[A1571/9/6]¹

Procedure: articles concerning the regency

In the first, sen the eternall God of his greit mercy, eftir the sounding of the trumpet of his blissit evangell throwchout this haill realme, for the glory of his awin name, hes sa oft and evidentlie deliverit ws fra diversis and mony dangearis, quilkis in all appearance to man wer inevitabill, it becumis that the honour of his godlie name be preferrit all erthlie and temporall thingis. Thairfoir the said Johnne, erll of Mar sall expreslie profes and avow the trew religioun of oure God as it is now publictlie precheit within this realme, conforme to the haly word and establissed be plane act of parliament, and sall gif ayth thairupoun. And to that effect, he and the saidis nobilitie, counsall and estaittis sall concur in the manteinance and promoting thairof and in all sic thingis belangand thairunto, conforme to the lawis alreddy establissed for the same effect and all utheris thingis concerning the polecie and governament of this realme.

[A1571/9/7]²

Item, the saidis nobilitie, counsall and estaittis sall concur with the said lord regent to oure said soverane lord in the furthsetting of justice equalie and indifferentlie to this haill liegis and subjectis of the realme, according to the lawis thairof, alsweill in the civile and criminall effaris, without gruge of thame or solistatioun in the contrair.

[A1571/9/8]³

Item, seing it is maist notour that not onelie ar the pouer liegis of this realme oppressit and heriit be thevis, oppressouris and utheris, bot als the haill estaittis of the same ar out of frame and ordour that gudelie it can not lang continew and be ane realme without haistie remeid be put thairto; thairfoir the said counsall, nobilitie and estaittis sall accumpany and remane with the said lord regent, tutour to oure said soverane lord, in sic places as salbe thocht expedient, quhill the kingis majesteis authoritie salbe universallie establissed and recognoscit throw the haill realme; quhilk being brocht to pas, that thaireftir ane ressonabill nowmer of the saidis lordis sall accumpany him and await on the counsall, be quhais avise the haill effairis of the commoune weill may be ordourit.

[A1571/9/9]⁴

Item, forsamekill as the publict offices of this realme ar the principall nervis and synnowis quhilk joynis the haill body and retenis and kepis the same in ordour, quhilkis being confoundit and out of frame, the haill consequentlie mon dissolve and cum to nocht, it is fund, thairfoir, meit and convenient that sic men be placeit in the saidis offices as ar upricht, of gude jugement and ar apt and meit to brouke, the qualitie of the persoun, without respect, being onelie regarded and all utheris presentlie placeit in the same (quhilk the law will permit) tobe removit thairfra, sua that all thingis may gang fordwart uniformelie, quietnes may be kepit and the pure subjectis easit thairby.

[A1571/9/10]⁵

Item, sen the kingis majesteis hous, with his estate and the hous tobe kepit for his regent and for the counsall, and the expensis tobe maid upoun the commoune effairis of this realme, mon be furneist and sustenit upoun the revenewis of the croun, the counsall and nobilitie sall tak ordour for performing of all thingis requisite in that behalf during the tyme of my said lord regentis grace. And becaus thir thingis mon be done upoun the offices of the thesaurare and comptrollare, quhilkis now ar altogidder in confusioun, thairfoir the saidis lordis sall tak sic ordour with the officiaris that the offices may be usit ordourlie and quietlie in tymes cuming, without grudge or trubill.

[A1571/9/11]⁶

Item, thai have consentit and condiscendit that na remissioun nor respett be grantit to ony maner of personis for ony murtheris, vyle slauchteris or utheris crymes equivolent thairto, committit sen the kingis coronatioun or tobe committit during the tyme that it sall pleis God to burding the said lord regent with the charge foirsaid, nor yit sall thai reisset, manteine privatlie nor opinlie ony fugitives fra the law for the saidis crymes.

[A1571/9/12]⁷

Item, quhen my said lord regent, with avise of the said counsall and nobilitie, sall endevoir him self to the promoting of the glory of God, executing of justice and keping of the realme in quietnes, nane of thame sall grudge thairat ony maner of way, bot sall assist him in the just executioun of the lawis aganis quhatsumevir persoune or personis rebelland aganis oure soverane lord and contravenand the lawis, alsweill within the realme as outwith.

[A1571/9/13]⁸

Item, becaus the revenew of the croun is diminisit be the dispositioun thairof in tymes bipast, and that the chargeis quhilkis ar tobe sustenit thairon ar greit and mony, thairfoir my said lord regent, in dispositioun of the casualiteis, sall gif na part thairof gratis without avise of the saidis nobilitie and counsall or the maist part of thame that beis present, nor suffer na part of the propirtie of the croun unlauchfullie disponit and gevin furth to remane with the personis quhome to it is gevin and disponit aganis the law, bot sall caus the same be recoverit be ordour of law and justice.

[A1571/9/14]⁹

Item, my said lord regent faythfullie promittis that in na tyme cuming during the tyme of his charge and office he sall contract with ony foreyne princes towart peace, weare, the state of oure soverane lord, his hienes mariage nor transporting of his persoun furth of the place quhair he is presentlie to ony part or places within this realme or outwith the same; nather sute the libertie of the quene, his moder, nor yit sall speak hir, wrychte to hir or have ony intelligence with hir, without avise and consent of the nobilitie and secreit counsall present, or maist part of thame.

[A1571/9/15]¹⁰

Item, that all personis ellis forfaltit and utheris aganis quhome summondis of treasoun or proces of forfaltour is dependand sall na wayis be restorit, nor the summondis or proces dependand; nather ony of thair landis, heretages, offices or possessionis quhatsumevir disponit be the said lord regent; nather yit ony remissionis, respettis, pardonis or relaxationis quhatsumevir grantit be him to the said personis quhilkis ar, or salbe, suspectit or delatit for the cruell and horribill slauchter and murthour of the king, oure soverane lordis fader, and his regentis, nor setting up of ane uther authoritie incontrair the authoritie alreddy establissed during my said lord regentis charge and governament, without the avise and consent of the saidis lordis of secreit counsall, presentlie professing the king and his authoritie, or the maist partt of thame. And in caise ony sic remissionis, respettis, pardonis, relaxationis or dispositiones quhatsumevir be gevin or grantit, that the same salbe null and of nane avale, and that na seillis be ansuerit thairto and na lettres nor executoriallis be grantit thairupoun.

[A1571/9/16]¹¹

Item, that the said lord regent sall endevoir him self to observe and keip peace with all kingis and princes, freindis and consideratis of this realme, and specialie the godlie peace betuix the quenis majestie of Ingland and this realme, and sall not pas furth of this realme during the tyme of his said office without speciall avise and consent foirsaid.