[1585/12/29]¹

Licence given to the advocates to treat and consult with the persons forfeited concerning their restitution

²Our sovereign lord and his three estates of parliament ratify and approve the letters given under his highness's privy seal, of the date 24 November 1585, giving licence, power and faculty to certain persons lately forfeited to convene their friends and others of wisdom and judgement for their advice and council in the restitution of them against their said forfeitures, as in the letters aforesaid at more length is contained; and our said sovereign lord and three estates declare the said letter to be as sufficient to all intentions as if the [...] of the parliament had been interposed thereto; and further our said sovereign lord and his said three estates ratify and approve all things done and consulted by virtue of the said letter, of the which the tenor follows:

James, by the grace of God, king of Scots, to all and sundry our lieges and subjects whom it concerns whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting. Forasmuch as we, for certain great and weighty considerations moving us, are of will and mind to restore and rehabilitate our right trusty cousins John [Hamilton], lord Hamilton, Archibald [Douglas], earl of Angus, lord Douglas and Abernethy and certain others, with their posterity, as shall be contained in the said restitution, whereupon we are minded to make them all security needful, and to that effect necessary it is that they have the advice and consultation of their most trusty friends and others of good knowledge and experience to that effect, therefore we, with express advice of the lords of our secret council, have given and, by these our letters, give full licence, faculty and power to whatsoever person or persons whose council and advice shall be craved concerning the said restitution and rehabilitation, to travail, solicit, and give their advice and council thereto as shall seem most necessary for the effect aforesaid, with the which they, nor none of them, shall incur no penalty nor fault, notwithstanding our late act of parliament or any other our laws or constitutions made in the contrary. Moreover, we ordain and declare that this our present licence shall be of as great force and effect to all and sundry persons who shall be employed in the premises as if they were expressly named in these our letters, which, with all that shall follow thereupon, we promise shall be ratified and approved in this our running parliament, given under our privy seal at our palace of Linlithgow, 20 November 1585 and of our reign the nineteenth year. By signature by the hands of our supreme lord the king and lords of the privy council underwritten.