ITEM It is fundin and declarit be the thre Estatis & haill body of this present Parliament, that the dimissioun and ouer geuing of the Crowne, and Regiment of this Realme maid be the Quenis grace, our Souerane Lordis derrest Mother be vertew of hir letters of commissioun and procuratioun subscriuit with hir hand, and vnder hir preuie Seill, of the dait the .xxiiij. day of Julij last bypast, was, and is, and salbe in all tymes cuming haldin, repute, and estemit lauchfull, and perfyte, according to the samin commissioun producit, auysit, and admittit be the saidis thre Estatis. And als that the Coronatioun, and inauguratioun of our said Soverane Lord, Sone to his said derrest mother, and natiue Prince of this Realme, maid and solemnizat conforme to the said commissioun, At Striviling, the xxix. day of the said Moneth of Julij be the Erlis, Lordis, Prelatis, Commissaris of Burrowis, Barronis, and vtheris faithfull and trew subiectis, assemblit and conuenit for that effect, was dewlie, rychtlie, and ordourlie done, and execute, and als lauchfull and vailzeabill in the self in all respectis, and his Maiestie als rychteouslie inuestit, and possessit in this kingdome as his said mother, his guidschir, grandschir, or ony vther his maist nobill progenitouris natiue Princes of this Realme wer, and hes bene of before, or as gif hir grace (the tyme of the said coronatioun) had bene departit out of this mortall lyfe, or had comperit personallie in presence of the haill thre Estatis of this Realme, assemblit in Parliament and maid the said dimissioú, notwithstanding ony maner of tytill, actioun, or enteres, or ony vther thing that presentlie may or can heirefter be obiectit in the contrare. And als ratifyis, appreuis, and confirmis the said dimissioun, coronatioun, and inauguratioun of our said Souerane Lord, and all thingis done, or that heirefter sall happin to be done in his hienes name and authoritie. Of the quhilkis letters of dimissioun, and constitutioun of procuratioun the tennouris followis.

MARIE Be the grace of God Quene of Scottis, To all and sindrie our Jugeis, and Ministeris of Law, liegis, and subiectis {folio ii. verso} quhome it effeiris, to quhais knawlege thir our letters sall cú greting, Forsamekle as be lang irksum, and tedious travell takin be us in the gouernament of this our Realme, and liegis thairof, we ar sa vexit and weryit that our body, spirite, and sencis ar altogidder becum unhabill langer to trauell in that rowme. And thairfore we haue dimittit, and renuncit the office of gouernement of this our Realme, & liegis thairof in fauouris of our onlie maist deir Sone, natiue Prince of this our Realme. And because of his tender zouth, and inhabilitie to vse the said gouernement in his awin persoun, during his minoritie, we haue constitute our derrest brother James Erle of Murray, Lord Abirnethie. &c. Regent to our said Sone, Realme and liegis foirsaidis. And in respect that our said derrest brother is actuallie furth of our Realme, and can not instantlie be present to accept the said office of Regentrie vpon him, and vse and exerce the samin, during our saidis derrest sonis minoritie: We quhill his returning within our Realme, or in cais of his deceis haue maid, constitute, namit, appointit, and ordanit, and be thir our letteris makis, constitutis, namis, appointis, and ordanis our traist cousingis and counsalouris, James Duke of Chattellerault, Erle of Arrane, Lord Hammiltoun, Matho Erle of Leuinar, Lord Dernley. &c. Archibald Erle of Argyle, Lord Campbell and Lorne. &c. Johne Erle of Athole, James Erle of Mortoun, Alexander Erle of Glencarne, and Johne Erle of Mar, Regentis to our said derrest sone Realme and liegis. And in cais our said brother James, Erle of Murray, cum within our Realme, and refusis to accept the said office of Regentrie vpon his singulare persoú, We mak, constitute, name, appoint, and ordeine our traist counsingis, and counsallouris foirsaidis, and our said brother, Regentis of our said deir Sone, Realme and liegis. Gevand, grantand, and committand to thame or ony fyue of thame, coniunctlie, full powar for our said Sone, and in his name to ressaue resignatiounis of landis, mak dispositiounis of wairdis, nonentressis, releuis, mariageis, benefices, eshetis, officis, and vtheris casualiteis, & priuilegeis quhatsumeuer cócerning the said office, Signatouris thairupon to mak, subscriue, and cause be past throuch the Seillis. And to vse, and exerce the said office of Regentrie in all thingis, priuilegeis, & commoditeis, siclyke as frelie, and with als greit libertie, as ony Regent, or Gouernour to vs, or our predecessouris vsit the samin in ony tymes bygane. Promittand to hald firme, and stabill, in the word and faith of ane Prince, to quhatsumeuer thingis our saidis traist cousingis dois in the premissis. Chargeing heirfore zow all and sindrie our Jugeis, and Ministeris of Law, liegis, & subiectis foirsaidis, to answer, and obey to our saidis traist cousingis, Regentis foirsaidis, in all and sindrie thingis concerning the said office of Regentrie, during our said derrest Sonis minoritie, and ay and quhil he be of the age of seuintene zeiris compleit. As ze and ilk ane of zow will declair zow luifing subiectis {folio iii. recto} to our said maist deir Sone, zour natiue Prince, and under all paine, charge, and offence that ze and ilk ane of zow may commit, and inrin aganis his Maiestie in that pairt. Subscriuit with our hand, & geuin under our preuie Seill, at Lochleuin the .xxiiij. day of Julij, and of our Regne the twenty fyue zeir.

MARIE Be the grace of God Quene of Scottis, To all and sindrie our Jugeis, and Ministeris of Law, liegis, and subiectis quhome it effeiris, to quhais knawlege thir our letteris sall cum, greting, Forsamekle, as sen our arriuall, and returning within our Realme, we willing the commoun commoditie, welth, profeit, and quyetnes thairof, liegis, and subiectis of the samin, haue employit our body, spirite, haill sencis, and forcis to gouerne the same, in sic sort that our royall, and honorabill estate mycht stand, and continew with vs, and our posteritie, and our luifing, and kynde liegis mycht enioy the quietnes of trew subiectis. In trauelling quhairin, not onlie is our body, spirite, and sencis sa vexit, brokin, and vnquyetit that langer we ar not of habilitie be ony meane to indure sa greit and intollerabill panis, and trauellis quhairwith we ar altogidder veryit, bot als greit commotiounis and troublis, be sindrie occasiounis in the meintyme hes ensewit thairin to our greit greif. And seing it hes bene the plesour of the eternall God, of his kyndlie lufe, mercie, and gudnes to grant vnto vs, of our awin persoun, ane Sone, quha in cais be the hand of God we be veseit, will, and of rycht, and of equitie man, and aucht to succeid to vs and to the gouernement of our Realme. And knawing that all creaturis ar subiect to that immutabill decreit of the eternall, anis to rander and gif vp this lyfe temporall, (The hour and tyme quhairof is maist vncertane) and in cais be deceis we be takin fra this lyfe, during the tyme of his minoritie, it may be dowtit greitlie that resistance, and troubill may be maid to our said Sone, now natiue Prince of this our Realme, in his tender zeiris (being swa destitute of vs) to succeid to that rowme and kingdome quhilk maist iustlie of all Lawis appertenis to him. Quhilk inconuenient be Godis help, and gude prouidence, we mene to preuent, in sic maner, that it sall not ly in the power of ony vnnaturall subiectis to resist Godis ordinance in that behalf. And vnderstanding that na thing eirdlie is mair ioyous, and happy to vs, nor to se our said derrest Sone, in our awin lyfetime peciablie placit in that rowme, and honorabill estate quhairto he iustlie aucht & man succeid to. We of the motherlie affectioú we beir toward our said onlie Sone, haue renuncit, & dimittit, and be thir our letteris, frelie, of our awin mo true will renuncis, and dimittis the gouernement, gyding & gouerning of this our Realme of Scotland, liegis, and subiectis thairof, & all intromissioun & dispositioun of ony casualiteis, propertie, benefices, offices, & all thingis apperttening, or heirtofoir is knawin, or heirefter sall happin to appertene thairto, in fauouris of our said derrest Sone. To {folio iii. verso} that effect, that he may be plantit, placit, and possessit thairin, vse and exerce all thingis belangand thairto, as natiue King, and Prince of the samin, and siclyke as we or ony our predecessouris, Kings of Scottis, hes done in ony tymes bypast. Attoure, that this our dimissioun may tak the mair solempne effect, & that nane pretend ignorance thairof, we haue geuin, grantit, and committit, and be thir our letters geuis grantis, and committis our commissioun full, frie, and plane power, generall, and speciall command, to our traist cousingis, Patrik Lord Lindesay of the Byris, and Williame Lord Ruthuen, and to ilk ane of thame coniunctly and seuerally, to compeir before sa mony of the Nobilitie, Clergie, Burgessis, and vther pepill of our Realme, as sall happin to be assemblitt to that effect in our Burgh of Striuiling, or ony vther place, or placis quhair it salbe thocht maist conuenient, at ony day or dayis, and thair publictlie in thair presence, for vs, in our name, and vpon our behalf dimit, and renunce the gouernement, gyding, and reuling of this our Realme, liegis, and subiectis thairof, all intromissioun with the propertie, casualitie, or vtheris thingis appertening to vs thairby, and all rycht, and tytle that we had, hes, or may haue be ony maner of way thairto, in fauouris of our said Sone, to that effect, that he may be inaugurat, placit, and rowmit thairin, and the Crowne royall deliuerit to him, and be obeyit in all thingis concerning the samin, as we, or our predecessouris hes bene in tymes bypast. And in lykewise be thir presentis geuis, grantis, and committis our full frie, and plane power, to our rycht traist cousingis, James Erle of Mortoun, Lord of Dalkeith. Johne Erle of Athole. &c. Johne Erle of Mar. &c. Alexander Erle of Glencarne, Williame Erle of Menteith, Johne Maister of Grahame, Alexander Lord Hume, Adam Bischop of Orknay, and Prouestis of Dundie, Montrois, or ony of thame, to ressaue the said renúciatioun, and dimissioun in fauouris of our said Sone, and thairefter the ressauing thairof, to plant, place, and inaugurat him in the Kingdome, and with all ceremonies requysit to put the Crowne royall vpon his heid, in signe and takin of the establesing of him thairin, and in his name to mak, and gif to the saidis Nobilitie, Clergy, Burgessis, and vtheris our liegis, his Princely & Kingly aith detfully, and lauchfully as effeiris. And to ressaue thair aithis, for dew & lauchfull homage to be maid be thame to him, in all tymes cuming, as becumis subiectis to thair natiue King and Prince. And generally all & sindrie other thingis to do, exerce, and vse that for sure performance & accomplishment heirof may, or can be done, firme and stable haldand, and for to hald all and quhatsumeuer thingis in our name, in the premissis leidis to be done, in the word and faithfull promis of ane Prince. And ordanis thir our letters (gif neid beis) to be publist at all places neidfull. Subscriuit with our hand, & geuin vnder our preuie Seil, At Lochleuin the .xxiiij. day of Julii. And of our Regne the .xxv. zeir. 1567.