Ratificatioun of the assent of the estaitis for treating and concluding of a league with the Quene of England

Oure soverane lord, with advise of his thrie estaitis convenit in this present parliament, ratefeis, apprevis and confermis the power, privilege, consent and auctoritie quhatsumevir competent to the saidis estaitis, gevin and grantit to our soverane lord, his counsall or sic thairof as his majestie sall cheis, for treating, conferring, contracting and concluding of ane league and confederatioun with his derrest sister and cousine, the Quene of England, at Sanctandrois, the fyft day of Julii bigane, of the quhilk the tennour followis:

We, the nobilitie and estaitis presentlie convenit, understanding the course of the present proceidingis in foreyn partis, and that diverse princes and potentactis terming thame selffis Catholickis haif joynit thame selffis under the Papes auctoritie in a maist unchristiane confederacie aganis the trew religioun and professouris thairof, with full intent to persecute thair ungodlie resolutioun with all severitie, not onlie within thair awin statutis and dominionis, bot also in uther places and kingdomes quhair thai can pretend na lawfull power nor auctoritie to deale, a practize of lang projectit thocht heirtofoir cuninglie conductit and now at last, be oppin and joint forces of mony confederatis, planelie manifested to the warld quhat hes alwayis bene intendit be formare coverit and craftie coursis, quhilkis now thay have begun to put in executioun in diverse places with werrie hard effectis. And sen it had plesit God of his infinit mercie to blis this realme with the sinceritie of his holy Gospell (the defence quhairof is the maist just and lawfull caus that Christianes can mantene), na thing is moir requisite then not onlie to unite oure selffis sinceirlie and trewlie and joyne our haill powaris, forces and meanis quhilkis God hes grantit us under oure maist religious and Christiane soverane, for the better assurance of oure awin state and mair peceable injoying of sa greit a benefite of God, bot alsua for withstanding of sa pernitious and dangerous a course generallie intendit aganis all trew professouris of the treuth, it is necessar that a generall league and confederacie of all princes and staitis sincerlie professing the evangell wer opponit to the ungodlie conspiracie of the enemies of Goddis trewth, and speciallie that the crounis of Scotland and England, naturally jonit be blude and habitatioun and religioun, and thairby alike subject to the malice of commoun enemeis, be quhais union na less suirtie may be expectit to baith thair estaitis then danger be thair divisioun, wer inseparably united be mair firme and stricte league then hes bene heirtofoir betuix ony princes, their progenitouris, alsweill of the preservatioun of thame selffis as alsua for the better mantenance of trew, ancient and Christiane religioun quhilk thai now professe, aganis all that sall attempt onie thing aganis thame for the professioun and mantenance of the said religioun. We, thairfoir, the nobilitie and estaitis undersubscrivand, considerand the greit and urgent necessitie of the said league and how the same may be na langar protractit nor without parrell differit to a mair solempne conventioun of the haill estaitis in parliament, and reposing oure selffis upoun [...]discretioun, wisdome and circumspectioun and maist ernist zeall borne be the maist noble and michtie prince King James the Sext, oure soverane lord, to the advancement of the said religioun and mantenance thairof, haif thairfoir, for us and in the name and behalf of the haill estaitis of this realme quhais bodie in this conventione we represent, fullilie gevin and grantit, like as be the tennour heirof we, for us and in name foirsaid, gevis and grantis to oure said soverane lord, his counsale or sic thairof as his majestie sall chuse, oure full power, privilege, assent and auctoritie quhatsumevir competent to us and estaitis foirsaidis to treat or caus treat, confer, contract and conclude the said Christiane league and all pointis, heidis, clausis and articlis thairof betuix his majestie and his hienes dearest sister and cousine, the Quene of England; and to nominat and appoint comissioneris to that effect, to meit at sic tyme and place as his hienes sall aggrie unto with comissioneris to be direct from his dearest sister of alike in rank and honour, quhais electioun, nominatioun and instructionis we have remittit and heirby remittis to oure soverane lord, and quhatsumevir his majestie sall aggre unto and quhatsumevir the saidis commissoneris sall promeise, contract, intend, subscrive or seale toward the said league and articlis thairof, aggreing with thair instructionis, we, for us and in name foirsaid, now as than and than as now, ratefeis, apprevis and confermis and, be the tennour heirof, be oure greitest and solempne athis upoun oure faith and trewth, promisis to allow, appreve, ratefie and conferme be oure consentis in the nixt parliament, without questioun or contradictioun quhatsumevir, providing alwayis the said league be without infringeing or prejudice in onie sort to onie formare league or alliance betuix this realme and onie ether auld freindis and confederatis thairof, except onlie in materis of religioun, quhairanent we do fullie consent the league be defensive and offensive and do solempnitlie avow in quarrell and mantenace thairof nather to spair lyves, housis, guidis, geir or quhatsumevir it hes plesit God to grant us. In witnes quhairof, in presence of his hienes, we have subscrivit thir presentis with oure handis at Sanctandrois, the last day of Julii, the yeir of God jM vC fourscoir and fyve yeiris. Sic subscribitur, P. Sanctandrois, Robert, archebishope of Glasgow, Peter Rollog, bischop of Dunkeld, James, erle of Arrane, lord Avane and Hamiltoun, chancellar, Robert, erle of Marche, Jhonn, erle of Athoill, George, erll Merschale, Jhonn, erle of Montrois, thesaurair, Andro, erle of Rothes, Robert, commendatair of Deir, William, commendatair of Dryburgh, Alexander, commendatair of Culross, Henrie, commendatair of Balmerinoch, Walter, abbot of Kinloss, William, commendatair of Pittinweme, Patrik, commendatair of Lundoris, Walter, commendatair of Blantyre, Laurence, lord Oliphant, Henrie, lord Sinclair, Patrik, lord Gray, James, lord of Down, Patrik, maistir of Gray, Schir Jhonn Maitland of Thirlstane, knicht, secretair, Andro Wod of Largo, comptrollair, Alexander Hay of Eister Kennet, clerk of register, Henrie Nisbet, commissioner for Edinburgh, George Hereis, commissioner for Edinburgh, Robert Forrestar of Boquhane, provest of Striviling, commissioner for the said burgh, William Norvel, commissioner of Striviling, Patrik Lermonth of Darsie, commissioner for Sanctandrois, Alexander Scrimgeor, commissioner of Dundie, William Duncane, commissioner of Dundie, George Cochrane, commissioner of Air, James Cokburne, commissioner of Hadingtoun, Robert Rorvat, commissioner of Glasgw, Johne Kircaldie, commissioner of Kingorne, Robert Hay, commissioner of Kircaldie, Johne Ramsay, commissioner of Carrell, James Andersoun, commissioner for Cowper.

  1. NAS, PA2/13, ff.38v-39v. Back
  2. 'P.' written in margin. Back
  3. Silently corrected to 'staittis' in APS. Back
  4. APS interpolates 'the' in place of a word that is unclear. Back