[1599/7/10]¹

Legislation: private act

Act in favors of the Countesse of Mar

Forsamekle as the kingis majestie, remembering the worthy, honorable and memorable service done to his hienes be his hienes umquhile richt trustie and weilbelovit counsallour Johne, erle of Mar, his hienes regent, and be his richt traist cousignes Dame Annable Murray, countesse of Mar, his relict, in the cairfull and diligent attendance and vertuous educatioun of his hienes royall persone fra his infancie to the acceptatioun of the governement on his awin persone,² quhairin thay sua worthelie dischargit thame selffis, notwithstanding the manyfauld trublis intervening in that tyme, as thay have acquirit and registrat to thair posteritie a perpetuall praise, honnour and commendatioun worthie of dew rememberance. The consideratioun quhairof, besydis innumerable uthairis guid offices done to his hienes be his said cosignes and be his hienes richt traist cousigne and counsallour Johne, erle of Mar, hir sone, quha honorable and dewtifullie assisted hir efter his said umquhile fatheris deceis in that worthy service, hes moved his majestie to mak chois amangis all his nobilitie of his said cousigne the erle of Mar and of his said mother to commit unto thame the custodie and educatioun of the prince, his derrest sone, Henry, prince of Scotland, quhairin thay, and especiallie his hienes said cousignes, without respect or regaird to hir aige, helth of hir body or particular effaires, hes sua cairfullie with grit panis and travellis dischargit hir selff be continuall attending upone the prince be the space now of fyve yeiris bigane, that he is now become, prasit be God, helthsome and weill disposit in his persone and endewit with all uther princelie qualities efferand to his aige, to the grit confort of his majestie and of his haill realme. And now his majestie understanding that his hienes said cousignes is become of grit aige, haveing hir bodie waist and extenuat be hir former service, sua that now the course of nature refuises hir strenth and habilitie of persone ony langer to indure hir accustumat travellis and panes, and his majestie being laith now in hir grit aige to overburdene hir with hir accustumat travellis, but rather to present unto her all gude occasioun quhilk may procure hir rest, ease and confort, and with that to gif hir ane approbatioun and allowance of hir bipast service to be honorable and thankfullie rewairdit and rememberit as occasioun salbe offerit, thairfoir his majestie, with advise of the lordis of his secreit counsall and estaitis presentlie convenit, findis, declairis, affermes and testifeis that his said cousignes the Countess of Mar and hir servandis quha assistit and accumpaniet hir in all the procedingis of hir bipast service and performing of the charge of the nutriture and preservatioun of his hienes awin persone during his minoritie and of his derrest sone the prince unto this tyme, hes done his majestie and the haill cuntrie trew, thakfull, worthy and guid service without spott, negligence or reproche, and duelie accomplisched hir charge sen the acceptatioun thairof to the full lyking, satisfactioun and contentment of his majestie, his counsall and of all his guid subjectis; and thairfoir ratifeis, allowes and apprives all hir said procedingis in the charges abonewrittin, and exoneris and relevis hir of all farther attendance upone that chairge of the keiping of the prince in tyme cuming; and promises in the word of a prince to caus thir presentis be ratifeit and approvin be his estaittis in his nixt parliament. And becaus the commoditie hes not bene presentit to his majestie to gratifie and rewairde his said cousignes as scho hes worthelie merite and as his hienes is maist willing to sie be done, and in cais it salhappin (as God forbid) that scho be preventit be deathe afoir sum occasion of hir rewairde be offerit, his majestie, with advise of his said counsall and estaitis, faithfullie promittis in the word of a prince to giff and dispone to Marie Erskin, dochter lawfull to the said cousing the erle of Mar, sic honourabill and worthy rewaird and rememberance as the bipast worthy service of his said cousignes hes merited, to be als frelie and liberallie extendit to the said Marie as gif his said cousignes wer onlyve; and that furth of the reddiest of his majesties casualities or uthairwayes as the occasioun sall present, sua that alwise the worthy actionis of his hienes said cousinges sall not be foryett nor ungratelie and unthankfullie rememberit.