[A1573/1/9]¹

Approbatiouon of the actis and procedingis done in name and be authoritie of our soverane lord and of the invaliditie of all thingis attemptit in name or be culour of ony uther auctoritie sen his hienes coronatioun²

Forsamekle as sen the coronatioun of the kingis majestie, oure soverane lord, divers rebellious insurrectionis, tressonable conspiraceis, oppin hostiliteis and disobediences hes bene raisit aganis his hienes, his auctoritie and regentis, tending to the subversioun of Christis³ religioun, the deposing of his majestie from his royall crowne and the confusioun of the haill estate of the commoun weill of this realme; for resisting and repressing of the quhilkis tressonable, rebellious and dangerous interprysis and salftie and preservatioun of our soverane lordis innocent persoun, his regentis, nobilitie and estatis professing his obedience hes bene oftymes constranit to use the proces, judgement and executioun of his hienes lawis, as alswa force and hostilitie aganis his hienes declarit tratouris, rebellious and disobedient subjectis, thair assistaris and pertakeris. Thairfor, it is statute and ordanit be oure soverane lord, with avise of my lord regentis grace,⁴ the thre estatis and haill body of this present parliament, that all processis, judgementis and executiounis of his hienes lawis led, gevin and maid in his majesteis name, criminallie or civilie, sen his hienes coronatioun foirsaid, outher in parliamentis, privie counsall, justice courtis, sessioun and college of justice, checker or befoir the schireffis, stewartis, bailleis, provestis, aldermen and bailleis of burrowis and utheris, judgeis and ministeris of lawis quhatsumever, and all deidis of hostilitie, in raising and conductioun of men of weir, battellis, conflictis and utherwayis, cuinyeing of money, taking and fortificatioun of townis, castellis, palices, places, housis and policeis, birning, distructioun and demolisching thairof, intelligences, treateis and contractis maid with quhatsumever foreyn princes or thair lieutennentis or ministeris, inbringing of strangeris in the townis and utheris partis of this realme, intromissioun with money, munitiounis and movabill guidis, uptaking of rentis, taking and detening of presoneris, ransounis, butingis, raising of taxtis, impositionis and utheris quhatsumever, done be our soverane lordis regentis, nobilitie and utheris subjectis professing his obedience aganis the saidis declarit tratouris, rebellis or dissobedient subjectis, thair assistaris and pertakeris quhatsumever, at ony tyme sen our said soverane lordis coronatioun, and befoir thay obtenit remissiounis thairfoir, as alswa all intromissioun with ony of thair levingis, gudis, geir, plenissingis or utheris being than within thair housis or upon thair landis or rowmes, notwithstanding quhatsumever assignatioun, tytle or entres that ony utheris personis may acclame or pertend thairto⁵; and declaris that all that fallowit or sall happin to follow thairupon hes bene, is and in all tyme cuming salbe repute, haldin and estemit as lauchfully done and as gude and profitable service for his majestie, tending to the preservatioun of the estait of Christiane religioun, the royall persoun and crowne of our soverane lord,⁶ resisting and repressing of his saidis rebellious and inobedient subjectis and quyeting of the cuntrie; and that the saidis regentis and nobilitie and utheris subjectis, thair assistaris and pertakeris, sall incur na skaith or danger thairthrow in thair personis, landis or gudis, nor sall not be callit nor accusit for the samin criminallie nor civilie be ony maner of way in tyme cuming, dischargeing be this present act all and sindrie his majesteis judges and ministeris of his lawis present and to cum thairof, and of thair offices in that part for ever. And this act to be amplie extendit and interpreit in the favouris of all sic as professit or soverane lordis authoritie and obedience aganis thame quhilkis war disobedient thairto, their assistaris and partakeris.⁷ And in lyke maner it is declarit and decernit be our said soverane lord, his derrest regent, the thre estatis, and haill body of this present parliament, that all pretendit process, judgementis and executiounis of lawis, criminall or civill, outher in pretendit parliamentis, counsall or befoir schireffis, stewartis, bailleis, provestis, aldermen, bailleis of burrowis or utheris judges or ministeris of lawis quhatsumever, in name or be cullour of ony uther auctoritie sen our soverane lordis coronatioun foirsaid, hes bene, is and in all tyme cuming salbe repute, haldin and estemit as unlauchfull, usurpit, vane and of na force, strenth nor effect, and to have na kinde of executioun for ony tyme bygane or to cum without ony proces of reductioun.⁸⁹