[1612/10/47]¹

Exoneratioun to the Erll of Ergile off his commissioun to Ilay

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, understanding that his majestie, having a speciall cair and regard that the haill iles and heichland of this realme micht be reducit to obedience and the inhabitantis thairof moved to imbrace a godlie, civile and quiet forme of leving, his majestie for that, owt of the good proofe and experience his hienes had of the affectioun and willing dispositioun of his majesties richt traist cousing Archibald, erll of Argyle, lord Campbell and Lorne etc., to employ his panes and travellis and to hazard his persoun in his hienes service, gaif sindrie commissiounes of lieutenandrie and instructiounes to the said earll within the boundis foirsaid, and sometymes verball directiounes and instructiounes for executioun of his majesties will; in the executioun of quhilk commissiounes, directiounes and instructiounes the said Archibald, earll of Ergyle, maist wyslie, discreitlie and worthelie hath behaved him selff, and for the executioun wherof he was often tymes forced, besyde his awin friendis, men, servandis and dependars, to convocat his hienes liegis in armes, to persew and assedge houses, to rais fyre, commit slauchters, herschippis and uther dedis of hostilitie; and his majestie, being alwayes of mynd and intentioun that the said Archibald, erll of Argyle, nor nane utheris, his kyn, freindis, vassellis, men, tennentis, servandis nor utheris being in thair cumpanye the tyme of the executioun of the saidis commissiounes, sall onywyse incur ony cryme, perrell, danger, domage or inconvenient in thair bodyes, landis, heritage, takkis, stedingis, rowmes, possessiounes, goodis or geare in ony tyme cuming, thairfore his majestie and estaittis foresaid of this present parliament decernis, declaris, statutis and ordanis that all and sindrie slauchters, mutilatiounes, bloodscheddis, fyre raisingis, dimolisching and destructiounes of houses, biggingis, plantingis, polices, reiffis, oppressiounes, depredatiounes, spuilyeses, ejectiounes, intrusiounes, wrongfull intromissiounes, contraventiounes and all uther crymes, offenses, wrongis, facts, dedis, actiounes and interpryses whatsoevir criminall committit or assistit to be the said earll, his kynne, freindis, vassellis, men, tennentis, servandis, dependers, partakers or be ony uther persoun or persounes whatsoevir of thair cumpanie, directlie or indirectlie, aganis whatsoevir persoun or persounes in thair bodyes, landis, houses, rentis, policeis, rowmes, possessiounes, goodis or geir within the said iles or ony part thairof, or in the reparing or returning to and frome the said iles in ony tyme bygane before the dait heirof, togidder with all decretis and sentences following thairupoun, and all actiounes criminall alreadye moved or intented or quhilk may be onywyse moved or intented at any tyme heirefter aganis the said erll or his foirsaidis, thair heiris, executouris or successouris, or any of thame, directlie or indirectlie, for the causes abone mentioned, or any of thame committed or assistit to be thame as is abone specifeit, with all that hath followit or may follow thairupoun, to be now be the authoritie of this present parliament and to be in all tyme cuming, extinguisched, expired, remitted, discharged, abolisched, buried, awaytakin and put in perpetuall oblivioun simpliciter and for evir. Lykeas his majestie and estate foirsaid, be the tennoure heirof, extinguisches, dischargis, abolisches, buries, awaytakis and puttis the same in perpetuall oblivioun simpliciter, for now and evir in all tyme cuming, and decernis, declaris and ordanis that na actioun, processe nor executioun salbe intented, moved, used or persewed criminalie be any maner of way in the premises, directlie or indirectlie, aganis the said erll, his kynne, freindis, vassellis, men, tenentis, servandis, dependers, assisters, partyes, partakers or uthers being in thair cumpanie, nor thair heiris, successours nor executours in any tyme heirefter, dischargeing the lordis of his hienes counsale and sessioun, secrete counsale, justices, schireffis, advocattis and all uther judges and ministers of law within this realme, masers and officers of armez and uther officers whatsoevir off all calling, accusing, atteaching, arreisting, summoning, persewing, troubling, proceding against or onywyse molesting of the said earll or his foirsaidis or ony uthers of thair cumpanies for the premises or concerning the samyn or for any thing that hes followit or may follow thairupoun, and of thair offices in that part, simpliciter and for evir.