[A1570/3/1]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The lords of secret council and others of the nobility and estates being convened for taking order in the affairs of this commonwealth, amongst other matters being careful of the king's majesty's preservation and good education, and considering how necessary the attendance of Mr George Buchanan, master of St Leonard's College within the university of St Andrews, upon his highness shall be, and that it is requisite that the said Mr George withdraws himself from his charge of the said college if he makes continual residence with his majesty, in no way willing that the same college and youth being therein shall be destitute of rule and good instruction through the said Mr George's absence, he therefore, compearing personally in presence of the said lords of the council, nobility and others of the estates above-written, at their desire and of his own will and proper motive, demitted and gave over his charge and place of master of the said college in favour of his well-beloved Master Patrick Adamson, and no otherwise, of whose honesty, qualification, literature and sufficiency to administrate the said charge and place not only the said Mr George but the said lords, nobility and estates have good opinion and known experience. And, albeit the presentation, nomination and admission of the master of the said college pertained of old to the priory of St Andrews, yet the same right and patronage presently appertains to our sovereign lord, as well by reason of the laws of the realm as because the priory of St Andrews is presently vacant, destitute of a prior or commendator; and seeing it tends to God's glory and the advancement of the commonwealth that good letters flourish and increase, and that any delay in not placing and admitting a qualified and sufficient master to the said college may greatly prejudice and hinder the same, and give the students occasion to cease their studies and withdraw themselves, the said lords, nobility and estates therefore, in respect of the present necessity, in our sovereign lord's name, received the said Master George's demission, and thereupon received and admitted the said Mr Patrick to the said charge and rule of the said college of St Andrews as principal master thereof, with all immunities, privileges, commodities and duties belonging to the same, just as the said Mr George or any other masters of the said college used and enjoyed the same of before; and ordain that he is to be answered and obeyed therein in time coming, and no other, and requesting the council and session to grant him letters to that effect, if need be. Furthermore, the said Mr George made and constituted his well-beloved [...], jointly and separately, his very lawful and undoubted procurators in his name, to compear before whatsoever persons having or that shall happen to have authority and power to receive resignations, and they are to make the said demission anew in favour of the said Mr Patrick, and no otherwise, if the same shall be requisite, whereupon he asked acts and instruments.
A well-attended convention begun at Edinburgh on 12 July 1570 and sitting until 17 July is described in some detail in English reports sent south, to be found in abridged form in CSP Sco., iii, 264-70. The main business at hand was the election of Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox as regent and the conditions to be imposed on his office. No official record is known to have survived.