ITEM Anent the article proponed by the Earls, Lords, and other Noblemen, who took arms at Carberry hill, upon the 15th day of June last bypast. And anent their convenings of before, and of the cause of the apprehension of the Queen, Mother to our Sovereign Lord. And whether the saids Noblemen, and others which took arms of before her said apprehension, and which joined with them, and assisted them at that time, or any ways since then, has done the duty of Noblemen, good, and true subjects of this Realm, and no ways offended, nor transgressed the Laws in that effect, or any thing depending thereupon, either preceding, or following the same. ¶ Our Sovereign Lord, with advice of my Lord Regent, and three Estates, and whole body of this present Parliament, has found, declared, and concluded, and by this present act finds, declares, and concludes, that the cause and occasion of the conventions, and messages of the saids Earls, Lords, Noblemen, Barons, and others faithful and true subjects, and consequently, their taking of arms, and coming to the fields with open and displayed banners, and the cause and occasion of the taking of the said Queen’s person, upon the said 15th day of June last bypast, and holding, and detaining of the same within the houses and Fortalice of Lochleven, continually, since then, presently, and in all time coming; And generally all other things invented [devised], spoken, written, or done be them, or any of them to that effect, since the tenth day of February last bypast, upon the which day, umwhile [late, deceased] Henry King, then the said Queen’s lawful husband, and our Sovereign Lord the King’s dearest Father, was treasonably, shamefully, and horribly murdered, unto the day and date, of this present act, and in all times to come, touching the said Queen, and detaining of her person: That the cause and {folio xv. verso} all things depending thereon, or that anyways may pertain thereto, the intromission, or disponing upon [disposing, ordering] her property, casualties, or whatsomever thing pertaining, or that any ways might pertain to her, Was in the said Queen’s own default [fault], insofar as by divers her privy letters written wholly with her own hand, and sent by her to James, sometime Earl of Bothwell, chief executor of the said horrible murder, aswell before the committing thereof, as thereafter. And by her ungodly, and dishonourable proceeding to a pretended marriage with him, suddenly, and unprovisitly [unexpectedly] thereafter, it is most certain, that she was privy, art and part, of the actual device and deed of the forenamed murder, of the King her lawful husband, and Father to our Sovereign Lord, committed by the said James, sometime Earl of Bothwell, his accomplices, and partakers. And therefore justly deserves whatsomever has been done to her in any time bygone, or that shall be used towards her, for the said cause in time coming, which shall be used by advice of the Nobility, in respect, that our said Sovereign Lord’s Mother, with the said James, sometime Earl of Bothwell, went about by indirect and coloured means, to colour, and hold back the knowledge of the truth of the committers of the said crime. Yet all men in their hearts were fully persuaded, of the authors and devisers of that mischievous, and unworthy fact [act, deed], awaiting while [until] God should move the hearts of some to enter in the quarrel, for revenging of the same. And in the meantime, a great part of the Nobility, upon just fear to be handled, and demanit [treated] in semblable [similar] manner, as the King had been of before; Perceiving also the Queen so thrall; and so blindly affectionate to the private appetite of that tyrant, and that both he, and she had conspired together such horrible cruelty, being therewithal garnissed [furnished] with a company of ungodly, and vicious persons, ready to accomplish all their unlawful commandments, of whom he had a sufficient number, continually awaiting upon him, for the same effect, all Noble and virtuous men abhorring their tyranny, and company, but chiefly suspecting, that they, who had so treasonably put down, and destroyed the Father, should make the innocent Prince, his only Son, and the principal, and almost only confort [comfort, consolation], sent by God to this afflicted nation, to taste of the same cup (as the many invented purposes to pass where he was, and also where the Noblemen were in) by their open confusion gave sufficient warning and declaration, where-through the saids Earls, Lords, Barons, and others faithful, and true subjects taking arms, or otherwise whatsomever joining, and assisting in the said action, and in the saids conventions, displaying banners, and coming to the fields, taking and retaining of the Queen’s person, aswell in times bypast, as hereafter, and all others that has thereafter, or shall {folio xvi. recto} in any time coming adjoin to them, and all things done by them, or any of them, touching that cause, and all other things depending thereon, or that any ways may appertain thereto, the intromission, or disponing upon [disposing, ordering of] her property, or casualties, or whatsomever other things pertaining, or any ways might appertain to her, was in default [the fault] of herself, and the said James, sometime Earl of Bothwell, and by the horrible, and cruel murder of our said Sovereign Lord’s umwhile [late, deceased] dearest Father, conspired, devised, committed, concealed, and coloured by them, and not condignly punished according to the Laws. And that the saids Earls, Lords, Barons, and others true, and faithful subjects, convening at any convention bygone, and now presently, after the said murder, for furthering of the trial thereof, and as they, and all others that were on the fields, took arms, apprehended, held, kept, or detained, or presently holds, keeps, or detains her person, or shall thereafter, or that has jonit [joined, united], or assisted, or shall in any time hereafter join to them in that quarrel, touching the premises, are, were, and shall be innocent, free, and acquit of the same, and of all action, and cause criminal, and civil, that may be intended, or pursued against them, or any of them therefore, in any time coming. And that a part of the three Estates foresaids, Prelates, Bishops, great Barons, and Burgesses, give their Seals thereupon, to be used as shall be thought most expedient by them, for the honour of the Realm, and security of the noblemen, and others having interest in the said cause. And decerns this declaration to be no ways prejudicial to the Issue of our Sovereign Lord’s Mother, lawfully coming of her body, to succeed to the Crown of this Realm, nor their heirs.