[1592/4/63]¹

Committee members: privy council

The nominatioun and establisching of oure soverane lordis privie counsaill

²Oure soverane lord, considdering that sindrie of the noblemen and utheris nominat to be of his hienes privie counsaill in his last parliament ar departit this lyff or utherwayis distractit be sindrie occasionis frome ordinar attendance thairupoun, thairfoir, and to the effect that the effayres of the commoun weill of the realme and of his majesties service may be the mair cairfullie providit for in tyme cuming, his hienes hes nominat and electit his privie counsaill of the personis efter following; that is to say, of noblemen John, lord Hammiltoun, Williame, erll of Angus, lord Douglas and Abirnethie, David, erll of Craufurd, lord Lindsay, George, erll Merschell, lord Keith, Johnne, erll of Montrois, lord Grahame, Johnne, erll of Mar, lord Erskin, Williame, erll of Mortoun, lord Dalketh, Andro, erll of Rothes, lord Leslie, James, erll of Glencarne, lord Kilmaweris, beside Ludovik, duke of Lennox, erll Darnelie, lord Torboltoun, Methven and Aubigny etc., to have acces and vote quhen he pleiss; and of the baronis, knichtis and gentlemen, Schir Johnne Gordoun of Lochinvar, knicht, Schir Hew Campbell of Terrinzeane, Schir Johnne Murray of Tullibardin, Colene MacKenzie of Kintaill, Maister George Lauder of Bass, Schir Alexander Bruce of Airth, Maister David Carnegie of Culluthie, Schir Johnne Carmichaell of that Ilk and Alexander Hume of Northberuik; and of the officiaris of estait, Johnne, lord of Thirlestane, chancellair, Walter, commendator of Blantyre, kepair of the privie seill, Schir Robert Melvill of Murdocarny, knicht, thesaurair, David Seytoun of Parbroth, comptroller, Maister Robert Douglas, provest of Lincluden, collectour generall, Alexander, lord of Spynie, vicechalmerlane, Schir George Hume of Prynroknowis, knicht, maister of the garderobe, Schir James Melvill of Halhill, knycht, and Maister Peter Young of Seytoun, elemosinar, with the maister of requestes, secretar, justice clerk, advocat and clerk of register, bot to have acces and vote thairin quhen thay ar present or beis send for, quha being ordinar officiaris of the estait as alsua senatouris of the college of justice may nocht attend dalie in privie counsaill. Off the quhilkis haill personis abonespecifiet, nyne salbe alwayes subject to mak residence tua moneth togidder, that is to ilk ane the thrid pairt of the yeir, and to the geving of ony decreit or concluding of ony mater of importance, sevin salbe ane sufficient number, and towardis the speciall tymes of thair attendance thay sall accord among thame selffis thairanent befoir thai depart furth of Edinburgh, quhilk counsall sall convene dalie quhen thay sitt or hes occasioun of effayres at aucht houris befoir nune and remane togidder quhill denner tyme, and na sitting to be at efternune, and at rysing sall alwayis appoint the day of thair nixt sitting; and all lettrez chargeing men to compeir befoir the privie counsaill for ony caus, salbe a speciall peremptour day in the oulk, and the proces befoir the privie counsaill salbe alwayes peremptour in tyme cuming; nane salbe permittit to remane in the counsailhous fra the counsell be sett doun, bot his majesties self quhen he plesis and sic as ar of the chosin number of the counsaill, except Maister George Young and the clerk of the counsaill, tua of the ministeris and tua of the burrowis salhave acces to the counsell to meane, propone and reasone in ony caus concerning thair estaitis quhen thay have occasioun to crave the same. This counsaill sall not be augmentit or alterit except throw occasioun of death, dimissioun or deprivatioun of sum of the number, quhill the nixt parliament, and in cais of death or deprivatioun of ony, his majestie sall nominat and admit ane uther of the lyk estait. To this counsaill his majestie committis the providence, cair and diligence of handling his effayres, particularlie to everie officiar of estait in his propre charge, and generallie to the guid advise of thame all that salbe present, and willis that in absence of the chancellair the kepair of the privie seill, or failyeing of him, the thesaurair, sall propone the mater and collect the voitis; and his hienes promeisis to use and follow thair guid advise and to suffer nane to interveine betuix his hienes and thame in the credite of thair offices, lyk as the chosin counsallouris present faithfullie promeis to attend upoun his hienes during the space appointit and to gif his majestie thair best advise and counsaill in all thingis tending to his hienes honour, proffite and commoun weill of the realme. And his majestie ordains his effectuus lettrez be writtin to samony of his said counsaill presentlie nominat and elected as ar now absent, requiring thame to accept the places quhairunto thay ar nominat and elected, and to attend thairupon at the tymes appointit to thame as thai will declair thair guid affectioun towardis his hienes service and commoun weill of the realme, or utherwayis to returne thair certane answeris betuix and the xv day of Julii nixtocum, that incais of thair delay or refuis, his majestie may appoint utheris in thair rowme of like estait and qualitie. Everie ane of the saidis counsallouris sall preceislie keip the first day of that moneth appointit for thane to conveine, and not depairt during the space of tua full monethis togidder thaireftir without a maist urgent caus, knawin and admittit baith be his majestie and lordis of the privie counsaill present, and the personis departand upoun knawlege and licience sall procuir utheris in counsaill of the lyk estait to supplie thair absence during thair remaning away for the subscriptionis of signatouris and lettres be his majestie; his hienes admonisches all personis to forbeir to present ony to his majestie or to urge him to subscrive thame except his four ordiner officeris to quhais charge it appertenis or thair depuittis allowit off be his hienes: that is to say, the thesaurair, controllor, collectour, everie ane of thame in thingis belanging to thair propre offices, and the secretair or his depute all maner of uther writtis, except the actis or lettres past in privie counsaill to be presentit to be subscryvit be the clerk thairof, quhilk salbe haldin to be answerable that the signatouris and lettrez quhilk thai procure to be subscryvit ar in guid forme and not aganis his hienes honour and proffite; and all lettres and wreittis that salbe presentit be the secrettair, he sall signe with his subscriptione under his majesties or in his absence sall signe the same on the bak and that it be past under his hienes casshett or utherwayis not to be admittit as autentik quhairevir thay be presentit; and gif ony persoun sall present or use ony lettre or write utherwayis nor is presentlie ordanit, it salhave na faith nor be admittit, bot the purchessaris and usaris of the same salbe estemit and persewit as falsyfearis thairof. Oure soverane lord, with advise of his saidis estaitis, ordanis and commandis the saidis four ordinar officiaris to aggrie among thame selffis quhat dewlie and properlie appertenis to everie ane of thair offices, that na abuse nor contemptioun remane in default thairof, or gif thai can not aggrie that way, thay salbe haldin to underly the jugement of the counsaill present for the tyme.