Douglas book > Charters

1.544.] THE DOUGLAS CHARTERS. 237
199. Act of Privy Council conferring on Archibald, sixth Earl of
Angus, Lieutenant, power to raise a thousand horse or foot, etc.,
for defence of the realm. 21st December 1544.
At Edinburgh, the tuentie ane day of December, the zeire of God I m v c and fourty
foure zeiris, in presens of my lord gouernour [and the lordis] of counsale, com-
perit maister James Makgill, procuratoure for Archibald erle of Angus, lieu-
tenant, and gaif in thir articlis vnderwrittin ; off the quhilkis articlis, and
ansueris maid to the samyn, the tennoure followis : — In the first, quhair the said
erle desiris ane ample commis[sioun] to be gevin to him be the Quenis grace, my
lord gouernoure and lordis of counsale, as he, with his freindis, sail deuise ;
my lord gouernoure [and the] lordis of counsale ordanis ane mynit of the said
commissioun to be maid, and to be schawin agane to thame, that thai may auise
thairwith. Secundlie, quhair it is diuisit that the Quenis grace, my lord gouer-
nour, and lordis, wald considdir the vrgent necessitie of this realme, how the
Merse, Teviotdaill, Liddisdaill, Eskdaill, Ewisdaill, Lauderdaill, and ane part of
Louthyane, takkis now instantlie plane part witht Ingland, quhilkis folkis ar, in
novmer, five or sex thousand men, thairfoir, to considdir quhat powar is necessar
to defend aganis thir, havand the support of Ingland to thair releif ; for necessar
it is that the cuntre be defendit, lyand nixt vnto thame, and thai to be parsewit
and invadit according to oure powar : To this article it is ellis diuisit, that ane
thousand horse men or futt men, equiualent to the said horse men, as my lord lieu-
tennent thinkis best for supple of the realme, and to be wagit for thre monethis,
and the first payment to be maid the last day of December instant, and fra thine-
furtht, monethlie ; and that all the said I m men salbe chosin be the said erle of
Angus, lieutennent, and to be laid in garnising quhair he thinkis best for the
commoun weill of the cuntre, and to ansueir and obey to no man bot to him and
to sic capitanis as he sail appoint to thame ; and be this is ansueir maid to the
thrid article. Ferdlie, quhair it is diuisit that my lord [the erle] of Angus haif
I m merkis euery monetht for keping of his house and tabill, and that he may haue
thre monethis avancit in his hand [be caus of the] extreme derth in this
realme, my lord gouernour and lordis of counsale grantis I m merkis to be payit
monethlie to my lord lieutennent for him self, his houshald, and the said sovme
to be payit of the taxt and contribution, be the collectouris and ressauouris of the
samyn. Fiftlie, quhair my lord lieutennent desiris to haif the haill wardis,
mariagis, benifices of the availl of I m li. or thairby, that salhappin to vaik within