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The quhilk day Patrik, maister of Gray, commendatar of Dunfermling, compeirand in presence of the kingis majestie, his nobilitie and esteatis assembled at this present conventioun, and Schir Williame Stewart, sone lauchfull to Andro, lord Stewart of Uchiltree, comperand alswa personalie, thay having bene confrontit of befoir in presence of his majestie and his prevey counsall upoun the occasioun of the dilatioun and accusatioun following, and thaireftir baith committit to warde within the castell of Edinburgh quhill this present conventioun of the saidis esteatis, the said Schir Williame, now as of befoir, accuseit the said Maister of Gray how he, within this yeir bipast, had delt and travellit in France for sindrie mataris prejudiciall to the trew religioun presentlie professit be our soverane lord and his gude subjectis and establissed be law, cheiflie to have libertie of conscience to use sic forme of religioun as servit every manis appetyte, incontrare the tennour of the actis of parliament, and to this effect gave grite perswasionis and speciall instructionis to the said Schir Williame to deale with certane personis in France, namelie Freir Gray, Mr James Tyrie, Jesuite, and the Erll of Westmureland, banissed oute of England for religioun, and als to have delt be moyane with the pape and the king of Spayne, that thair ambassadouris or commissionaris mycht have bene directit to the king of France and Duke of Gwyse, willing thame to grant na ayde to the king of Scotland without he gave libertie of conscience to all the Catholikis in his bounds, for the quhilk travell it wes spokin and devisit be the said maister how the said Schir Williame suld have ressavit sowmes of money. Item, that the said Maister of Gray had travellit in mataris quhilkis gritlie [...] disturbit the estate of the realme, quhairin gif his travellis had tane effect [...] bene endangerit, committing thairthrow the cryme of tressoun and specialie trafficq [...] to perswade his majestie [...] as the said maister suld have perswadit [...] to apply to his tressonable [...] usit be the young laird of [...] that ever wissit his hienes weill, honnour and standing, nawayes myndit to be applyable to the devise of sa infamous a persoun. And seing that first devise not in apparance effectuall, that the said maister, upoun suddentie, devisit the secund, to witt, the death of Schir Johnne Maitland of Thirlstane, knycht, his majesteis secretare and vice chancellair, Schir James Hume of Coldenknowis, knycht, capitane of the castell of Edinburgh, and Mr Robert Douglas, provost of Lynclowden, collectare-generall, all of his hienes prevey counsall, and that, be eirnist perswasioun of the said Schir Williame, to mak his brother the lait chancellair concur with Johnne, erll of Mortoun, lord Maxwall, quhome the said maister affermed that he had maid to that purpois, appointing thame to cum [with] the nowmer of fourscoir horssis to Lauder, and thair inclois the saidis counsallouris in the thak hous quhairin thay wer till thay had bene gottin to be usit according to the cruell appetyte of the persewaris, as wes devysit be the said maister, thinking thairby that, sa money of his majesteis counsall being takin away be tyme, the said maister wes the abillare to bring his fetcheis to point concerning the disturbance of relligioun, his majesteis persoun and the estate of the realme and commounweill. Item, that the said maister had counterfute his majesteis stamp in his hands, and specialie that the said counterfute stamp wes putt be the said maister to twa letters writtin with his majesteis awne hand, quhilkis letteris contenit credite to the said Schir Williame to treate in certane mataris concerning his hienes honnour and the weilfair and estate of the cuntrey; and the same credite the said Schir William wes perswadit be the said maister to use to ane uthir sense altogidder, contrare his majesties directioun, speciallie willing the said Sir Williame to perswade the king of France to grant na assistance of men to our soverane lord at this tyme, schawand that, gif men suld be send in Scotland at his hienes desyre, it wald bot trouble the Catholickis and malcontentis with the estate present, albeit in treuth the said maisteris fetche in the matar wes for the only caus following, to witt that, the tyme of his consenting to death and murthour of the queen, his majesteis darrest moder, for the sumptuous gratitudis and rewardis quhilk the said maister had ressavit in England, thairfoir he wes undir speciall band and conditioun still to proceid in his formare tressonable dealing, and at the uttermost of his possibilitie to stop and stay his majestie frome the ayde and concurrence of uthiris foreyne princes, and alswa, giff the said Schir Williame suld crave money at the king of France, it suld bot mak thame stark quha ar enemeyis and hes the handilling of this estate presentlie. Upoun quhilkis all pointis the said Maister of Gray being severalie inquirit and demandit in presence of his majestie and his saidis nobilitie and esteatis, and his ansueris and allegationis hard and undirstand be thame, questionis being formed upoun the foirsaid accusatioun be the saidis esteatis and layd to the charge of the said Maister of Gray, he grantit the foure pointis following: first, that he had writtin to the quene of England aboute the moneth of August last bypast, without his hienes knawlege or command, beiring in effect that iff the quene of England culd not persave hir awin securitie untaking his majesteis moderis lyff, quia mortui non mordent, yet it wer nawayes meit that the same wer done oppinlie, bot rather be sum quietare meane; secundlie, that he had travellit with sum of France to move oure said soverane lord upoun necessitie to grant libertie of conscience; thridlie, the making and using of his majesteis stamp in maner befoir rehersit; and fourtlie, that he had travellit for the rebellioun and troubling of this present estate; all quhilkis foure crymes wer fundin be the kingis majestie and his saidis esteatis to be tressonable and worthie of all hieast punishment; and it wes fund superfluus and neidles to lead ony forder pruffe aganis him in this instance; and that thairfoir the said Schir Williame, as having onlie mellit in the mater for oure soverane lordis service, suld be sett at libertie and merited rewaird, and the said maister, as gilty, to be usit according to his majesteis will and pleasure. The saidis esteatis maist humelie and eirnistlie making intercessioun to his majestie for spairing of the said maisteris lyffe, as also his heritage, upoun his gude and deutifull behaviour towardis his majestie in tyme cuming, quhilk being maist gratiouslie and favourablie grantit be his hienes, the said Maister of Gray thaireftir voluntarlie confessit twa uthir pointis, to witt that he had travellit for the alteratioun and troubling of the present estate; the uthir point following, to witt that he had travellit for the staying and hindering of oure soverane lordis mariage with the king of Denmarkis dochtir, fearing gif his hienes suid allya with ony Christeane prince professing the said trew religioun, that it suld disturb the intentioun and travellis of the said maister and his complices, with quhome the said Schir Williame, for the caus abonewrittin, suld have delt. Attoure, his majestie, with avise of the saidis esteatis, decernis and declairis that, in cais the said maister or ony of his kin, freindis, allya or servandis, sall presume or attempt ony violent deid or invasioun aganis the said Schir Williame for the caussis foirsaidis, that thairby thay salbe alyke culpable of the haill crymes foirsaidis as the said maister himself, and ordanis letters to be direct for publicatioun heirof at the mercatt croceis of the heid burrowis of this realme and uthiris placeis neidfull, that nane pretend ignorance of the same.