[A1597/1/6/6]¹

Petition: of the lords auditors of the exchequer

Supplicatioun of the lordis auditouris of the chekker

The quhilk day, in presence of the kingis majestie, his nobilitie, counsall and estaitis presentlie convenit, compeirit personalie Alexander, lord Urquhart, for him self and in name of the personis underwrittin, his colligis, and gaif in the supplicatioun subscryvit with thair handis contening the dimissioun in his hienes handis of the commissioun of his majesteis chekker, with all privelegeis pertening thairto, dessyring that the same supplicatioun micht be registrat in the buiks of secreit counsall, to the effect mentionat thairin. Quhilk dessyre his hienes and the saidis lordis finding ressonabill, hes ordanit and ordanes the said supplicatioun to be registrat in the saidis buiks to the effect foirsaid, off the quhilk the tennour followis: Soverane lord, unto youre majestie your hienes, nobilitie and lordis of secreit counsall, humlie schawis, we, youre g[races] servitouris, the commissionaris of youre hienes excheker undersubscryvand, that quhair it pleisit youre hienes abone ane yeir syne to appoint us to be commissioneris of youre hienes excheker and to have the gyding of youre majesteis rentis, quhilk burding we have assayit and borne out for the space of ane yeir with grit difficultie, quhill sensyne it hes pleisit youre majestie to burdein us with the effairis of youre majesteis secreit counsall and criminall justice, by and attour oure officeis in the sessioun and the commissioun anent the governing of the quene, youre majesteis derrest bedfellow, hir leving and rent acceptit be us with ane solemne aith lang ofbefoir; quhairby albeit we be maist willing to continew in youre majesteis service, quhilk we sall nevir leve for na perrell nor difficultie salang as it sall pleis youre majestie to accept of the same, yit persaving samony burdingis to be imponit to us that it is unpossibill to us or ony man to sustene the same, or to dischairge faithfullie the halff thairof, thairfoir, be the tennour heirof, we maist humblie dimittis and ovrgevis in youre majesteis handis the said commissioun of the exchekker, with all privelegeis, feis and casualiteis pertening thairto, to the effect youre majestie, with the guid advys of the honorabill nowmer of nobilitie presentlie convenit, may provyd utheris to accept that burding for the space of ane uther yeir as we have done, or langar at youre majesteis pleasur, quhairin thay sall have all the help, fortherance and assistance quhilk lyis in oure wittis and pouer to assist thame. Lyk as we ar maist willing and reddie to be imployit ather in this or ony youre majesteis service with utheris of the nobilitie and qualifeit men to be pairttakaris of the burding with us, and sall serve thairin sa far as oure powar possiblie will extend. And we are content and consentis that this oure dimissioun be actit and registrat in the buikis of secreit counsall ad futuram rei memoriam. In witnes quhairof, we have subscryvit thir presentis with oure handis at [...] the [...] day of Januar the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir saxtene yeiris. Sic subscribitur, Seton, Urquhart, Blantyre, M. J. Lyndsay, M. J. Elphingstoun, M. T. Hamiltoun, Maister Johnne Skene, P. Young.