis to the attentick extract of all foirfalturis baith gevin in parliament and justice courtis. Then incontenent Schir Leves Ballenden of Achnoull, knycht, justice clerk to our soverane lord, produceit the attentick extractes of the domes of foirfalture gevin aganis the saidis umquhill James, sumtyme erll of Mortoun, and William, sumtyme erll of Gowrie, to the effect that the samyn may be put and registrat in the buikis of parliament, to be extractit under oure soveran lordis great seall and the seallis of the thrie estatis as said is. And attour our soverane lord, with advise and consent of the saidis thrie estatis, gaif command to Alexander Hay of Eister Kennett, clerk of his hienes register, to gif out the attentict copy of the saidis domis of foirfalture to pas as said is, under his hienes great seall and under the saidis thrie estatis, of the quhilkis decretis of foirfalture gevin in our soverane lordis justice courtis present it as said is, and subscrivit be the said Schir Leues Ballenden, clerk of justiciarie, and Williame Stewart, youngar, clerk, be commissioun for the tyme respective, the tennour followis.
Curia justiciarie, supremi domini nostri regis tenta et inchoata in pretorio burgi de Edinburgh primo die mensis Junii anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo octuagesimo primo per honorabiles et discretos viros Jacobum Striveling de Keir militem et magistrum Joannem Grahame commissarios in hac parte per commissionem supremi domini nostri regis ac dominorum eius secreti consilii specialiter constiututum ad effectum subscriptum, sectis vocatis et curia legitime affirmata, Jacobus comes de Mortoun dominus de Dalkeith etc. accusatus, calumniatus de arte, parte prescientia, concelatione et non revelatione proditorie murthure quondam nobilissimi et charissimi Henrici regis Scotorum, patris supremi domini nostri regis Jacobi sexti, nomina assise electus, juratus, et admisse super prefato Jacobo comite de Mortoun, viz, Colinus comes Argadie, Joannes comes de Montroise, Andreas comes de Rothes, Jacobus comes de Glencarne, Hugo comes de Eglintoun, Alexander de Suthernland comes, Joannes dominus Maxwell, Georgius dominus Setoun, Jacobus dominus Ogilvie, Jacobus dominus Innermeith, Hugo dominus Somervell, Alexander magister de Levingstoun, Joannes Gordoun de Locchinvar miles, Patricius Hepburne de Wachtoun, Patricius Lermonth de Daruesie miles, Willelmus Levingstoun de Kilsyth miles.
The quhilk day the said James, erll of Mortoun, being indytit and accusit that in the monethis of Januar and Februar in the yeir of God jM vC lxvj yeris, he, accumpaneit with umquhill James, sumtyme erll Bothuell, James Ormistoun, sumtyme of that Ilk, Robert, als Hop, Ormistoun, his fader brother, Johne Hay, sumtyme of Tallo, youngar, Johne Hepburne, callit Johne of Bewtoun, and diversis utheris, his complices, craftelie and secretlie conspirit amangis thame selffis, tratit, devisit and maliciouslie concludit the maist schamefull, detestable and unnaturall murthour and patricide of our soverane lordis umquhill darrest father, Henry, king of Scottis, lawfull spous for the tyme to his hienes darrest mother Marie, than quene of Scotland, and that within the burgh of Edinburgh, palace of Halieruidhous and utheris placeis thairabout; and to the end he micht bring his wikit, filthie and execrable attemptat better to pas, he, with the remanent personis afoirnamit be thame selffis, thair servandis, complices and utheris in thair namis of thair causing, command, hounding, sending, pairtaking, assistance and ratihabitioun upoun the tent day of the said moneth of Februar 1566 yeris at twa houris efter midnycht or thairby, come to the lugeing beside the Kirk of Feild within the said burgh of Edinburgh, quhair oure said soverane lordis darrest fader wes lugeit for the tyme, and thair, be way of hame sukkin, brigancie and forthocht fellony, maist vyldlie, unmercifullie and treasounablie slew and murtherit him, with Williame Tailleour and Andro MacAige, his cubicularis, quhan as they buriit in sleip wes takand the nichtis rest, brint his haill lugeing foirsaid, and rasit the same in the air be force of gun pulder, quhilk alitill befoir wes placeit and inputt be him and his foirsaidis under the ground and angular stanis and within the voltis laiche and darne partis and placeis thairof to that effect and rycht, sua he, with the remanent personis afoirnamit, marrowis of his mischeiff be thame selffis, thair servandis, complices and utheris in thair namis, of thair causing, commanding, hounding, sending and airt, partaking, assistance and ratihabitioun at the tymis foirsaidis respective, gaif thair favour, counsell and help to the preparatioun of the said horrible crymis, and ay sensyne hes simulat, hid, concelit the samyn in maist treasounable and secrete maner, and thairthrow had incurrit the panis of lesemajestie and suld have bene punissit thairfoir with all rigour be tynsell† landis and guidis and be extinctioun of fame, titillis, honour and memorie conforme to the lawis of this realme, likas the remanent personis afoirnamit, his complices and conspiratouris with him in this, his treasounable impieties, wer alreadie tryit and foirfaltit for the same selff hienous and detestable crymis and for the maist part as they culd be apprehendit had sufferit maist shamefull dead thairfoir, according to thair deserving, as at mair lenth is contenit in the dittay gevin in anent the premisis with the takinis and probationis produceit and usit thairwith. Quhilkis being red to the said James, erll of Mortoun, and he answerand thairto, denyit the samyn, be reasoun quhairof the saidis justice deputtis referrit the samyn to the knawlege of the inqueist and assise abonewrittin, quha wes sworne, resavit and admittit in presence of the said erll, and they being furth of court removit and ryplie advisit with the said dittay, takinis infallible and maist evident, with the probationis produceit and usit for verefeing thairof, and thairefter enterand agane in court, they all in ane voce be the pronunceing of the mouth of Johne, erll of Montroise, chancellair, chosin be the said assise, fyllit the said James, erll of Mortoun, of airt, part, foirknawlege and conceling of the treasounable and unnaturall murthour foirsaid. Efter the quhilk convictioun, the saidis justice deputtis, be pronunciatioun of Andro Lyndsay, dempstar of the said court, adjugeit and for dome gaif that the said James, erll off Mortoun, suld be had to ane geibbett beside the mercatt croce of the said burgh of Edinburgh and thair hangit quhill he wer dead, and thairefter drawin, quartarit and demanit as ane tratour, and that all his landis, heretageis, offices and possessionis, takis, stedingis, cornis, cattell, actionis, debtis, obligationis, guidis movable and unmovable, and utheris quhatsumevir quhilkis pertenit to him suld and aucht apertene to our soverane lord and to be applyit to his use be reasoun of escheat of foirfalture, to be uptakin, usit and disponit be his hienes at his pleasour; upoun the quhilk premisis Maister Robert Crychtoun of Eliok, advocatt to oure soverane lord, askit instrumentis and actis of court. Extractum ex actis curie justiciarie antedicte per me Willelmum Stewart juniorem notarium publicum et clericum dicte curie per commissionem dicti supremi domini nostri regis antedicti specialiter electum et juratum sub meis signo et subscriptione manualibus. Ita est Willelmus Stewart junior notarius publicus ac scriba dicte curie. Curia justiciarie supremi domini nostri regis tenta in edificio domine Mar infra burgum de Striveling quarto die mensis Maii, anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo octuagesimo quarto per discretum virum magistrum Joannem Grahame de Halyairdis justiciarum in hac parte virtute commissionis supremi domini nostri regis specialiter constitutum, sectis vocatis et curia legitime affirmata.
†The quhilk day, Williame, erll of Gowrie, lord Ruthven, being presentit and enterit upoun pannell in presence of the said justice and put to the knawlege of ane condigne assise of the rycht honorable personis following, to witt, Coline, erll of Argyill, David, erll of Crawfurd, Johne, erll of Montroise, James, erll of Glencarne, Hew, erll of Eglintoun, James, erll of Arrane, George, erll of Mershell, Alexander, lord Saltoun, Hew, lord Somervell, James, lord Downe, Williame, lord Levingstoun, Patrik, lord Drummound, James, lord Ogilvie, Alexander, maister of Elphingstoun, and Schir Johnne Murray of Tillibardin, knycht, as dilatit and accusit of the treasounable crymis following, wes, be thair deliverance pronunceit be the mouth and deliverance of George, erll of Mershell, chancellair of the said assise, found and declarit culpable and convicte that forsamekill as in the beginning of Februar last wes Maister David Home, servitour to the Erll of Angus, and Maister James Erskyne, servitour to the Erll of Mar, come to him privilie under silence of nycht within the toun of Perth and declarit to him how they wer directit be the saidis tua erllis to certifie unto him that they wer baith of ane mynd in following out and executing of thair treasounable devise in taking of the kingis burrowis of Sterling and Perth, at lest the ane or the uther of thame, at the quhilk tyme he aggreit with thame in maner of the saidis erllis to rin thair cours in taking and fortefeing of the townis foirsaidis, at the least ane or uther off thame; quhair efter the said Maister James Reid bak agane to the said Erll of Angus and assurit him that he had aggreit to thair maist treasounable interprise, and thairthrow he hes committit maist manifest treasoun, not onlie in conceling of ane treasounable purpos of sa greit consequence, bot also mekill mair in consenting and aggreing. Item, fyllit and convict that forsamekill as he understanding that Maister James Erskyne, servand to the Erll of Mar, wes travelland throw the cuntrie in Stratherne, Strivilingshire and Angus, treatand and consultand with the partakeris and assistaris, with the saidis Johne, erll of Mar, Archibald, erll of Angus, Thomas Lyoun, maister of Glammis, and Johnne Carmichaell of that Ilk, youngar, upoun thair treasounable interprise in taking of the kingis majesties frie burgh and castell of Striveling and dyvere uther treasounable purpose, he layit the wayis for the said Maister James and garrit await for him be his servandis that the said Maister James micht be convoyit to him, and efter his cumming to him the said erll enterit in conference with him towardis the treasounable interprise attemptat be the personis abonewrittin towardis the said treasounable surprising and taking of the said [...] and castell, quhilk treasounable interprise they brocht to effect and treasounablie tuik [...] said toun and castell of Striveling, fortefeit and furnissit the said castell with men and [...] quhairthrow he assistit thame in thair treasounable deid foirsaid and wes foirknawin of the samyn, and wes art, part, red and counsell thairof, at least treasounablie concelit the same fra his majestie, contrair to his dewtie and dew obedience. Item, of the disobedience maid be him in not randering of Williame Drummoundis hous in Dundie to my lord of Pettinweme, ane of our soverane lordis previe counsell and capitane of his hienes garde, efter the intimatioun of oure soverane lordis commissioun to him, maid be the said lord commissionair, bot keping the same be the space of thrie houris or thairby thairefter. Item, of committing of ane maist hie treasoun in conceling of ane purpos of wechtie importance, quhairthrow the lyif and estait not onlie of oure soverane lord bot also of his darrest mother be perrellit, quhilk had fallin out gif he had not stayit and impedit it; and sua not onlie maist unnaturallie and treasounablie committing maist hie treasoun in conceling of ane purpois of sa wechtie importance, bot also persisting in the said treasoun be continowance of his silence and not declaring of the said purpos, tending to the perrell of his majesties lyf and estate and, thairfoir, the sentence and dome of foirfalture wes pronunceit aganis the said erll be the mouth of Robert Scott in Striveling, dempstar of the said court, that the said erll suld be tane to the skaffald beside the mercatt croce of Striveling and thair his heid strikkin fra his body and demanit as ane tratour, and that he hes foirfaltit and tint all his landis, heretageis, possessionis, takis, stedingis, offices, lyfrentis, actionis, debtis and utheris guidis, movable and unmovable, to be applyit, uptakin and disponit be our soverane lord at his pleasour and to remane with him and his successouris for ever be reasoun of eschaet and foirfalture, as the proces maid thairupoun beris. Exractum de libris actorum adjornalis dicti supremi domini nostri regis tanquam sententia forisfacture dicti comitis per me Ludovicum Bellenden de Achnoull militem clericum justiciarie eiusdem generalem sub meis signo et subscriptione manualibus, Ludouicus Bellenden clericus justiciarie.