On the second day of parliament
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The parliament of the most excellent prince James, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, held in Edinburgh on 15 October in the year of the Lord 1612 by the noble and most powerful Lord Alexander [Seton], earl of Dunfermline, lord Fyvie, etc., by virtue of the commission of 20 September in the year of the Lord 1612 at Theobalds, and all the estates of the realm of Scotland, together with William Hay for the constable, James Stewart for the marischal, Master Robert Learmonth for the sheriff of Edinburgh, and David Hamilton, dempster. Suits were called and the court affirmed.
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The which day Sir William Oliphant of Newton, knight, advocate to his majesty, produced in presence of the whole estates then presently convened the commission underwritten, under the great seal, of the date at Theobalds, 20 September 1612, of which commission the tenor follows:
James, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland etc., defender of the faith, gives greetings to all loyal subjects of our realm of Scotland to whose notice this letter happens to come. Let it be known that, keeping in view the large number of things necessary for the utility of our realm of Scotland, we have ordained that a parliament and convention of the estates of our said realm should be held on 12 October next, with continuation of days, at Edinburgh, where it will not be possible for us to be involved on account of diverse serious works of our realms and monarchy, to the extent that it is necessary to replace our absence by an illustrious and noble man of shining honour and dignity to represent our person and royal authority. Since we have a very clear view of the loyalty, prudence, nobility and other most laudable qualities of our beloved and loyal kinsman Alexander [Seton], earl of Dunfermline, great chancellor of Scotland, and his suitability to undertake this most honourable role, we have therefore designated, established, ordained and named the said Alexander, earl of Dunfermline as our commissioner and deputy in the said parliament while the said convention takes effect. We wish the said commissioner to represent our royal person, and expedite everything which shall seem necessary or appropriate for the honour and standing of its supreme court, both in the normal process of taking oaths for the said court of parliament, fining absentees, choosing lords of the articles, and displaying and presenting to the estates of our said realm the articles and pleas signed or to be signed by our hand which are brought to him or to the keeper of our archives, and also interpose to them (all and singly) at the assent and authority of our royal chapter what we have decreed and decided should happen with the consent of the said estates. We likewise grant to our said commissioner the authority to do everything else for the conduct and completion of the said parliament, as lawfully and in absolutely the same form as our beloved kinsmen and councillors Ludovic [Stewart], duke of Lennox, the late John [Graham], earl of Montrose or George [Keith], earl Marischal as our commissioners did or were able to do in our parliaments of our said realm (which have not been so held for a long time), or any of them, in accordance with the tenor, force and efficacy of this commission of ours in all respects. Therefore we instruct and order all our subjects, all and singly, of whatever condition or rank, to treat the said Alexander, lord of Dunfermline, our commissioner and representing our person at the time of the said parliament, with due honour and reverence, and we have ordained that this commission shall be valid for as long as our said parliament happens to last, and no longer. In testimony of this we have instructed that our great seal be applied to the present document, at our palace of Theobalds, on 20 September in the year of the Lord 1612, and in the forty-sixth and tenth years of our reigns respectively; by the signature of the hand of our supreme lord the king and signed by the hands of the lords of his privy council. Upon the production of which commission, the said Sir William Oliphant, advocate, asked instruments.
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On the same day, the lords elected to the articles