The Articles transactit and aggreit be the Reverend Father in God, Johne Bischop of Valance, and Monsieur Randan, deputtis to the King and Quene of Scotland, upoun the matteris presentit to thame, be way of Petitioun, for the pairt of the Nobilitie and Pepill of Scotland.[169]
In the first, Upoun the complaynt and petitioun of the said Nobilitie and pepill of this cuntrey, anent the number of men of weir sustenit be thair Majesties in thir pairtis in tyme of peace; It is humblie requeistit to the saidis Deputis, that thay wald provide oportune remedy thairupoun, to the solace and releif of the cuntrey. The saidis Deputis considerand the said desyre to be just, and conforme to reasone, concludit, concordit, and affirmit, That the Kyng and Quene sall procure na Frenche men of weir, nor na uther natioun to cum to thir pairtis in tyme cuming; bot gif strangearis wald pretend to enter in this realme with ane navy or army to occupy the same; in the quhilk caise provisioun sall be maid be thair Majesties, the judgement and counsale of the Estaitis of the realm be haid thairto: And that the Frenche men of weir, being now in the toun of Leith, sall be send to France the same tyme that the navy and army of Inglissmen and Scottismen has scaillit and depairtit baith be sey and land; the quhilk sall be done in the best maner may be, as at mair lenth consideratioun sall be had thairupone. As to the bandis of Scottismen of war being at the said place, thay sall be brokin, and the men of war licentiat[170] to depairt. Mairover, as to the fortis of Dumbar and Insche Keyth,[171] thair sall remane in thame ane hundreth and twenty Frenche men of weir[172] allanerlie, quhilkis sall be pairtit and distributit in thir twa placeis; and thair sall remane na ma in Dumbar bot threscoir men of war, sua it be not affirmit be the Capitaneis chosin to that effect be baith the pairteis, that for the keiping of the same ane greitar number is not neidfull; alssua to depairt quhen the Estaitis of the realme can fynd ane guid and sure remedy, upoun the expensses maid in the saidis placeis, to keip the same fra perell of invasioun, or deprivatioun thairof fra thame that wald pretend to occupy the samyn, thay sall schaw the same to thair Majesties alse haistilie as may be done: and in the menetyme, the number of the said men of war sall not be augmentit. And in lyk maner it sall nocht be lefull to the said men of war to do ony injureis to ony personis, or yitt to menteyne or defend ony Scottismen, of what qualitie so ever thay be of, againis the will and authoritie of the magistratis of the realme, nor to resaif thame in the saidis placeis that the minister of justice may not putt handis in thame; nor yitt sall intromett with tham any maner of way, with the quarrellis and discordis of the Lordis, or uthir particular men of this realme; bot thay thame selffis sall be obligit, in caise of ony quarrell to be punischitt efter the lawis and consuetude[173] of this Realm, and to answer for thame selffis befoir the Judgeis Ordinaris of the same. Last of all, that fra this furth[174] thay be not compellit to taik ony credeit, they sall be every moneth satisfeit of thair wageis; sua that twa Scottis Lordis chosin be the Counsale, may present it, at weappon-schawing and mustouris of the said men of weir; and alsua to viseit the saidis fortis to se gif the number of thame be eikit; and it sall not be lesum to the said men of war to tak ony victuallis for thair sustentatioun, to the munitioun of the saidis placeis, bot be payment of reddy money, numerat, and with the plesour of thame that delyveris the same to thame: And thairfoir, the saidis Lordis oblisses thame to gif thame sa mekill as is neidfull to thame, thay having to pay thairfoir.
Item, Upoun the petitioun presentit to the saidis Lordis Deputis, anent the demolitioun of the fortificationis, the saidis Deputis consentit, concordit, and affirmit, That the fortificatioun of Leith sall be demolischit, and that twa, thre, or four capitaneis sall be chosin be baith of the pairteis, to visite the Castell of Dumbar; and gif it beis fundin be thame, that the reparatioun, amplificatioun, and fortifeing[175] maid thairof now efter the peace, greittar nomber of men to the keiping thairof is requyreit, the reparatioun and fortificatioun thairof sall be demolischeit, sua sone as may be done, and sall remane onlie untuicheit, that thing quhilk may mak the said Castell mair sure, and leist dainger fra invasioun; provyding nocht the less that na grettar nomber of men thairin be requyreit for keiping of the same. Mairover, in tymeis cuming the Kyng and Quene sall mak na ma new fortis within this realme, and sall nocht augment thame that ar ellis maid, nor sall repair thame that are demolischeit, without counsal and consent of the Estaites; nor yitt sall transport to uthir partis ony artailyerie, munitioun of war, powder, or victuallis, bot sa mekill as may gayne for keiping of the saidis placeis be the space of sax monethis or ane yeir.
Item, Anent the petitioun maid anent the debtis contractit be the Frenche men of weir in this countrey, the saidis [Deputis] concordit, That the Kyng and Quene sall cause restoir all that quhilk happinis to be fund gevin and grantit to the Kyngis Lieutennent and his Capitaneis, and uthiris Officiaris, for the nureisment, sustentatioun, and menteinance of the said Frensche men, or that quhilk beis fundin aucht be the lieutennent for service of his Majestie, that may appeir be writt, or confessioun of parteis.
Item, Upoun the petitioun maid anent the Conventioun of Estaitis of this Realme, the saidis Deputis consentit, concordit, &c., That the Estaites of the Realme may convene and hald Parliament, the twenty day[176] of the moneth of Julij nixt to cum; upone the quhilk day the Parliament sall be contyneuit, as use is, unto the fyrst day of the moneth of August following. Provyding alwayis, that befoir or thay begin to treat ony thyng in the said Parliament, all tumult of weir be dischargeit and ceise, that they that are present may be free without feir of men of weir or uthiris; and that in the menetyme ane messinger be send be the saidis Deputis to the Kyng and Quene, to certifie thame of thay thyngis aggreit, treatit, and concordit, requeisting thair Majesteis humbillie to be contentit with the samyn: And the said Conventioun sall be alse lauchfull in all respectis, as the samyn had bene ordanit and done be expres commandyment of thair Majesteis; providing that na mater be treatit thairintill befoir the said fyrst day of August.
Item, Upoun the article presentit anent Weir and Peace, the saidis Deputis consentit, concordit, etc., That the Kyng and Quene neither mak peace nor weir in thir pairtis, bot be counsale, judgment, and consent of the Thre Estaitis, according to the ordinance and consuetudis of the countrey; and as was observit be thair predecessouris.
Item, Upoun the petitioun presentit to the saidis Deputis, anent the governament and regiment of the Policey, thay have consentit, etc., That twenty-four worthy men of this realme be chosin be the Three Estaitis, of the quhilkis the Kyng and the Quene sall chuse sevin, and the Estaitis sevintene; quhilkis in thair Majesteis absens sall tak ordour, and mak an ordinarie counsall for administratioun foirsaid, sua that na man, of quhatsoever qualitie he be, sall have the power to ordour ony thing to be done touching the saidis busynes, without the mediatioun, authorities, and consent of thame: sua that the saidis counsallaris sall convene togidder alse oft as thay may, but thay sall convene na less nor sax[177] togidder; And quhen ony mater of importance occurris, thay sall be all callit to counsale, and tak ordour be thame, or the maist pairt of thame, gif neid beis. And gif it happinis ony of the said sevin chosin be the Kyng and Quene to deceis, thair Majesties sall choise ane uthir furth of the said nomber of xxiv. in place of him that deceassit; and gif ony of the saidis xvii. chosin be the Estaitis deis, the remanent foirchosen be thame sall name are uther of the said nomber of twentie foure. Mairover, gif it beis thocht expedient be the saidis Estaitis, that uther twa be augmentit to the said nomber of twelf, than and in that caise, the Kyng and Quene sall choise ane, and the Estaitis ane uther. And sua was this Article aggreit under conditioun, that is to say, That the samyn be na prejudice in tyme cuming to the Kyng and Quene, and rychtis of the Croune: And the saidis Deputis offerrit thair laubouris to mak mediatioun to the Kyng and Quene, for menteining pensiouns and expensses of the said Counsellouris, and ordinar officiaris of the said counsall, to be providit of the rentis and proventis[178] of the Croun.
Item, Upoun the petitioun maid to the saidis Deputis anent the Officiaris of this realme, thay consentit and concordit, &c., That in tyme cuming the King and Quene sall not depute ony stranger in the administratioun of the civile and criminall Justice; and in lykwyise in the office of Chancellarie, Keipar of Seall, Thesaurer, Compttrollar, and uther lyk officeis, and sall not use thame, but sall be content with thair awin subjectis borne in this realme. Mairover, it sall not be lefull to put the office of Thesaurarie, Comptrollarie, in the handis of any kirk man, or utheris quhilkis ar not abill to exercise the saidis officeis; the quhilkis Thesaurer and Compttrollar sall be providit of sufficient commissioun to use the saidis officeis. Bot it sall not be lefull to thame to dispone or sell wairdis of mariageis, or uther casualiteis, or any uther thyngis quhatsumever thay be perteinyng to thair officeis, without counsall or consent of the said Counsale, to that effect that the Counsale may know that all thyngis be done to the proffitt of the Kyng and Quene; and yitt thay will not bynd, or astrict the Kyng and Quene be this article, that thay may not gif quhen thay think expedient.
Item, Thay concordit, That in the first conventioun of the Estaitis of this Realme, thair sall be constitut, ordanit, and establischeit ane law of oblivioun, quhilk efterward sall be confirmit be the Kyng and Queneis Majesties; be the quhilk all rememberance of beiring of armour, and utheris thyngis quhilk it hes bene done, sall be eirdit and forgett,[179] fra the saxt day of the moneth of Marche, in the yeir of God Jm Vc fyftie aucht yeiris:[180] And be the samyn law, thay quhilkis hes contravenit the lawis of the realme, sall be exemit and fre of all payne contenit thairin, siclik as gif it never had bene contravenit; providing that the privilegis of the said law be not extendit to thame, quhilkis the Estaitis of the Realme sall judge[181] unworthie thairof.
Item, It is aggreit and concludit, That in the said Conventioun or Parliament, the Estaitis of the Realme, as use is, and of the maner is requireit, sall be callit; in the quhilk all thay that hes usit to convene, and be present, may cum without all feir or force done, or to be done to thame be any persone, sua that the saidis sall oblisse thame, that quhair in tyme cuming ony seditioun, or conventioun of men of war sall happin to be, without command of the Counsall, being of the number of twelf, the realme and cuntrey sall repute the causseris thairof, and thame that conveneis as rebellis, and sall persew thame as siclyk, that thay may be punischeit be the lawis of the Realme, sua that the Kyng and Quene sall not be compellit in tyme cuming to send ony men of war, or strangeris in thir pairtis, for obtenying of dew obedience of thair subjectis.