“Her Grace has now held her Parliament, the solemnity whereof hath been very great. On the 26th May her Grace rode to the Parliament House in this order:—gentlemen, barons, lords, and earls in their order; after these the trumpeters and such other music as they had; next the heralds; then the Earl of Moray, who carried the sword, the Earl of Argyll the sceptre, and the Duke the regalia. Then followed the Queen in her Parliament robes and a very fair rich crown upon her head. There followed Her Grace the noblemen's wives as these were in dignity, twelve in number; after them the four Maries, demoiselles of honour, or the Queen's minions, call them as pleases your honour, but a fairer sight was never seen. These being the principals, sixteen, there followed them as many more so wonderful in beauty that I know not what court may be compared to them. The choice, I assure your lordship, that day was there of the whole realm. Having taken her place in Parliament, and silence being commanded, the Queen delivered, with a singular good grace, an oration short and very pretty, of which I send your lordship a copy. I am sure she made it herself, and she deserved great praise for delivering the same. I had that day the honour to escort Her Grace to the Parliament House and to be present at the whole solemnities during the time she was there. That day there was little done.”
Queen Mary's Proclamation anent Religion,
Edinburgh, 25th August 1561
“Forasmuch as the Queen's Majesty has understood the great inconvenience that may come by the division presently standing in this realm in matters of religion, that Her Majesty is desirous to see pacified by an order to the honour of God and tranquillity of her realm, and means to adopt the same by the advice of her Estates as soon as convenient may be. Her Majesty's resolution may be greatly hindered if any tumult or sedition be raised among the lieges. Therefore Her Majesty ordains letters to be directed charging all and sundry by open proclamation at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh and other places, that the lieges continue in quietness, keep peace and civil society among themselves. In the meantime while the Estates of her realm may be assembled, and Her Majesty having taken a final order by their advice and consent, which Her Majesty hopes will be for the good of all—that none of them take on themselves publicly or privately to make any alteration or innovation on the state of religion, or attempt anything against the form which Her Majesty found universally observed on her arrival in this realm, under pain of death; with certification that if any subject violate this order he shall be held to be a seditious person and a raiser of tumult, and the said penalty shall be executed upon him with all rigour, as an example to others,—Her Majesty by the advice of the Lords of her Secret Council commands and charges her lieges that none of them take upon themselves to molest or trouble any of her domestic servants or any person who has come from France in her company, in word, deed, or countenance, or any cause whatever, either within her palace or outside of it, or make any division amongst them on any colour or pretence, under pain of death. Albeit Her Majesty is sufficiently persuaded that her good and loving subjects would do the same for the reverence they bear to her person and authority even if no such command were published.”
Second Proclamation,
St. Andrews, 16th March 1562
“Forasmuch as our Sovereign Lady remembering that soon after her arrival in this realm, understanding the great inconvenience that might follow by the differences in matters of religion, and being desirous to see the same pacified by a good order to the honour of God and tranquillity of the realm, directed letters, proclamations, and charges throughout the realm, straightly commanding her lieges that they should continue in quietness and keep peace and civil society among themselves. In the meantime the Estates might be assembled and a final order by their advice and consent might be taken in the matter that none of the lieges shall take in hand privately or openly to make any alteration on the state of religion, or attempt anything against the form which Her Majesty found publicly and universally observed on her arrival, under pain of death. With certification that if any violate this order he shall be held to be a seditious person and a raiser of tumult. Albeit the same was duly proclaimed so that none can pretend ignorance thereof. Nevertheless, some forgetting their duty, are reported to have contravened, and intend purposely to contravene, the same by innovation of the religion and ministration of the sacraments otherwise than the public form aforesaid. Such contravention if it be allowed to proceed unpunished may not only engender contempt for our authority, but raise tumult and sedition within the realm, to the hindrance of Her Majesty's good intentions for restoring peace in such matters. Her Majesty ordains open proclamation to be made at the Mercat Cross of all burghs of this realm, that they as far as in them lies endeavour to observe and keep the said former proclamation in every point and condition; that none of them presume to do anything that may tend to the violation thereof, under the penalty contained in the same, certifying them that as Her Majesty most lovingly will embrace all her subjects obeying her commands, so can she not of her honour and duty but hate and punish the transgressors thereof, specially where the matter concerns the keeping of good order, of which they may assure themselves when they shall feel the same and obtain the reward due to those who depart from their Sovereign's obedience.”
Confirmation of the foregoing proclamation; Holyrood, 30th June 1564:—
“The Queen ordains the Keeper of her Signet to pass letters of the date hereof according to the ordinance made by her grace at St. Andrews, 16th March 1562, touching the matter of religion and the keeping of civil society among her subjects, nowise adding thereto or diminishing the same in any of its conditions; keeping this present Act for his warrant as he will answer to Her Majesty therefor.”