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By the King.
A PROCLAMATION. Containing His Majesties gracious Pardon and Indemnity.
CHARLES R.
CHARLES the Second, by the Grace of GOD, King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all and sundry Our good Subjects whom these presents do or may concern, Greet∣ing: The just Resentments We have of th•• rebellious courses taken by some in that Our Ancient King∣dom of Scotland, by poisoning Our People with Principles inconsistent with true Piety, and all hu∣mane Society, as well as with Our Royal Government; and of the humorous Factions of others, who (under pretext of re-presenting Grievances 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Us) have most unjustly, both in Scotland and England; Defamed Our Judicatures of Scotland, a••d thereby weakened Our Authority, therein represented; All which, did not hinder Us from endeavouring to quiet the one by Our late Proclamation; and the other by a publick Hearing and Debate: And being most desirous to cover all the Imperfections of Our Subjects, and to remove the Fears and Jealousies, whence they proceed; We have therefore, by Our Royal Authority, and the un∣doubted Prerogative of Our Crown, thought fit (with the advice of our Privy Council) to Indemnifie, Remit and Pardon (with the Exceptions after specified) all such as have been at Field, or House-conventicles; all such as are guil∣ty of irregular administration of the Sacraments, and other Schismatick Disorders; all such as have been ingaged in the Rebellion, 1666. Or the late Rebellion this present Year of God, 1679 All such as have Spoken, Written, Printed, Published, or dispersed any traiterous Speeches, infamous L••bels, or Pasquils; all such as have mis-represented any of Our Judicatures, Servants, or Subjects, or have advised any thing contrary to Our Laws; all such as have maleversed in any Publick Station, or Trust: and generally, all such as are lyable to any pursuit, for any Cause, or Occasion, re∣lating to any publick Administration, by Contrivances, Actings, Oppositions, or otherways preceeding the date hereof. Declaring the generality of these Presents, to be as effectual to all intents and purposes, as if every Circumstance of every the foresaid Delinquencies, or Mis-demeanours were particularly and specially here inserted; and as if every of the Persons that might be challenged and pursued for the same, had a Remission under Our great Seal, or an Act of Indemnity past in his Favours. Discharging any of Our Officers, or Subjects, to pursue any Person or Persons upon any such accounts, either ad vindictam publicam vel privatam, or to upbraid them therewith. And Comanding all Our Judges to interpret this Our Remission and Indemnity, with all possible latitude and ••avor, as they will be answerable to Us upon their highest perils, Excepting such as are already forefaulted by our Parliaments, or Our Criminal Court, fined by Our Privy Coun∣cil; and such who being fined by Inferiour Judicatures, have payed, or transacted for their fines, in so far as concerns their respected fines, so imposed: Excepting also, all such Heretors and Ministers, who have been in the late Rebellion, or were contrivers thereof, and such Heretors as have contributed thereto, by Levies of Men and Money; and excepting like∣wise such as obeyed not Our, and Our Councils Proclamation, in assisting Our Host; to be pursued for that their De∣linquency, according to Law; and such persons as have threatned, or abused any of the Orthodox Clergy, or any of Our good Subjects for assisting Us, in suppressing the late Rebellion; and that, since Our Proclamation, dated the twenty-ninth day of June, last past: Which Indemnity We do grant to those who were ingaged in the late Rebellion, provided that they shall appear before such as our Privy Council shal nominate, betwixt and the dyets following,viz. these that are with∣in this Kingdom, betwixt and the eighteenth day of September, and these that are furth thereof, betwixt and the thirteenth of November next to come, and enact themselves, never to carry Arms against Us, or our Authority, and with express condition, that if ever they shall be at any Field conventicle, or shall do any violence to any of Our Orthodox Clergy, this Our Indemnity shall not be useful to such Transgressors any manner of way; as it shall not be to any for private Crimes, such as Murders, Assassi∣nations, Thefts, Adulteries, the fines and denunciations thereof, and such like as never use to be comprehended under ge∣neral Acts of Indemnity; and particularly the Execrable Murther of the late Arch-bishop of St. Andrews: Nor to such as were appointed to be carryed to the Plantations, by our Letter, dated the twenty ninth day of June last, tho their lives be by this Our Royal Proclamation also, secured unto them, in manner, and upon the conditions above-mentioned. But lest the hope of Impunity shou'd embolden the malicious to future disorders; We do hereby Command Our Privy Council, and all Our other Judicatoures, to pursue and punish with all the severity that Law can allow, all such as shall hereafter threaten or abuse the Orthodox Clergy, murmure against Our Judicatures, or Officers, as shall make, publish, print, or disperse Ly∣bels, or Pasquils; these being the Fore-runners of all Rebellions; and which, by defaming Authority, do disappoint all its just and necessary Methods. And to the end, all our good Subjects may have notice of this Our Royal Will and Pleasure, We do hereby Command Our Lyon King at Armes, and his Brethren Heraulds, Macers, Pursevants, and Messengers at Arms, to make timous Intimation hereof, at the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and other Places needful.
Given at Our Court, at Windsor-Castle, the Twenty-seventh day of July, one thousand, six hundred, seventy and nine. And of our Reign, the Thretti∣eth-one Year.
By His MAJESTIES Command, LAUDERDALE.
GOD save the KING.