[1579/10/58]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and his three estates of this present parliament, perfectly remembering and understanding that in August 1567, our said sovereign's late dearest uncle James, earl of Moray, lord Abernethy, was nominated, constituted and elected regent to his majesty, his realm and lieges, and the said election, constitution and acceptance of the said office by the said late James, earl of Moray was by his highness, with approbation and consent of the estates convened in parliament, decreed lawful and sufficient, and that whatsoever things the said James, earl of Moray, regent, had done by virtue of his said office, or which he should do thereafter in his majesty's name and authority, to be as duly, lawfully and righteously done and to have as great value, strength and effect in all respects as anything done by whatsoever regents or governors of this realm in the minorities of any other native princes of the same, and that the said late Earl of Moray, for due administration of the said office and defence of his majesty and his highness's authority and bringing of his rebels and disobedient subjects to their due obedience, took great care, travail and diligence and not only spent and disbursed all and whatsoever revenues or other profits which may be brought in pertaining to his majesty, either in property or casualty, beside the thirlage of his own living and the rents of his proper dependence, for the advancement of our sovereign lord's service, but also many times, both day and night, exposed his own body and life with other noblemen and faithful subjects aforesaid, ever continuing in the upright and diligent administration of his office to his life's end and until his death was conspired and perpetrated by certain most treasonable conspirators in January 1569 [1570]. Therefore, in respect of the manifest truth and notoriety of the premise, our sovereign lord and estates aforesaid, by this present act, decree and declare that the said late James, earl of Moray, sometime regent to his majesty, his realm and lieges, duly, valiantly, justly and diligently used and exercised the said office of regiment and all affairs, causes and charges thereto pertaining and concerning the same continually from the time of the acceptance of the said office to the time of his decease, and in all his proceedings and doings the time of his government and regiment kept and observed a true, just, upright and valiant part toward his majesty, his authority, realm and lieges in all affairs thereof, without offence or fault; and therefore ratify and approve all and whatsoever things done by him in the same, and exonerate and discharge Elizabeth and Margaret Stewart, daughters and heirs of the said late Earl of Moray, Dame Anna Keith, his widow and executrix, Colin [Campbell], earl of Argyll, lord Campbell and Lorne, chancellor and justice general of this realm, Robert [Stewart], earl of Lennox, lord Darnley, and Sir James Stewart of Doune, knight, curators to the said Elizabeth, for their interest, and the said Colin, earl of Argyll, tutor dative to the said Margaret, for his interest, their heirs, successors and assignees of all and whatsoever facts and things done by the said late earl and others in his name whatsoever in the administration of the said office of regiment and during all the time and space of the same, and also of all sums of money, jewels, moveables, mails, ferms, profits, rents, revenues and duties, both of his majesty's proper patrimony and casualty of this realm, and profit of his majesty's coin, thirds of benefices and whatsoever other goods or gear, as well unnamed as named, pertaining or that in any way might have pertained to his highness enduring the time aforesaid, intromitted with by the said late Earl of Moray, his servants and factors in his name and all action and instance that may be raised as a lawsuit and pursued against his said daughters, heirs, widows and executors aforesaid, their heirs, executors, successors, assignees or any others by his occasion in any way concerning the premises or any part thereof; providing always that this present discharge and ratification in no way prejudices our said sovereign lord concerning his general revocation of those things that come under the same, and also that this present act be in no way prejudicial to our sovereign lord for recovery of all such jewels as were not engaged nor sold by the said late James, earl of Moray, but that his highness may recover the same from the persons, possessors thereof, as he thinks expedient.