[1571/8/18]¹

Concerning the escheats of the persons coming to the [king's obedience]²

³Item, forasmuch as the common quietness and good of this realm [cannot be] more hindered than by the continuance of the inward troubles and civil dis[sention] that so long has lasted within the same, and as it is godly and for the good [of] the king's majesty and the commonwealth to remove and put away all occasions of discord, so in particular it is thought convenient by [John Erskine, earl of Mar], my lord regent's grace, and three estates and whole body of this present parliament that the escheats and goods of the persons now coming to his highness's obedience, that is to say, Archibald [Campbell], earl of Argyll, lord Campbell and Lorne etc., Hugh [Cunningham], earl of Eglinton, lord Montgomery etc., Gilbert [Kennedy], earl of Cassilis, lord Kennedy etc., Robert [Boyd], lord Boyd, their kin, friends, men, tenants, servants and others specified and contained in their remissions, granted and to be granted to them for the crimes contained therein, shall rest, cease and in no way be taken up by his majesty, his treasurer or by the persons, donators thereto, for any crimes objected to them in the common cause of resisting his highness's authority and not obeying and serving the same in time bygone since his highness's coronation, or for any cause or crime depending thereon; and therefore it is statute, ordained and declared by my said lord regent's grace, with advice of the said three estates and whole body of this present parliament, that the escheats of the said persons now coming to the obedience of the king's majesty, our sovereign lord, in respect of common quietness to be had hereafter, and eschewing of all occasions of discord, shall remain with the said persons, present possessors and owners of the said escheats, notwithstanding the said crime of the common cause of resisting of our sovereign lord's authority and not obeying and serving the same in time bygone since his highness's coronation, or any cause or crime depending thereon, or any process led against the said persons therefore in time bygone; the effect whereof, by virtue and authority of this present act, is decreed and declared to be void and of no value, strength nor effect hereafter, without any process of special reduction or other declaration to follow thereupon; and likewise [it is decreed] and declared that all goods and debts, orderly and lawfully in[tromitted with, by virtue] of the said gifts of escheats in time bygone before the date [hereof, shall remain] with the donators in time coming; and in like manner all [pains and penalties for] non-entering of the said persons now coming to the kin[g's obedience to] underlie the law in time bygone, for matters touchin[g the said common] cause of resisting his highness's authority, or depending [thereon, are simply] discharged by virtue of this present act.