[A1567/12/18]¹

Anent the retentioun of our soverane lordis motheris person

Item, anent the artickle proponit be the erlis, lordis and uther nobill men quha tuik armis at Carbarrie Hill upon the xv day of Junii last bypast, and anent thair conveningis of befoir and of the cause of the apprehensioun of the quene, mother to our soverane lord, and quhidder the saidis nobill men and utheris quhilkis tuik armis of befoir hir said apprehensioun and quhilkis joynit with thame and assistit thame at that tyme, or ony wayis sensyne, has done the dewithie of nobill men, gude and trew subjectis of this realme, and na wayis offendit nor transgressit the lawis in that effect, or ony thing depending thairupon, outher preceding or following the samin; our soverane lord, with avise of my lord regent and thre estatis and haill body of this present parliament, hes fundin, declairit and concludit and, be this present act, findis, declairis and concludis that the cause and occasioun of the conventiounis and messageis of the saidis erlis, lordis, nobill men, barronis and utheris faithfull and trew subjectis, and consequentlie thair taking of armis and cuming to the feildis with oppin and displayit banneris, and the cause and occasioun of the taking of the said quenis person upon the said xv day of Junii lest bypast, and halding and detening of the samin within the housis and fortalice of Lochlevin continuallie, sensyne, presentlie and in all tyme cuming, and generallie all uther thingis inventit, spokin, writtin, or done be thame, or ony of thame to that effect sen the tent day of Februar last bypast, upon the quhilk day umquhile Henry, king, than the said quenis lauchfull husband and our soverane lord the kingis derrest father, was tressonablie, schamefullie ane horriblie murthourit, unto the day and dait of this present act and in all tymes to cum, tuicheing the said quene and detening of hir person, that the cause and all thingis dependand thairon, or that ony wayis may pertene thairto, the intromissioun or disponing upon hir propirtie, casualiteis or quhatsumever thing pertening, or that ony wayis mycht pertene to hir, wes in the said quenis awin default, in sa far as be divers hir previe letteris, writtin halelie with hir awin hand and send be hir to James, sumtyme erle of Bothwell, cheif executour of the said horribill murthour, asweill befoir the committing thairof as thairefter, and be hir ungodlie and dishonourabill proceding to ane pretendit mariage with him, suddandlie and unprovisitlie thairefter, it is maist certaine that scho was previe, airt and pairt of the actuall devise and deid of the foirnamit murthour of the king, hir lauchfull husband and father to our soverane lord, committit be the said James, sumtyme erle of Bothwell, his complices and pertakeris and, thairfoir, justlie deservis quhatsumever hes bene done to hir in ony tyme bygaine, or that salbe usit towardis hir for the said cause in tyme cuming, quhilk salbe usit be advise of the nobilitie, in respect that our said soverane lordis mother, with the said James, sumtyme erle of Bothwell, yeid about be indirect and colourit menis to colour and hald bak the knawlege of the treuth of the committaris of the said cryme, yit all men in thair hartis war fullelie perswadit of the authouris and devysaris of that mischevous and unworthie fact, awaiting quhill God sould move the hartis of sum to enter in the querrell for revengeing of the samin; and, in the menetyme, ane greit pairt of the nobilitie, upon just feir to be handlit and demanit in semblabill maner as the king had bene of befoir, persaving alswa the quene sa thrall and swa blindlie affectionat to the private appetyte of that tyrane, and that baith he and scho had conspyrit togidder sic horribill crueltie, being thairwith all garnissit with ane cumpanie of ungodlie and vitious personis, reddy to accomplische all thair unlauchfull commandementis, of quhome he had ane sufficient number continuallie awaiting upon him for the samin effect, all nobill and vertuous men abhorring thair tyrannie and cumpanie, bot cheiflie suspecting that thay, quha had sa tressonablie put downe and distroyit the father, sould mak the innocent prince, his onlie sone, and the principall and almaist onlie confort send be God to this afllictit natioun, to taist of the samin coup (as the mony inventit purposis to pas quhair he was, and alswa quhair the nobill men war in), be thair oppin confusioun, gaif sufficient warning and declaratioun, quhairthrow the saidis erlis, lordis, barronis and utheris faithfull and trew subjectis taking armis, or utherwyse quhatsumever joyning and assisting in the said actioun, and in the saidis conventiounis, displaying baneris and cuming to the feildis, taking and retening of the quenis person, asweill in tymes bypast as heirefter, and all utheris that hes thairefter, or sall in ony tyme cuming, adjoyne to thame, and all thingis done be thame, or ony of thame, tuicheing that cause, and all uther thingis depending thairon, or that ony wayis may appertene thairto, the intromissioun or disponing upon hir propirtie or casualiteis, or quhatsumever uther thingis pertening, or ony wayis mycht appertene to hir, was in default of hir self and the said James, sumtyme erle of Bothwell, and be the horribill and cruell murther of our said soverane lordis umquhile derrest father, conspyrit, devysit, committit, conseilit and colourit be thame and not condignelie puneist according to the lawis; and that the saidis erlis, lordis, barronis and utheris trew and faithfull subjectis convening at ony conventioun bygane and now presentlie efter the said murthour, for furthering of the tryell thairof; and als thay, and all utheris that war on the feildis, tuik armis, apprehendit, held, keipit or detenit, or presentlie haldis, keipis or detenis hir person, or sall thairefter, or that hes jonit or assistit or sall in ony tyme heirefter joyne to thame in that querrell tuicheing the premissis, ar, war and salbe innocent, fre and acquyte of the samin, and of all actioun and cause, criminall and civill, that may be intentit or persewit aganis thame, or ony of thame thairfoir in ony tyme cuming; and that ane pairt of the thre estatis foirsaidis, prelatis, bischopis, greit barronis and burgessis gaif thair seillis thairupon to be usit as salbe thocht maist expedient be thame for the honour of the realme and securitie of the nobill men and utheris havand entres in the said cause; and decernis this declaratioun to be na wayis prejudiciall to the issue of our soverane lordis mother, lauchfullie cumin of hir body, to succeid to the crowne of this realme, nor thair airis.