“Mary, by the grace of God, Queen of Scots, to all and sundry our judges and ministers of law, lieges and others whom it effeirs, to whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting:—Forasmuch as by long, irksome, and tedious travel taken by us in the government of the realm and lieges thereof, we are so vexed and worried that our body, spirit, and senses are become unable longer to travel in that room; and therefore we have demitted and renounce the office of government of the realm in favour of our most only dear son, native prince of this realm; and because of his tender youth and inability to use the government in his own person during his minority, we have constituted our dearest brother James, Earl of Moray, regent to our said son, realm, and lieges foresaid; and in respect that our said dearest brother is actually furth of our realm and cannot instantly be present to accept the said office of regent, and use and exercise the same during our dearest son's minority. We, until his returning within our realm, or in case of his decease, have made, constituted, named, appointed, and ordained, and by these our letters make, constitute, name, appoint, and ordain, our trusty cousin and counsellor James, Duke of Chatelherault, Earl of Arran, Lord Hamilton; Mathew, Earl of Lennox, Lord Darnley, etc.; Archibald, Earl of Argyll; John, Earl of Atholl; James, Earl of Morton; Alexander, Earl of Glencairn; John, Earl of Mar,—regents to our dearest son, realm, and lieges; and in case our said brother James, Earl of Moray, come within our realm and refuse to accept the office of regent upon his own person, we make, constitute, name, appoint, and ordain our trusty cousins and counsellors foresaid, and our said brothers, regents of our dear son, giving, granting, and committing to them, or any five of them conjointly, full power for our son, and in his name to receive surrenders of lands, make disposition of wards, marriage of benefices, escheats, offices, and other casualties and privileges whatsoever concerning the said office, signatories thereupon to make, subscribe, and cause to be passed by Seals; and to use and exercise the office of regent in all things as freely and with as great liberty as any regent or governor to us or our predecessors used in times past; promising to hold firm and stable, on the word and faith of a prince, to whatever things our said dearest cousins do in the circumstances; charging all and sundry foresaid to answer and obey our said cousins and regents in all and sundry things concerning the office of regent during our son's minority and until he be of the age of seventeen years complete, as you and each of you will declare yourselves loving subjects to our said most dear son, your