[Mackenzie's
"History of the Macleods," pp. 361-366.] The document, modernised
in spelling, is as follows:
James R. - Our Sovereign Lord understanding the manifold cruel and
barbarous tyrannies and oppressions so frequent within he Highlands
and Isles, of that (part of) his Highness's Kingdom of Scotland,
before his Majesty's departure furth of the same, that one part
of the inhabitants thereof being altogether void of the true ear
of God, and not regarding that true and loyal obedience they ought
to his Majesty in massing and drawing themselves together n troops
and companies, and after a most savage and insolent form committing
depredations, rieves, "slouthis," and cruel slaughters against
the most honest, godly, and industrious sort of people dwelling
within and bewest the said bounds, who were a ready prey to the
said oppressors, so that the said honest and peaceable subjects
were oft and sundry times, for defence of their own lives, their
wives and children, forced to enter into actions of hostility
against the said limmers and broken men who oft and diverse times
invaded and pursued them with tire and sword, reft and spuilzied
their whole goods, among whom his Majesty, understanding that his
Highness's lovites and true and obedient subjects, John Mackenzie
of Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie,
his sons, dwelling within the Highlands most 'ewest' the Isles
of Skye and Lewis, who many and sundry times before his Majesty's
going to England, has been most cruelly invaded and pursued with
tire and sword by sundry of the said vagabonds and broken men
dwelling and resorting in the Skye and Lewis and other bounds of
the Highlands where they dwell, and has there-through sustained
many and great slaughters, depredations and heirschips, so that
in the very action of the said invasions and hostilities pursued
against them, the said persons in defence of their own lives, their
wives' and children's, and of their goods, have slain sundry of
the said invaders and limmers, taken others of them and thereafter
put them to death, to the great comfort of his Majesty's good,
honest, and true subjects who were subject to the like inroads,
invasions and tyrannies of the said vagabonds and fugitives, and
settling of his Majesty's peace within the bounds and his Majesty
being noways willing that the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and
his said sons' forawardness in their own defence, and withstanding
of the foresaid open and violent hostilities and tyrannies of the
said broken men which has produced so much and good benefit to his
Majesty's distressed subjects, shall suffer any hurt, prejudice,
or inconvenience against the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and
his said sons, which his Highness by these letters decrees and
declares to have been good and acceptable service done to his
Highness and the country: Therefore, his Majesty, of his special
grace, mercy, and favour, ordains a letter to be made under his
Highness's Great Seal in due form to the said John Mackenzie of
Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie, his
sons, remitting and forgiving them and everyone of them all rancour,
hatred, action, and crime whatsoever that his Majesty had, has,
or anywise may lay to the charge of the said John Mackenzie or his
said sons, or any of them, for the alleged taking and apprehending,
slaying or mutilating of the said vagabonds and broken men, or
any of them, or for art and part thereof, or for raising of tire
against them, in the taking and apprehending of them, or any of
them, at any time preceding his Majesty's going to England and
of all that has passed or that may pass thereupon, and of every
circumstance thereanent and suchlike.
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