[1598/6/17]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The quhilk day our soverane lord and thrie estaittis presentlie assemblit, considdering the greit service done be James, archbischop of Glasgow not onlie to his majesties umquhile derrest mothair of guid memorie bot also to his majesties self, and considering the greit luif and affectioun the said archibischop hes borne and beiris towardis his majestie and native contrey and the greit honouris done to his majestie and contrey be the said archibischop in exerceising and useing the office of ambassadoir this lang tyme bygane, and that his majestie hes employit the said archibischop and is to employ him in the said office of ambassadoir for treatting of greit and wechtie effairis with foreyne kings and princes concernyng his majestie and his successouris greit honour, profeit and commoditie and advancement of the haill realm and eschewing of manyfold appeirand dangeris and inconvenientis quhilkis may ensew, quhilk office the said archibischop is and hes bene maist willing evir to accept upoun him upoun his greit, large and exhorbitant expenses; and seing the said archibischop is throw the deceis of oure soverane lords darrest mothair destitute of the greittest pairt of his moyen and rent quhairby he susteinit the office of ambassadour and did the effairis of the contrey, not onlie to oure soverane lords greit honour and contentment bot also to the greit honour, advancement and support of the haill leigis resortand to thease pairtis, preferring continewallie oure said soverane lord, his effairis and intentioun, the estait of the commoun weill of Scotland, the advancement and support of the haill leigis resortand to the pairtis of France to his awin particulare commoditie. In consideratioun quhairof, our said soverane lord can not gudlie of his honour employ the said archibischop without he be dewlie and lauchfullie provyidit to ane sufficient moyen for susteining of the burding and rank of the said office of ambassadoir, quhilk can not be sa easilie done and perfyitit as now be restoiring of the said archibischop to his honoris, digniteis, benefices. Thairfoir his majestie and thrie estaittis foirsaidis be thir presentis restoiris the said archibischop to his heritagis, honoris, digniteis, benefices, offices, landis, rowmes, portiounes, actiounes quhilkis at ony tyme evir perteinit to him of befoir within the realm of Scotland, and that notwithstanding of quhatsumevir dome and sentence of foirfaltour, decreit of barratrie, horneing, actis of parliament and consall, excommunicatioun, and declairis the act and benefite of pacificatioun maid at Perth in the moneth of Februare in the yeir of God jM vC thrie scoir twelf yeiris, ratifeit in his hienes parliament in the moneth of Apryll the yeir of God jM vC lxxiij yeiris, and the act of pacificatioun and abolitioun maid at Linlythgow in the moneth of December the yeir of God jM vC lxxxv yeiris, and the act maid in the moneth of Julii the yeir of God jM vC lxxxvij yeiris in favouris of thame that wes banischit, trubillit or exyllit sen the kingis majesties his umquhile mothair of guid memorie returning to Scotland, to be extendit to the archibischop and he to injoy and haive the haill effect and commoditie of the saidis actis alsfreilie in all sortis and respectis as gif his name wer per expressum contenit in the saidis actis and as ony of oure soverane lordis leigis bruikis and joyssis the samyn, notwithstanding quhatsumever actis of parliament and counsall, statute, ordinance or law maid or to be maid in the contrair quhilkis may stay or impeid the said archibischop to bruik, joyse and posses the benefit of the saidis actis. And speciallie dispensand with ane act of parliament maid in the moneth of Junii the yeir of God jM vC four scoir twelf yeiris, be the quhilk it is declairit that na personis salbe hard to seik the said benefite bot sic as hes acknawledgit his majesties authoritie and religioun presentlie profest within the realm; anent the quhilk act and act of ipso facto maid aganis beneficeit personis and all utheris actis and statutis foirsaidis, oure said soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis dispenses, and declairis that the said archibischop suld enjoy his haill heritagis, benefices, digniteis, honouris, rowmes, actiounes and portiounes notwithstanding that he hes never maid confessioun of his faith and notwithstanding that he hes never acknawledgeit the religioun profest within this realm, anent the quhilk his majestie and thrie estaittis be thir presentis dispenses, and that the said archibischop sall nawyis be subject to the making of the confessioun of his faith nor to penaltie nor penalties that may result upoun the not making of the samyn dureing the haill tyme of his remaneing furth of the contrey and for ane yeir efter his returneing. And for his bettir securitie, ordanis lettrez in all the four termes to be grantit and direct at his instance aganis quhatsumevir persone or personis, bruikaris and possessaris of his heritages, benefices, lands, rowmes, portiounes for possessing of him thairto, answering and obeying of him of the rentis, proffeittis and emolumentis thairof of all yeiris and termes heirefter alsfrilie in all sortis and respectis as thai wer and micht have bein at ony tyme at the instance of quhatsumever persone or personis restoirit be the said actis of pacificatioun and parliament abone specifiit, and that lettres of publicatioun be heirupoun direct.