[1578/7/1]¹

Declaration: the king and the estates of parliament

The declaration of the king and estates of the freedom of this parliament

Forasmuch as it was murmured and meant by some evil advised persons, our sovereign lord's lieges, opponents of his grace's government and rule of this realm and lieges thereof in his own person, and of the holding of this present parliament within the castle of Stirling, whereby it was alleged that there was no free access nor liberty to the said lieges to freely repair and resort to our said sovereign lord, his three estates and lords of the articles to communicate in such affairs as were treated therein, albeit the contrary thereof be well-known and that all our said sovereign's lieges had, and have, free access thereto, and none stopped to come to his highness nor to the said lords to that effect; therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates of this present parliament, has declared and declares the same to have been, and to be, a free and public parliament where all his lieges had, and have, free access, liberty and freedom to resort and repair to the said castle where the same is and was held who pleases to come thereto, without stop, trouble or interruption.