ITEM Anent the artickle proponit be the Erlis, Lordis, and vther Nobill men, quha tuik armis at Carbarrie hill, vpon the .xv. day of Junij last bypast. And anent thair conueningis of befoir, and of the cause of the apprehensioun of the Quene, Mother to our Souerane Lord. And quhidder the saidis Nobill mé, and vtheris quhilkis tuik armis of befoir hir said apprehensioun, and quhilkis ioynit with thame, and assistit thame at that tyme, or ony wayis sensyne, hes done the dewtie of Nobill men, gude, and trew subiectis of this Realme, and na wayis offendit, nor transgressit the Lawis in that effect, or ony thing depending thairupon, outher preceding, or following the samin. ¶ Our Souerane Lord, with auise of my Lord Regent, and thre Estatis, and haill body of this present Parliament, hes fundin, declairit, and concludit, and be this present act findis, declairis, and concludis, that the cause and occasioun of the conueutiounis, and messageis of the saidis Erlis, Lordis, Nobill men, Barronis, and vtheris faithfull and trew subiectis, and consequentlie, thair taking of armis, and cuming to the feildis with oppin and displayit banneris, and the cause and occasioun of the taking of the said Quenis person, vpon the said .xv. day of Junij last bypast, and halding, and detening of the samin within the housis and Fortalice of Lochleuin, continuallie, sensyne presentlie, and in all tyme cuming. And generallie all vther thingis inuentit, spokin, writtin, or done be thame, or ony of thame to that effect, sen the tent day of Februar last bypast, vpon the quhilk day, vmquhile Henry King, than the said Quenis lauchfull husband, and our Souerane Lord the Kingis derrest Father, was tressonablie, schamefullie, and horriblie murthourit, vnto the day and dait, of this present act, and in all tymes to cum, tuicheing the said Quene, and detening of hir person. That the cause and {folio xv. verso} all thingis dependand thairon, or that ony wayis may pertene thairto, the intromissioun, or disponing vpon hir propirtie, casualiteis, or quhatsumeuer thing pertening, or that ony wayis mycht pertene to hir, Wes in the said Quenis awin default, in sa far as be diuers hir preuie letteris writtin halelie with hir awin hand, and send be hir to James, sumtyme Erle of Bothwell, cheif executour of the said horribill murthour, asweill befoir the committing thairof, as thairefter. And be hir ungodlie, and dishonourabill proceding to ane pretédit mariage with him, suddandlie, and vnprouisitlie thairefter, it is maist certaine, that scho was preuie, airt, and pairt, of the actuall deuise, and deid of the foirnamit murthour, of the King hir lauchful husband, and Father to our Souerane Lord, committit be the said James, sumtyme Erle of Bothwell, his complices, and pertakeris. And thairfoir iustlie deseruis quhatsumever hes bene done to hir in ony tyme bygane, or that salbe vsit towardis hir, for the said cause in tyme cuming, quhilk salbe vsit be aduise of the Nobilitie, in respect, that our said Souerane Lordis Mother, with the said James, sumtyme Erle of Bothwell, zeid about be indirect and colourit menis, to colour, and hald bak the knawlege of the treuth of the committaris of the said cryme. Zit all men in thair hartis war fullelie perswadit, of the authouris and deuysaris of that mischeuous, and vnworthie fact, awaiting quhill God sould moue the hartis of sum to enter in the querrell, for reuengeing of the samin. And in the menetyme, ane greit pairt of the Nobilitie, vpon iust feir to be handlit, and demanit in semblabill maner, as the King had bene of befoir. Persauing alswa the Quene sa thrall; and swa blindlie affectionat to the priuate appetyte of that tyrane, and that baith he, and scho had conspyrit togidder sic horribill crueltie, being thairwith all garnissit with ane cumpanie of vngodlie, and vitious personis, reddy to accomplische all thair vnlauchfull commandementis, of quhome he had ane sufficient number, continuallie awaiting vpon him, for the samin effect, all Nobill and vertuous men abhorring thair tyrannie, and cumpanie, bot cheiflie suspecting, that thay, quha had sa tressonablie put downe, and distroyit the Father, sould mak the innocent Prince, his onlie Sone, and the principall, and almaist onlie confort, send be God to this afflictit natioun, to taist of the samin coup (as the mony inuentit purposis to pas quhair he was, and alswa quhair the Nobill men war in) be thair oppin confusioun gaif sufficient warning and declaratioun, quhairthrow the saids Erlis, Lordis, Barronis, and vtheris faithfull, and trew subiectis taking armis, or vtherwyse quhatsumeuer ioyning, and assisting in the said actioun, and in the saidis conuentiounis, displaying baneris, and cuming to the feildis, taking and retening of the Quenis person, asweill in tymes bypast, as heirefter, and all vtheris that hes thairefter, or sall {folio xvi. recto} in ony tyme cuming adioyne to thame, and all thingis done be thame, or ony of thame, tuicheing that cause, and all vther thingis depending thairon, or that ony wayis may appertene thairto, the intromissioun, or disponing vpon hir propirtie, or casualiteis, or quhatsumeuer vther thingis pertening, or ony wayis mycht appertene to hir, was in default of hir self, and the said James, sumtyme Erle of Bothwell, and be the horribill, and cruell murther of our said Souerane Lordis vmquhile derrest Father, conspyrit, deuysit, committit, conseilit, and colourit be thame, and not condignelie puneist according to the Lawis. And that the saidis Erlis, Lordis, Barronis, and vtheris trew, and faithfull subiectis, conuening at ony conuentioun bygaine, and now presentlie, efter the said murthour, for furthering of the tryell thairof, and als thay, and all vtheris that war on the feildis, tuik armis, apprehendit, held, keipit, or detenit, or presentlie haldis, keipis, or detenis hir person, or sall thairefter, or that hes ionit, or assistit, or sall in ony tyme heirefter ioyne to thame in that querrell, tuicheing the premissis, ar, war, and salbe innocent, fre, and acquyte of the samin, and of all actioun, and cause criminall, and ciuill, that may be intentit, or persewit aganis thame, or ony of thame thairfoir, in ony tyme cuming. And that ane pairt of the thre Estatis foirsaidis, Prelatis, Bishopis, greit Barronis, and Burgessis, gaif thair Seillis thairupon, to be vsit as salbe thocht maist expedient be thame, for the honour of the Realme, and securitie of the nobill men, and vtheris hauand enteres in the said cause. And decernis, this declaratioun to be na wayis preiudiciall to the Issue of our Souerane Lordis Mother, lauchfullie cumin of hir body, to succeid to the Crowne of this Realme, nor thair airis.