[A1596/12/21/3]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Those sitting as on the day before.
[A1596/12/21/4]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, with advice of his nobility, secret council, session and exchequer, having advisedly considered the cruel and barbarous attempt committed within the burgh of Edinburgh upon 17 December instant against his majesty's royal person, his nobility and council, being as it were besieged within the tolbooth thereof by the violence of a rascal multitude in arms at the instigation of certain seditious ministers and barons convened and sworn to join hand in hand in their treasonable and violent enterprise, to his majesty's dishonour and hazard of the lives of such of his council as they had emboldened their hands to murder without any just cause, the example whereof being so rare and preparative, so perilous whereof the like had never been heard of within this nation at no time heretofore, least that the impunity thereof should encourage others of better calling upon whatsoever pretext by disregarding his majesty's authority or power, not able to punish appropriately one so heinous an assassin, the neglecting whereof might bring forth no small birth of indignities no less dishonourable to his majesty's estate, nor perilous to his royal person; for repressing thereof, and to the effect that his majesty not only may enjoy the customary liberty of his crown, his nobility and council be the better assured without regard of any person in boldness to acquit their charge to his majesty's profit and honour, but also that all men of whatsoever degree or condition may be terrified hereafter to attempt the like, his majesty, with advice foresaid, has declared and declares that the foresaid enterprise attempted and committed by the persons and at the place and time in manner foresaid was most treasonably undertaken against his majesty's person, his nobility and council then present for the time; and statutes and ordains all the devisors, executors, councillors and partakers or that shall hereafter protect, fortify, maintain or assist any of the said devisors, executors or any of their accomplices by help or supply, consent or sanction such a criminal act have and shall incur the pain of treason in the most high degree thereof, to be punished and demeaned thereof, they and their posterity as treasonable traitors called and convened for that. Which declaration his majesty, with advice foresaid, ordains to be inserted in the books of secret council and session for perpetual memory, to be ratified and approved by our said sovereign lord and his three estates at the next parliament. And ordains letters of publication to be directed hereupon for publication of the premises at all places needful in the appropriate form.