THE EXACT ACCOUNT And solemn manner of Assembling THE PARLIAMENT OF SCOTLAND ON The first day of their Convention AT EDINBOROUGH On Thursday the 28th of July, 1681.
BEING A true and full Relation, of the Ancient Order and Custome then performed in their passage to the Parliament-House, before his Majesties High Commissioner, His Royal Highness, James Duke of York and Albany, &c.
AS It was drawn up and presented to his Royal-Highness, and the Right Honourable the Lords of his Majesties Privy-Council in that Kingdom, By Lyon King at Arms.
As also the Proclamation Preparatory thereunto.
London, Printed for Rand [...]lph Taylor. 1681.
EDINBƲRGH, the nineteenth day of July, 1681.
FOrasmuch as it hath pleased the Kings most excellent Majesty, to call a Parliament of this Kingdom to meet at Edinburgh, upon Thursday the twenty-eighth of July instant; His Royal Highness, His Majesties High Commissioner, and Lords of Privy Council, do hereby Command and Require, the Lyon King at Arms, and his Brethren Heraulds, Macers, and Pursevants, to pass to the Market-Cross of Edinburgh, and there, by open Proclamation, to Warn all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, Officers of State, Commissioners of Shires and Burroughs, to convene at Holyrud-House, the said twenty-eighth of July, by nine of the Clock in the forenoon; the Lords furnished with their Gowns, Robes, Horses, and Footmantles; and the Commissioners of Shires and Burroughs, with their Horses and Footmantles, to attend His Royal-Highness. His Majesties High-Commissioner, on Horseback, in his going to the Parliament House, and in his return. And to the end, it may be known who are to be admitted as Commissioners for Shires and Burroughs, that all Persons having Commissioners any Shire or Burgh, deliver in their Commissions to the Clerk of Register, upon the twenty-fifth instant, in the forenoon, in the Parliament House, that accordingly they be admitted as Commissioners to this Parliament.
Printed by the Relict of Andrew Anderson, Printress to his most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1681. And Reprinted at London.
The Manner and Order of the Procession, and other things preparatory thereto, according to Custome, in Riding to the Parliament H [...]se at Edinburgh, in Scotland on Thursday the 28th of July, 1681.
1. THe Regi [...]ter and Lyon King at Arms, meet and adjust the Rolls of Parliament, and each of them take an exact Duplicate thereof.
2. His Majesties Privy-Council some days before the Sitting of the Parliament, use to give Lyon King at Arms, such Orders as are necessary to the orderly proceeding; especially, to determine who shall carrie the Honours, viz. The Crown, Scepter and Sword, and usually the Marquess of Douglass carried the Crown, the eldest Earl the Scepter, and the next the Sword.
3. The Citizens in Arms make a Lane from the Entry to the Parliament Closs, to the nether Bow, and the Kings Foot-Guards make a Lane from the nether Bow, to the Pallace.
4. It is always ordered, that there be no Shooting, under the highest Pains and Penalties all that day, neither displaying of Ensigns, nor beating of Drums, during the whole Cavalcade.
5. The Constable and Marshall-Guards of Partizans must make the Lane from the Lady-Steps, the Constable without, and the Marshal within the Dore.
6. There must be four conveniencies with easie Steps or Degrees, that the Members without difficulty may mount and dismount, two above the Cross, and two at the Abby.
7. Every Member of Parliament must Ride on Horseback, and the absent Members fined, conform to the Act of Parliament made 1663.
8. Where there be double Elections of Members, neither of them are to Ride, by Act of Council 1669.
9. The Officers of State not being Noblemen, must Ride in their Gowns.
10. The Nobility to Ride in their Robes and Foot-mantles, and the rest with their Foot-mantles.
11. The whole Members to Ride Covered, excepting those that carry the Honours.
12. Lyon King at Arms, the Heraulds, Pursevants and Trumpets to Ride immediately before the Honours, Lyon with his Coate and Robe, the rest in their Coats and Foot-mantles barcheaded, conform to an Act in 1606.
13. The two Mace-Bearers of Council and the four Mace-Bearers of Session to Ride on each side of the Honours Bare-headed.
14. The highest of Degree, and the most honourable of that Degree to Ride last.
XV. Every Duke to have Eight Lackeys; every Marquess, Six; every Earl, Four; Every Viscount, Three; every Lord, Three; every Commissioner for Shire, Two; every Commissioner for Burghs, One: Every Nobleman to have a Gentleman to hold up his Train, by Act of Council in 1669. And they may have their Pages also, though not mentioned in that Act.
XVI. The two Archbishops are to have each of them Eight Lackeys; and every other Bishop, Three. And, if they please, they may have a Gentleman to hold up their Trains.
XVII. The Noblemens Lackeys to have over their Liveries short Velvet Coats, with their Badges, Crests, and Mottos done in Plate, or Embroidered, on the Back and Breast, as hath ever been the Custom, and now to be observed, for the Decency and the Antiquity thereof.
XVIII. The High-Constable and the Mareschal going to the Abby in the Morning, to receive the High Commissioners Commands, and returning privately, the Constable comes out of his Lodging on Foot, and having viewed the Rooms, under and above, of the Parliament-House, puts on his Robes, and being attended with his Friends, and having his Battoon in his Hand, seats himself in a Chair at the Entry of the Parliament, close under the Lady-Steps, by the outmost of the Guards; from which he rises, and salutes the Commissioners as they alight from their Horses, and recommends them to the Gentlemen of his Guards, to be conducted to the Mareschal's Guards.
XIX. The Mareschal also attends in his Robes, being set in a Chair at the Head of his Guards, and receives the Members (having his Battoon in his Hand) as they enter the Door.
XX. The Great Officers of State, so many of them as are within the Kingdom, ride up from the Abby, about half an hour before the Cavalcade, in their Robes, attended with their Friends on Horseback, and wait within the House; and when the Commissioner enters the House, the Chancellor takes his own Purse, and Ushers him from the Bar to the Throne, except when the King is present, or that now His Royal Highness being Commissioner, the Chancellor receives him at the Door, and Ushers him up to the Throne.
XXI. The whole Members of Parliament wait on the High Commissioner in the Guard-Hall, the Noblemen in their Robes; and their Servants and Horses attend in the outward Close.
XXII. The Lyon King at Arms, in his Coat and Robes, and Battoon in his Hand, to whose Charge the Order of the Procession is committed, with the Six Heralds, Six Pursuivants, and Six Trumpets, in their Coats, attend there likewise.
XXIII. So soon as the High Commissioner is ready, the Register and Lyon standing together, each of them having a Roll in his Hand, and the Roll being read, the Lyon calls the Names of such as are to ride, according to their Order, and a Herald crieth aloud at one of the Windows, and one other Herald stands at the Gate to see them do accordingly.
XXIV. The Members ought to ride as they are called; and if they think themselves prejudiced, they must protest in such manner, as at the calling of the Rolls in the House it self.
XXV. The Dukes and Marquesses to make the Train, and ride after the Commissioner, by the Act of 1606.
XXVI. When the King is present, the Master of the Horse rides easie, but a little aside, by the same Act in 1606.
The whole Assembly being in the manner aforementioned met at the Abby, to convey his Royal Highness thence to the Parliament-House, the Procession begins in Order as followeth.
- 1 The Lord Chancellor and Lord Privy Seal, with all their Friends and Followers, being come up on Horseback; the Chancellor on the Right Hand, with the Purse and Mace born before him; and the Privy-Seal on the Left.
- 2
- Two Trumpets, in their Coats, Bare-headed, Usher the Way.
- Two Pursuivants, in their Coats, Bare-headed, Usher the Way.
- 3 The Commissioners from Burghs, Two and Two.
- 4 The Commissioners from Shires, Two and Two.
- 5 The Officers of State, not Noblemen, Two and Two.
- 6 The Lords and Barons of Parliament, Two and Two.
- 7 The Bishops, Two and Two.
- 8 The Viscounts, Two and Two.
- [Page 5]9 The Earls, Two and Two.
- 10 The Two Archbishops.
- 11 Four Trumpets, in their Coats, Bare-headed, Two and Two.
- 12 Four Pursuivants, in their Coats, Bare-headed, Two and Two.
- 13 Six Heralds, in their Coats, Bare-headed, Two and Two.
- 14 The Usher, Bare-headed.
- 15 Lyon King at Arms, with his Coat, and Robes, and Footmantle, and his Battoon in his Hand, Bare-headed.
- 16 The Sword of State.
- 17 The Scepter.
- 18 The Crown.
- 19 On each side the Honours, Three Mace-bearers, Bare-headed.
- 20 A Noble-man, Bare-headed, with a Purse, and in it His Royal Highnesses Commission.
- 21 His Royal Highness, High Commissioner, attended with His Pages and Lackeys. The Duke of Hamilton with the Marquess of Huntley on His Right Hand, and the Marquess of Montross on his Left.
- 22 The Captain of His Majesty's Guard, at the Head of his Troop.
And they return in the same Order back to the Palace; only the Constable and Mareschal ride on the Commissioners Right and Left Hand, with Caps of Permission; and that the Chancellor and Privy-Seal stay behind until all march away, and then return a little behind.