[1605/6/32]¹

²Anent foirfaltit persones

Oure soverane lord, perfytlie understanding that the dew punischement inflictit to tratouris and rebellis, and the rewardis richtlie distributit to³ faithfull and weill deserveing subjectis incourages the better sorte in weill doing and is ane terrour to the ewill disposit to give withgait to thair inclinatioun; in consideratioun thairof, with advyse and consent of the estaittis of his hienes parliament, ratefeis, appreves and perpetualie confermes the processes, sentences and domes of foirfaltouris led, deducit and pronuncit aganis Francis, sumtyme erle Bothuell, umquhile Johne, sumtyme erle of Gowrie, and umquhile Maister Alexander Ruthven, his brother, thair memorie, togidder with the actis maid anent the inhabilitie of the posteritie of the saidis tratouris, and decernis, declaris, statutis and ordinis that the gratious restitutioun to be gewin be his majestie or ony of his successouris to ony persone or persones alreadie foirfaltit sen his majesteis perfyte age, or quha in ony tyme cumming sall happin lauchfullie to be foirfaltit be his majestie or ony of his successouris, or to thair airis or thair successouris, sall nawayes hurte or prejudge ony of his hienes subjectis in the richt and securitie obtenit, or to be obtenit, be thame or ony of thame of the landis, possessionis, takkis, richtis, gudis or geir pertening to the saidis foirfaltit rebellis and fallin to oure said soverane lord or his successouris be thair rebellioun and foirfaltour, bot that the samin landis, possessionis, takkis, richtis, gudis and geir quhatsumevir fallin to his majestie in maner foirsaid and lauchfullie disponit be his hienes, or heireftir to be disponit be him or his successouris to ony of his or thair faithfull subjectis, sall perpetualie remane with and appertene to the ressaveris of the securitie and dispositioun thairof, nochtwithstanding the said gratious restitutioun to be obtenit be the saidis foirfaltit persounes or thair airis or successouris, quhilk salbe na forder extendit nor have na forder force nor effect bot for the rehabilitatioun of thair persones alanerlie, and nawayes to be extendit to the landis, possessionis, takkis, richtis, gudis or geir pertening to thame befoir thair foirfaltour and lauchfullie disponit to ony of his hienes obedient subjectis at sic tyme as the indoubtit richt thairof stude in his hienes persone, fallin and becum in his majesteis handis be vertue of the said foirfaltour. And becaus the persones foirfaltit, thair bairnis and freindis in prejudice of his hienes donatouris and utheris his majesteis obedient and duetifull subjectis, abstractis and absentis the evidentis, takkis and securiteis of the landis, rowmes and possessionis of the saidis foirfaltit persones, it is thairfoir statute and ordanit that nochtwithstanding the abstracting and absenting be ony persones of the evidentis, takkis and securiteis of the landis and possessionis quhilkis pertenit to ony foirfaltit persones, and quhairof the richtis being ather disponit or confermit be his majestie, the saidis dispositionis or confirmationes ar extant in his hienes register, that the extract thairof furth of the register sall be als gude and sufficient titill and richt to his majesteis donatouris and utheris his obedient and dewtyfull subjectis haveing richt thairto for bruiking and joising the saidis landis and possessionis as gif the principall and originall evidentis, takkis or securiteis wer yit extant, and that the saidis evidentis and securiteis sall nocht be decernit to mak na faith or to be improvin for nocht production of the originall and principall, the saidis extractis or confirmationes being producit be his majestie or his donatouris and utheris foirsaidis, and they being content to abyd at the veritie of the deid and tryell nocht onlie of the treuth of the confirmatioun, bot also at the treuth of the wrytt quhilk is insert in the confirmatioun quhairof the principall is abstractit.