The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of ... - Electric Scotland

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advice aforesaid and signify our royall pleasure to you thereupon. For
doing whereof this shalbe your warrant ; and so wee bid you our heartily
farewell. Gfiven at our court at Whitehall, the 11th day of May 1685
and of our reigne the 1st year.
By his Majesties command,
(Signed) Morray.
29.— (8.) King James the Seventh to the lords of the secret committee
of Privy Council, dated 25 May 1685. Superscribed by the King and
countersigned by the Viscount of Melfort. Kelative to the rebellion of
the late Earl of Argyll and others, and the processes now before
parliament. Fully addressed as in previous letters to the secret
committee.
(Superscribed) James R.
Right trusty and right entirely ])eloved cousin and councellor, right
trusty and right welbeloved cousins and councellors, and right trusty
and welbeloved councellors, wee greet you well. Whereas the late
Earle of Argile and those associated with him in this rebellion, have at
last appeared upon, the west coast of Argile ; and that wee judge it
expedient for our service, that the noblemen, gentlemen and burgesses,
who are of this present parliament should have leave to goe home to doe
what may be proper for them in our service according to their respective
duties^ wee haue thought fit to advertise you thereof; that if you be of
the same opinion this session of parliament may with all hast convenient,
be ended : And for that effect, wee haue sent our Instruction to our
commissioner to be used by you as shalbe hereafter mentioned. And
because this adjournment may prevent the discussing of those processes
now before our parliament there, if you think that a commission of
parliament with a parliamentary power (of which number the commissioners
of justiciary to be) might doe the same thing, especially if the
parliament in any one instance sustain the slightest probation you haue,
it would doe well to be a precedent for the committee ; and for this likewise
(that no time be lost) an Instruction is sent to you in the same
manner as the other. And because there are many heretors and others
suspected to be with the rebells, or assisting to them, if it be fit for our
service to haue an act of parliament, ordaining all such as for adherence
to these rebells shalbe cited to appear within sixty dayes or any competent
time you think fit, and doe not appear, shall ipso facto upon this
occasion be forfeited ; and this law to continue only for such a short
time as you may think most for our service, not exceeding the space of
one year. For this there is a particular Instruction, but if this be not
thought convenient by you to passe because of its generality, in that case
if you think fit to restrict it to such as you can now name, and may cite
before the adjournment of the parliament by name, wee haue likewise
for this sent an Instruction to you. All which Instructions wee ordain
to lye in your hands, till you consult of the fitnesse of them for our
service;—That if you judge them or any of them fit, you may deliver
them to our commissioner; if not, you may return them or any of them
to our secretaries to be cancelled ;
giving us the reasons why you judge
them unfit, for our satisfaction in the matter. And since the time wee
instructed our commissioner to passe an act of Indemnity this rebellion
having interveened, wee judge it not for our honour to doe it now ; and
therefore have instructed our commissioner accordingly. And if you
find that the acts abovementioned relating to forfeitures may be inconvenient
for our service, you are not then upon the account of processes to
defer the adjournment of the parliament, but to continue the processes