WE the Nobi­litie and vtheris the Kingis Maiesties fa­ithfull subiectis mouit laitly to repair to his presence: and to remane with him for resisting of the grit dangeris appearing to the trew religioun & professouris thairof, to the Kings awin persoun estate and Croune. And to the commoun welth of this cuntrey, willing that the groundis and occasiounis of all our procedingis be maid patent and ma­nifest to all our Souerane Lordis trewe Liegis and guid subiectis, quhairthrow the prosequutioun of this our godly and honest cause may tak the better effect to the glorie of God, the cheif and onlie authour thairof, and to the releif & com­fort of yis puir afflicted commoun welth Haif thocht it maist meit & expedient to publishe and diuulgat the iust and neces­sar causis, mouing vs to prouide for a gud [Page] and godly redres & reformatioun of the abuses & enormiteis vnderwrittin, houp­ping yat all the trew professours of Gods religioun presently preachit within this realme, And all sic that hes constantly cō tinuit in the Kingis Ma. obedience, and tenderis the commoun wealth of thair natiue cuntrey, will put to thair hand & forder this godly interpryse, that with cō ­moun consent and sound aduyse the best and maist suir remedy thairfoir may be prouydit.

¶ IN THE FIRST, it is not vn­knawin how our forebearis faithfully se­uit our Kingis Maiesteis maist noble Pro­genitouris & spendit yair lyfis in defence of this Realme aganis all forane enemeis As our Fatheris & we haue hazardit our lyfis and lands in preseruatioun of his in­nocent persoun, first from the murthera of his Father, and thairefter in defence of his Croun and authoritie, being suaioy­ned with the cause of Godis trew Religi­oun, as the ane culd ressaue na detrimen [Page] [...]ithout the inconuenient of the vyer, on [...]ir hope alwayis of his grace guid allo­ [...]ance, & assurit protectioun thairfoir at [...]s zeiris of discretioun, like as indeid we [...]uer fand nor findis in his Maiesties au­ [...] guid nature & propir inclination bot a [...]if & zeale to that trew & christien reli­ [...]oun, quhairin he was godly nurished, a [...]uing affectioun to all his nobilitie and [...]heris faithfull subiectis and ane earnest [...]syre to haue the commoun wealth of [...]is his realme gouerned in peax accor­ [...]ng to iustice and equitie zit of lait zeirs [...] sum few men borne heritouris to na [...]ing in this land, partly moued be igno­ [...]ce of this estait, and pairty be ane am­ [...]ious desyre, not onelye to be equalles [...]t superiouris to the ancient nobilitie. [...]ething yame with the pretēce of ye K. [...]enes Name and kinrent, and ascryuing [...]to his Maiestie the odious tytle of ane [...]bsolute power, Thay haue not ceassit to attempt in effect quhat thay pleasit, in an [...]ange and vnaccustumat maner, and in [Page] a verie short space of his Maiesties zoun [...] age, hes aspyrit to tytillis of heich hono [...] and obtenit the possessioun & cōmoditi [...] of grit and fair leuingis baith sprituall & temporall, besyde gritt brybes in money Iowellis and vther coistly graith ressau [...] be sum of thame. Bot how iustly & with quhat gud grūd & ordour almighty God knawis & will declair with tyme. Quhil [...] we patiently beheld quhil be experience we fand all thingis tending to the vnder­mynding and ouerthrawe of trew religi­oun put in lyuely practise, and working fordward to the destruction of the Mini­steris of Godis word & haill professouris thairof and thair with all the Kings Maie­steis gude fame falling in decaye, and his Croun & authoritie to be put in questi­oun be the preuie practise of a reconsilia­tioun betuix his Hienes & his Moder, be dimission of his Croun, or ioyning hir in coniunct authoritie with his Hienes, drawing in the meane tyme ye ordour of Iustice & haill gouernament of the com­moun [Page] welth in a dissolute partiall & con­fused ordour, that the vther mischeifis in­ [...]endit micht the mair easilye proceid vn­espyit

¶FOR as concerning the dangeris appearing to the trew religioun and pro­fessours thairof. Quhat gritter preparatiō of wraik & ouerthraw of the trew religiō culd be intendit, nor to ga about to cor­rupt the Kings Maiesties tēder aige, maist godly and happelly nurished instructit & exercisit befoir thir men came in credite. Occupying his Hienes for the maist part not onely in vanities bot also defyling his cares w^t filthy & vncūly spechis, drawing his residence in the places of Dalkeith & Kinneill, quhair the grittest resorte of pepill was commounly Papistis dissolut personis & sic as had bene euer aduersa­ris to trew religioun his awin persoun & estate, and quhair hurdome & insolence was mair frequent nor princely & vertu­ous exercises. That vyle & impudent woman ouer famous for hir monstruous do­ingis, [Page] not without probable suspitioun o [...] the deuilishe Magicall art, neuer ceassing be hir wickit inuentionis, slanderous ly­ing and fylthie wordes and be hir vncū ­ly doingis to vex and importune the K. Maiestie to the grit greif of sindrie yat be held and culd not amend the same.

¶AND be that cumpanie & from yai places his Maiestie was persuadit no [...] onlie to wryte to Papistis & to enter in intelligence with thame bot to sic Papiste [...] Scottismen borne as wer be his hienes [...] estaits iustly forfaltit for tressonable cry [...] mes committit be thame aganis his auct [...] ritie. Persuasioun geuin to his Hienes y [...] the suirtie of his estait & Croun depēdi [...] cheifly on sic freindship as thair trauelli [...] and practisis micht compas & procure vnto him. Quhilk in end notwithstandin [...] the concurrance of the Papis nunce and vtheris maist notable persequuteris of y [...] Kirk of God in France wrocht not same▪ kill as to procure him anis to be styled King [...]zit to interteine this trade sum takinn's [Page] & presentis was procurit and send vnto his Maiestie to hald his Hienes oc­cupyit with contemplattioun & vse of ye noueltie yairof, quhil with tyme he micht be drawin farther in the snair intendit for the wraik of his Maiestie & vs all.

¶IN the meane tyme the practise of the assosiation working fordward, the K. Maiestie hes bene persuadit to allow that the Ministeris suld be put at, not plainlye bot indirectly & coloratly at the first. Be­ginnand with dispositioun of beneficis to personis vnworthie & vnqualifyit (pleno iure) and be absolute power without ex­amination or admissioun of the Kirk aga­nis the lawes & constitutionis of this re­alme, and without dew prouisioun maid for sustentation of the M [...]nisteris seruing at rhe Kirkis of prelacijs in that sorte dis­ponit.

¶ NIXT the disciplene of the Kirk mair opinly impugnit, quhē as the Kings Maiestie be the persuasiō of thir enemeis to the Kirk was inducit to mak him selfe [Page] and his priuie counsall Iudges in the cognitioun & iugement of materis meir ec­clesiasticall & concerning the doctrine of the preichouris & to tak vpon him quhat sumeuer iurisdictioun the Paip vsurped thairinto ofauld, Zea & mair to dischairg the generall assemblie and haill pastouris within this Realme to proceid to the sen­tence of excommunicatioun, also to sus­pend the same sentēce of excōmunicatiō maist iustly and ordourly pronuncit and to decerne thesamin of nane availl force nor effect.

¶ AT last the mouthis of Preichoris hes bene stoppit be commandemēt. Sum Ministeris hes bene dung, banished, sus­pendit from the Ministrie, cassin in prison and remoued frō thair flockis, vntryit or lauchfully cōuicted of ony cryme or iust occasion. Otheris of thame hes bene laitly indytit and callit to vnderly the Lawe in maist suspect iudgement for tressona­ble & foule crymes to mak thame & yair doctrine odious, & thay hauing purchest [Page] aduocation to the iustice general (quhais iudgement thay meine neuer to decline) the ressauing of thair souerteis in the ordinar maner be cōmandement was differrit and refusit to be ressauit That thai being put to the horne as rebellis, thair escheits micht haue bene disponit vpon. Cōman­dement also hes bene geuin not to pro­ceid in execution of the ecclesiastical censures aganis manifest and obstinat offen­daris.

¶IT is mair nor manifest how the K. Maiestie hes bene intysit & prouoked to tarie fra ye sermonis of godly Priechours and to tak leth to heir the treuth in repro­uing of sin spokin be thame. And be the contrair to permit a periurit & excommunicat persoun worthelie cut of from the societie & fallowship of Christ to be in­terteineit and fosterit in his sicht & com­panie.

¶WAS thair not violence vsit to pul the ordinar Minister out of the pulpet of the Kirk of Glasgow & be force to place [Page] & intruse thairin the same vnworthie [...] was not Papistis and mē weil knawin infamous purposly placit as magistrattis in that citie & vniuersitie to truble the Kirk & studeis of the Scolleris with special directioun to thame, & to the gentilmen of the cuntrey to displace the ordinar minister & intruse in that roume, that same self vnworthie persoun quha lang befoir w [...] dischargit of all functioun in the Kirk of God▪ was he not only thair manteined & expres cōmandemēt geuin to suffer na [...] of the Ministeris quha withstude him [...] haue rest or freindship in thay bound [...] And was not the officer of the Kirk that past to charge him takin and put in pris­soun.

¶ TO quhat excessiue chargis & t [...] uellis wer the Ministeris within & about Glasgow and the Maisters and Regentis of the vniuersitie put to, be thair oft sum­monding befoir his Maiestie & couns [...] & continuatioun of thair cause to sindrie dayis and places. The Scolleris thairw^tall [Page] being the sonnis of nobill men Barronis [...] vtheris of gud qualitie furiously inua­ [...] and thair blud drawin.

¶ QVHAIR VPON dyuers pri­ [...]t and publict complaintes being made [...]d the Ministrie conuening and presen­ [...]ng the causis of thair greifis vnto the K. [...]aiestie at Perthe, how hardly & vnrea­ [...]nablie thay war vsit be sum of the coun [...]l for the tyme, and how slenderly an­ [...]ered with reformatioun of lytill or na [...]ing cōplenit vpon Be the same answer [...]ay zit appeir.

¶ IN place of quhilk redres [...] [...]rmatioun hoped for, was thair [...]ecreit geuin & letteris in ye four [...]st be these Lordis of the preui [...] [...]ll for the tyme, To answer and [...]id excommunicat man of the re [...] [...]ctis of the Archbishoprik of [...] a maner parciall, & altogidder [...]nar, yat being na competent in [...] ony sic mater, bot the Lord [...]unsall & sessioun to quhais iud [...] [Page] sic materis properly appertenit, plainelie refusing the granting of ony sic letteris to a persoun sua standing excommunicat.

¶ AND besyde all this be act of pr [...]uie counsall & Proclamatiounis past yai [...] vpon and publist not only at dyueris ma [...]cat Croces bot in the Kirk of S. Iohnestō in the K. Maiesteis awin heiring quhil [...] his grace was intysit to afferme be his aw [...] mouth. Thair was a narration maid rich [...] slāderous & displesant to the hearts of a [...] it God and lufit ye trew religion [...] the Ministeris ar callit vnnatu [...] subiectis seditous personis trubilsun [...] [...]uyet spirits, memberis of Sathan [...] to the Kingis Maiestie and the [...]n welth of thair natiue countrie [...]ding in the same proclamatioun [...]m commandement to dissist frō [...] sic thingis as thair ar callit lye [...] in veritie knawin sinnes & offer [...] God & to the hurt & flaunde [...] [...]irk and trew religioun. And di [...] thame the conuentionis & assē [...]bleis [Page] of the Ministrie vnder the pane to be punist as rebellis and makeris of conuo­catioun.

¶TO all this concurtit the frequent aduerteismentis and rumoris of forayne countreyis of the suddane alteratioun of religion & cutting away of the principal [...] of the nobillitie professouris yairof to be shortly attemptit in Scotland. It was [...] quyrit be sum gif our Kings Maiestie pas [...] alreddy to the Mes, famous buikis & lybellis wer printit & dispersit in this cou [...] ­trey warnand the professouris of Goddis trew religioun to remoue. Daylie intelli­gence was betuix thir men that gouernit [...]he Kingis Maiesteis persoun & estait, & [...]he Papistis baith in France & Ingland & sum of the Inglis fugitiues being Papistis [...]esett & intertenyit verie neir the Kingis Maiesties persoun for the tyme. The [...]peciall names of sic of the Nobillitie of [...]ceris, & of the Kingis trew seruandis y [...]ar destinat for the Massacre in all men [...] [...]outhis and nathing resting bot the exe­cution [Page] sen the Authouris of the lyke in France had obtenit place & credite to cō mand also in Scotlād. The lyffis & deith of noblemen & vtheris ye Kingis faithful subiectis not depēding vpō ane ordinar & [...]ful tryel of yat quhair w^t yai micht ony wayis be chargit according to the anciēt & louable lawis of this realme. Bor thair dirtay and distructioun standing in the priuie aduertismentis daylie ressauit fuith of France and ingland fra thair aduersaris in religioun & thair knawin professit ene­meis yat lāg hes awayted procurand yait wraik, quhair of thair intentiō was to mak [...] our Kingis Maiestie the instrument

¶ AND for the better performing of this thair vngodly enterpryse, tending to the vtter wrak & finall subuersioun of the trew religioun and haill professouris thairof, Thay haue trauellit with the K. Maiestie to persuade him be all meanes possible to take vpoun him selfe to be the [...]thour of all this wrak & dissimulatioun [...] he was moued be thair importunitye [Page] to declair in S. Iohnestoun all abusis complenit vpon to be his awin deid howbeit we dout not bot his Maiestie is altogid­der innocent.

¶ NOW the trew & christiane re­ligioun and haill professouris thairof be­ing brocht to sic hazard and extremity as is abone rehearsit. Quha can not cōsider and behald the euident dangeris quhilk appearit to ye Kings awin persoun estait & Croun seing the ane sa dependis vpon the vther that the ane can not be hurt or imparit in ony wayis without the grit in­commoditie & detrement of the vther.

❀ FOR by and attour the trauelling to corrupt the Kingis aige geuand him all the prouocatiounis to dissolute lyfe in maneris that was possible, be licentious company be intertening of thair awin har [...]ottis in his presence, & carying thame a­bout with thame, to all places quhair his Hienes did repair.

¶ QVHAT sall we speik of the sham [...]s and filthie behauiour of hir that is callit [Page] Countesse of Arrane, quha not beand satisfiit with the shame and ignominye done to the Earle of Marche the Kingis derrest vncle, throuch hir inordinat lust, ceisis not zit to peruert the Kingis Maies­teis awin zouthe be slanderous speiche & countenance qnhilk we are ashamed to expres.

¶QVHAT gritter danger can be deuysit agains the Kingis Maiesties estait & Croune, nor to ding continually in his earis and to persuaid him to think his reg [...]ne vnsure wantand his Moderis benni­soun & that France and Spane wald not call him King bot at hir desire. And to ya [...] effect to write vnto hir & enter in practise anent the dimissioun of his Croun or for associatioun of hir in coniunct authoritie w^t him to the extreme perrell of his awin estait: To cast all thingis done sen he was crouned in dout, and to mak all his trewe Nobillitie & subiectis tratouris. And in the meime tyme quhill as this purpose was still wirking nather the Estaitis no [...] [Page] counsall being maid preuie to ye message or answer returnit, sindrie practises hes bene maid with Papistis baith in France and England speciallie with Scottis men standing forfalrit of quhome sindrie war drawin hame: Sum intrusit to be Magi­stratis within burrowis, quhais inhabitāts for ye Kings quarrel thay haue murtherit [...]esyde that thay war gyltie of the blude of the Kingis M. Paren [...]s, vtheris stāding conuict of the Kingis Fatheris murthour euil affectit to his Croū & seruice brocht [...]n credit & thair aduysis in materis of grit [...]est importance cheifly followit. The no­ble men and vtheris that had alwayis con [...]inuit the Kingis faithfull subiectis and [...]eill willaris reprochit & banissit his Hi­ [...]es court & companie vnharde or tryit, [...]ares laid to trap thame sum faiklesly for [...]ltit, vtheris impedit to gif thair frie voris [...] Parliament, & counsal and gif thay did [...]raggit & quarrellit thairfoir, continuall [...]is & misreportis of thame dung in the [...]ingis M. earis to mak thē odious. & ye [...]ird

[Page]of Innermarky fugitiue & remaning fur [...] of the realme for a foule murther; fona [...] brybe brocht hame & pardonit. To m [...] him for his awin remissioun ane accu [...] of noblemen and the Kingis gud & faith­full subiectis. Thus the Kingis Maiest [...] auctoritie fame & reputatiō being bro [...] in decay & gritly diminissitna cair nor [...] tion is maid for his prouisiō to a mariage w^t a party agriable & of ye same religion

¶ THAT thir foirnamit practi [...] baith aganis the trew religioun and [...] Kings Maiesteis estait & Croun hes be [...] deuysit & intendit experience teachis [...] to be maist trew, lyke as alsua the samy [...] appearis maist manifestly be the dissolutioun of the ametye and freindship bet [...] his Maiestie & his derrest sister ye Qu [...] of England & ye tua realmes maliciou [...] procurit be thir men altogidder ignora [...] of the estait of the countrey and autho [...] of thir calameteis, trauelling be all mei [...] possible to alienat the Kingis M. mind [...] hir freindship, notwithstanding hir gr [...] [Page] zeale and affectioun shawin fra tyme to [...]me in the mentenance & protectioun [...]f the trew religioun in baith the realmis [...] of the grit cair loue and prouidence de [...]arit oftentymes in the preseruatioun of [...]e Kingis Ma^teis persoun estait & Croun [...]nd repressing be hir force & substance of [...]neris rebellions attemptit aganis his [...]ersoun during his infancie.

¶ AS concerning the cōmoun welrh [...] the realme standing cheifly in the guid [...]d vertuous gouerning of the Kings per [...]un and estait, & in the equal administra [...]oun of iustice to all the subiectis, to the [...]fort of the guid & terror of ye wickit [...] all indifferent mē iudge quhat hes be­ [...] ye condition thairof thir tua or thrie [...]iris past. Is not the haill ordour of ius­ [...]ce and policie of the realme interuertie [...]he lawe brokin be making of men and [...]emē prisoners & vsing & threatning of [...]rtur for euerie licht & simulat cause & [...]nishment of the honest men of Edin­ [...]urgh from thair awin housis thay neuer [Page] being callit nor conuict of any cryme b [...] delatit be ye malice of thair euill wille [...] & relaxt or kepit strait at yir mēnis appetyte. Quha hes left nathing vnsocht or v [...] assayit yat thay micht mak profeit or money of, not sparing that quhilk sould hau [...] sustenit the Kingis awin estait, & the nei [...] full effairis of the realme, & zit the fami [...] not able to sustene the neidles & prodiga [...] consumptioun & the vnsatiable ambition and gredines of thir mē yair wickit coun [...]sallouris & followaris to quhom nathing hes semit vnlauchfull marchandise. wa [...] not iustice, bluid, freindship & the Kingi [...] proper rent bestow it on the Duke for hi [...] leuing & all maid cōmonly sellable.

¶ HOW far hes ye cōmoun weil bene interessit in rasing & abusing of ye cu [...] zie yir last tua zeiris. Quhat lose at last he [...] the subiectis ressauit be the crying dou [...] of that money this zeir, quhilk was cunzeit the last zeir, to quhome in particulai [...] hes the commoditye of that commou [...] skaith redoundit. hes it releuit ony pai [...] [Page] of the Kingis M. grit det or suppleyit ony [...]ne honorable or profitable warke in the haill commoun welth.

¶ TOWARD the administration of iustice, let first the sessioun considder how extraordinarly thay haue bene vrgit in this feirfull tyme by past luking quhan thay suld be takin ane and ane out of the iudgement seat, & cōmittit to prisoun or banissit, quhā ony thing procedit cōtrairye appetit & intentiō of thir mē or quhair thay requestit or fauorit.

¶WAS not cōmand geuin to reposses men forfaltit quhair thair pacification & restitution was not ratifiit & appreuit be Parliament & that na suspension for lau­full causis suld be grantit aganis the same. In maters criminal na iustice done, & sumtyme double warrandis geuin to proceid and continew iustice courtis togidder & attanis. Grit f [...]ds fosterit to mak ye fattar escheitis to fall & plane opposition maid to the aggrement of parteis standand at variance.

[Page]¶ TAKING of ordour w^t the bur­ningis slauchteris hershipis & depredationis cōmittit on ye bordouris & in ye hi [...] landis altogidder neglectit. Lytle or na cair takin for interteinment of ye peax & amitie w^t the christ [...]ane Princes & cōmon welthis to get the new exactionis raysit on ye marchandis in France & Flanders releuit & ye quyetnes on ye bordours kepit ye cours of iustice & redres at'ye fronteirs impedit & dreuin ouer, leuand this countrey louse to be inuadit at all occasi­onis, w^tout fuir freindship of ony. Bot gif it [...]albe socht quhair ye Kingis M. is not acknawledg it for a King, & quhair it will not be obtenit w^tout ye hazard of his re­ligion & perrel of his awin estait & croun

☞QVHAT sal we say of the vnlaufull taking of the tutorie of Atran a con­forttes noblemā. Innocēt of all foull cry­mes, & visited be the hand of God, & vn­der yat pretext efter solemnizat aith maid of lauchful administratiō of yat charge & office to his vtilitie, according to richt & [Page] law is of ye realme, bereuing him (efter he was declarit idiot) of his style leuing and heritage, be a fraudfull & stollin resigna­tion, to ye wraik and disherishing of him & all his lynage, althocht not declarit of­fendaris, procurand strange & extraordi­nar actis of Parliament to be maid to mē ­tene yat godles & vnlauful conquest, and reproching ye principallis of ye nobillity with lyes & vtheris vnsufferable iniureis in thair faces. The lyke quhair of was ne­uer done in Scotland, besyde ye inhumane handling of that innocent & deiected creature, & of the miserable nobilwoman the Duches his Mother. Keping him in a preson with presoneris, euill furnishit of meit drink or clething, in a most cruell & barbarus maner, to ye hurt of the Kingis conscience, honor & gud fame, quhome thay trauellit to persuade, to take on him to be the author of all thir wrangs & wickednes.

¶ QVHAN all vther schyf [...]is that micht mak proffite or money had bene [Page] scūmit & socht zea ye guds of ye leuing mē befor yai war cōuict or put to ye horn intromettit w^t or factoreis grantit yair vpō in a new & vnaccustomit maner. At last the iustice air of Cliddisdaill haldin & ye chalmerlane aitis deuysit for scurging of the burrowis restifies w^t quhat forme or gu [...] ordour thir men begouth and et [...]ilit to haif procedit.

¶ COMpositionis tane for men and zit thay neuer impannellit nor accusit, & oft tymes the landit man and his tennēts sauld ouerhed for a sowme w^tout respect to the offensis bot to the number of the personis & sindrie vther fassionis of bry­brie new and maist perrillous to enter in custome vnder the name of iustice, like as the puirest sorte in the burrowis suld not hais escapi [...] ye importable scaffrie intēdit & the welthiest althocht of neuersa guid fame, wer threatned with ye persute of ye hamebringing of fals money, a cryme in­deid deserving seueir punismēt· Bot quhider ye motiō procedit on zeale to iustice [Page] & punismēt of offendaris, let it be iudgit cōsidering to quhais gane & proffeit yai exactionis suld haif cum, And quhē sic as wer appointed to be iudges & reuleris of yat court, war for the maist part markit w^t sum note of infamie: And was it not g [...]it presumptiō for ony subiect to preis to im­py [...]e in sic sorte aboue the haill burrowis being ane of the thrie estaitis, & derogation & emparing of the Kingis M. awin au­thoritie & to his Hienes iustice generall. Zea to intrude in ye offices of him and of the Admerall was estemi [...] for ye tyme na materis of effect or importance.

¶ QVHAT extraordinar and feirfull cōmissionis & chargis hes bene impetrat of the Kings Maiestie not semplie of ius­ticiarie, bot with blankis for taking & ap­prehēding of quhat personis thai plesit & incais of thair refuse to be tane to rais fire assege housis▪ sla or mutelat. & to quhais discretion was ye execution thairof com­mittit, Bot of him yat is famous & alredy in danger of the law quhen God sal send [Page] iustice, of fyre rasing, cōmon adultery sin­drie odious slauchteris, reuesing of a wo­man, asseiging of men in yair awin housis within burgh, halding of a house of weir, within burgh, and shuting furth of ye sam at ye Kingis M. subiectis & barrounis, leis­ching of men with beltis and brydillis, slaughter of ane officer of armes at ye mar­cat croce in the uerie executing of his office, ryuing of the Kingis letteris, causing the executor thair of sueir yat he suld not reueill the same. Taking of a gentilman out of the K. Maiesteis awin house of the castell of Striuiling, carying of him to the park vnder silēce of nicht, tytring him na­kit, bidding him cheis quhidder he wald be hangit or heidit, and efter dinging and misusing of him, causing him sweir yat he sould reueill the same to nane bot to his maister. Forcing of the Kings M. waird of the [...]olbuith of Edinburgh, cruelly wonding a man cōmittit to waird thairin, and maisterfully taking ane vther offēdar out of waird without finding of cautioun or [Page] commandement had of the magistratis. hanging in a sword belt and tormenting of a zoung man cūming to him for execu­ting of a precept of warnīg befoir yis last Witsonday, in a foul & vnworthie maner to be rehersit. Participation w^t Pyratis in thair thyft and rubery of the guids of the freindis and confederattis of this realme, reproching & misusing sum of ye Kingis Maiesties counsall in his a win house: Gir this man was meit to haue the credyte of the execution of sic a feirfull & bludy cō ­mission, or was ony wayes worthie to be sufferit to cum to his Hienes with a cumpanie of armed mē for putting of furthe cruelteis to execution, Let first God and than the Kings M. and his estatis Iudge

¶ IN all this tyme lytill ordinar preuie counsall being kepit, except it had bene for proppit causis to ye auancemēt [...]o [...] thir men yair freindis or followaris, ye [...] ther because the Duke had procurit ane ordinance that nathing past out of coun­sall suld be valiable that was not subscry [...]uit [Page] be him.

¶ THVS the Kingis M. honour be­ing gritly emparit, ye muist pairt of the nobillitie and guid subiectis, finding na sure acces to admoneis & certifie his Maiestie of his awin honour & weilfair nor to mo­ue his Hienes in thair awin erandis or to procuir expedition of thair laufull & rea­sonable causis, bot be the said Duke his mediation and to him be s [...]m interpretor oftymes deirly hyrit, Finding ourselffis in continuall dangeris be misreportis, to be put at & hourly loking for the execution of the cruelteis intendit aganis vs we thocht nathing better nor to repair to his Maiestie and to remane beside him remo [...]ing the cheif & principall authouris of [...]hir enormeteis quhil ye treuth micht be manifested to his Hienes & his estaites & [...]hat be common adwyse sic spedie & sub­ [...]antius remedeis may be prouydit, as ye Ministeris & professouris of Godis trewe religion publictly prechit, & be the lawis of the realme established may leif and vse [Page] the exercise of the same religioun asweill in the frie dispensation of Godis word & reprouing of sin & impietie, as in admini­stration of the Sacramentis & vsing of the ecclesiasticall cēsures & discipline quhair occasion is offerit according to ye same word and louable lawis & custome obseruit within this realme heirtofoir vntrou­blit or burdenit w^t extraordinar or straing iniunctionis. Thay behauād thame selffis the Kingis M. dewtifull subiectis & being obedient to his Maiesteis lawis in ordinar & lauchfull iudgement for ony offences cryminall or ciuill quhairwith thay may be chargit.

¶ NIXT that the treuth may be ma­nifestit of the trauellis that hes bene tane and practise vsed for mouing of ye Kings Maiestie to condiscend to ony dimission of his Croun & royall auctoritie, or asso­ciatiō of ye Quene his moder in a cōiunct gouernament with him, & that it be con­sidderit quhat avantage or perrell that in­tention taking effect micht haue wrocht [Page] to the trew religion, ye Kingis M. person & estait, and to his nobillitie and faithfull subiectis professing his obedience, & yat [...]uir prouision may be had how ye further proceding in this dangerus practise salbe snibbed & cut of & the attempting of ye lyke in tyme cūing forborne & eschewit.

¶ AND finally that the saids corruptionis abusis & deforderis enterit within thir lait zeiris in the cōmoun welth aither in the corruption and misusing of iustice or ye Kingis awin persoun, house, rent officeris, ordour of counsall & gouernamēt of the publict affaires, oppressing & extorsing of the subiectes vnder cullour of ius­tice or vtherwayis being particularly considderit, may be sa amendit & reformit, as God may be thairby pleasit, The Kingis M. honorit and luissit, & yat the nobilitie and subiectis may leif in iustice peace and tranquillitie, releuit of the cruelteis dangeris & cala­miteis intēdit aganis thame in tyme cumming. (*⁎*)