[1600/11/56]¹

²Ratificatioun in favouris of the Countes of Mar anent the discharge of hir duetie in bringing up of the prince

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament ratefeis, appreves and, for his hienes and his successouris, perpetualie confermis the act of conventioun underwrittin maid in favouris of his hienes richt trest cousignes Dame Annabill Murray, countese of Mar, eldar, finding, declairing and testefeing that scho and hir servandis quha assistit and accumpanyit hir in all the procedeingis of hir bipast service and performing the nutriture and preservatioun of his majesties awin persone during his minoritie and of his darrest sone the prince hes done to his majestie and the haill cuntrey trew, thankfull, worthie and gude service without spott, negligence or reproache, and dewlie accomplisched hir charge sen the acceptatioun thairof to the full lyking, satisfactioun and contentment of his majestie, his counsaill, estaittis and of all his gude subjectis, and thairfoir ratefeing, allowing and appreving all the saidis procedingis in the charge abonewrittin and exonering and releving hir of all forder attendance upoun the charge of keiping of the said prince in tyme cumming, promesing in the word of ane prince to caus the said act be ratefeit be his estaittis in parliament. And becaus the commoditie hes nocht bene presentit to his majestie to gratifie and rewar said cousignes as scho hes worthelie merete and as his hienes is maist willing to sie be done, and incais it salhappin (as God forbid) that scho be preventit be death befoir sum occasioun of hir reward be offerrit, his majestie, with advyse of his counsaill and estaittis, faythfullie permittit in the word of a prince to gif and dispone to Marie Erskyne, dochter lauchfull to his hienes richt trest cousing, Johne, erle of Mar, sic honorable and worthie reward and remembrance as the bipast worthie service of his said cousignes hes meretit, to be als frelie and liberalie extendit to the said Marie as gif his hienes said cousignes wer on live and that furth of his majesties reddiest casualteis or utherwayes as the occasioune sall present, sua that alwayes the worthie actiounes of his said hienes cousignes sall nocht be forgett nor unthankfullie rememberit, as the said act of secrete counsaill and conventioun of the date the fourtene day of December, the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir nyntene yeiris, mair fullelie contenis, and all and sindrie heidis, articlis and clauses specefeit in the said act.