AN ACT By His ROYAL HIGHNESS, His Majesty's High Commissioner, and Lords of Privy Council, Establishing the Order of the Riding, etc. at the Opening of the ensuing Parliament, and several Circumstances relating thereto, conform to the ancient practice of the Kingdom of Scotland, appointed to be Recorded in the Books of Privy Council, and the Lion's Books, at Edinburgh, July 25. 1681.  
I. HIs Majesty's High Commissioner, and Lords of Privy Council ordain, the Magistrates of Edinburgh, to cause make a Lane of their Citizens, in Arms, and best order, from the Lady-steps to the Nether-bow, (His Majesty's Foot-guards, making the Lane from the Nether-bow to the Palace.)  
II. The said's Magistrates are appointed to order, that there be no shooting, nor any displaying of Ensigns, nor beating of Drums; during the Cavalcade, nor any Coaches to be seen within the Ports of Edinburgh, till the whole Solemnity be over, under all highest pains. The said's Magistrates are to cause make and place two Banks of Timber within the Abbay-Close for mounting on Horseback, and two at the Lady Steps, for Mounting upon Horseback and Dismounting.  
III. The Constable and Marischal Guards of Partisans, are to make a Lane from the Lady-steps, these of the Constables without, and these of the Marischals within the House, allowing the Constable six of his Guard within Doors, conform to the former practice.  
iv Every Member of Parliament must Ride, and the absents incur fyning, conform to the Act of Parliament, 1662.  
V Where there be double Elections of Commissioners, neither are to Ride.  
VI The Nobility are to Ride in their Robes, and with Footmantles.  
VII. The Officers of State who are not Noblemen, and who have Gowns, peculiar to their Office, are to Ride in these Gowns.  
VIII. The whole Members are to Ride Covered, excepting these who carry the Honours.  
IX. The Lion, Heralds, Pursuivants and Trumpets, Ride immediately before the Honours; the Lion in his Coat and Robe, Chain and Batton alone, and immediately before the Sword; the rest with their Coats and Footmantles, bareheaded in their accustomed order.  
X. The two Macers of Council, and four Macers of Session, Ride on each side of the Honours, bareheaded, with Footmantles; the two Macers of Council attending the Crown, and the four Macers of Session, the Sceptre and Sword.  
XI. The Higher Degree, and most Honourable of that Degree, is to Ride always last.  
XII. Every Duke is to have eight Lackeys, every Marquis six, every Earl four, every Viscount three, every Lord three, every Commissioner for a Shire two, and every Commissioner from burgh's one; and every Nobleman is to have a Gentleman, bareheaded, to walk by him, and to bear up his Train, and these Gentlemen are, at their Entry to the House, to stand without the Bar.  
XIII. The Arch-Bishops and Bishops are to Ride in their Gowns and Tippets with their Footmantles, and the Arch-Bishops may have eight Lackeys, and Bishops three, and each of them is to have a Gentleman bareheaded to walk by him, and to bear up his Train.  
XIV. The Nobleman's Lackeys may have over their Liveries, Velvet Coats with their Badges, i. e. their Creists and Mottoes done on Plate, or Embroidered upon the Back and Breast, conform to ancient Custom; or their ordinar Liveries.  
XV. The Constable and Marischal, are in the morning to wait on His Majesty's High Commissioner at the Palace, and to receive his Orders, and from thence, returning privately; the Constable is to come out of his Lodging on Foot, and having viewed the Rooms under and above the , puts on his Robes, and having his Batton in his hand, sets himself in a Chair at the Entry of the Closs, at the Lady-steps, by the outmost of his Guards, from which he is to rise and Salute the Members as they light from their Horses, and to reccommend them to the Gentlemen of his Guard, to be conducted to the Marischal Guards.  
XVI. The Marischal is also to attend in his Robes, being set in a Chair at the head of his Guards, and to receive the Members (having his Batton in his hand) as they enter the Door.  
XVII. The Officers of State who are Noblemen, so many of them as are in the Kingdom, are to Ride up from the Abbay in their Robes, about half an hour before the Cavalcade, and to wait in the , until the High Commissioner come. And when an ordinary Subject is Commissioner, the High Chancellor is to take his own Purse in his hand, and to Usher him betwixt the Bar and the Throne. But when His Royal Highness, or any lawful Brother or Son of the King is Commissioner, he is to Usher them from the Door itself and back.  
XVIII. The whole Members of Parliament are to wait upon His Majesty's High Commissioner in the Guard-Hall, the Nobility being in their Robes, and the Servants and Horses are to attend in the outer Closs.  
XIX. The Lion King at Arms in his Coats, Robe, Chain and Batton (to whose charge the order of the Riding is committed) with six Heralds, six Pursuivants, and six Trumpets, in their Coats, attend likewise.  
XX. How soon His Majesty's High Commissioner is ready, the Lord Register (or such as he shall appoint) and Lion standing together, each of them having a Roll in his hand, and the Rolls being read, the Lion is to call the names of such of them as are to Ride, according to their Order; and one Herald is to cry aloud at one of the Windows, and another Herald to stand at the Gate and see them do accordingly.  
XXI. The Members are to Ride two and two, each Degree by itself, at some distance, without mixing with any other Degree, so that if there fall to be an odd Member of one Degree, he must Ride alone.  
XXII. The Lord Register is to make up the Rolls of Parliament, both for the riding, and Calling in the , conform to the Rolls of the riding and calling at the last Parliament. Anno 1669. whereof he is to give the Lion a just duplicat, except where there is just ground to alter the same; and the Members are to Ride as they are called; but if they think themselves prejudged, they may protest in the same manner as at the Calling of the Rolls in the House, and may afterwards as they think fit, apply themselves to the Parliament for remedy.  
XXIII. The Honours are to be carried immediately before the high Commissioner, the Crown by the Marquis of Douglas; the Sceptre next to it, by the eldest Earl present; and the Sword before it, by the Earl next in Order, and the Bearers are to Ride one by one bareheaded.  
XXIV. The Dukes and Marquesses are to Ride after the high Commissioner, at some distance, conform to the former Custom.  
XXV. The Master of the Horse is to Ride bareheaded after His Majesty's high Commissioner, but a little aside, when the Commissioner is the King's lawful Son or Brother.  
XXVI. The Gentleman-Usher with a White Road in his hand, is to Ride aside bareheaded near to the Commissioner, he before on the same side, and in the same manner, as the Master of Horse behind, in the case foresaid.  
XXVII. How soon His Majesty's high Commissioner alights from his Horse, the Lord Constable is to receive Him, and to attend Him to the Marischal Guards, and then both Constable and Marischal are to Convoy him bareheaded to the Throne, and are in the same manner to attend him in his return to Horse.  
XXVIII. When the Members alight, the Servants and Horses are to remove, and to stand in the Land-Mercat, betwixt the Toll-booth and the Wey-house, until the High Commissioner be upon his return to the Palace.  
XXIX. The return to the Palace is to be in the same manner, with these two alterations, viz. First, the Constable and Marischal Ride on the High Commissioners right and left hand, with Caps of Permission, the Constable on the right, and Marischal on the left. Secondly the Officers of State, who are Noblemen, are not to take Horse until the High Commissioner be gone, and then are to Ride at some distance after the Guard.  

Order of the Proceeding on Horseback, to be performed the first day of the ensuing Parliament, by all the Members of Parliament, in Convoying His Majesty's high Commissioner, from the Abbay of Hallyrudehouse to the , and back again to the Palace, the 28. day of July 1681.  
About the space of half an hour before the Riding begin, the Lord high Chancellor, and Lord Privyseal (they being only present of the principal Officers of State) Ride up in their Robes, the Chancellor on the right hand with Mace and Purse before him; and the Privy-Seal on the left; and in their return to the Palace, they are to Ride at a distance, after the Guard.  



Two Trumpets, in their Coats and Banners, bareheaded,  
Two Pursuivants, in their Coats and Footmantles, bareheaded,   To Usher the wa●…  
The Commissioners for burgh's, two and two.  
The Commissioners for Shires, two and two.  
The four Officers of State who are not Noblemen, two and two.  
The Lords or Barons of Parliament, two and two.  
The Bishops, two and two.  
The Viscounts, two and two.  
The Earls, two and two.  
The two Arch-Bishops.  
Four Trumpets, in their Coats and Banners, bareheaded, two and two.  
Four Pursuivants, in their Coats and Footmantles, bareheaded, two and two.  
Six Heralds, in their Coats and Footmantles, bareheaded, two and two.  
The Lion King at Arms, in his Coat, Robe, Collar, Batton and Foot-Mant●… bareheaded.  

Three Macers with their Maces and Footmantles, bareheaded.  

The Sword of State, born by the Earl of Mar, bareheaded.  
The Sceptre, born by the Earl of Argile bareheaded.  
The Crown carried by the Marquis of Dowglass, bareheaded.   Three Macers with their Maces and Footmantles, bareheaded.  

The Gentleman Usher with his white Road, aside, bareheaded, in the case foresaid.  A Nobleman bearing the Purse with his Commission, bareheaded.  

The Masters of Horse, bareheaded, aside, in the case foresaid.  His Royal Highness his Majesty's high Commissioner, attended wi●… his Servants, Pages and Footmen; and in the return to the ●…lace, having the high Constable on his right hand, and the Mar●…chal on his left, with Caps of Permission, and in their Robe●…  
The Dukes and Marquesses attending His Majesty's high Commissioner in the●… Robes.  
The Captain of His Majesty's Guard on the head of the Troop of Guards.   
Extracted by me, WILL. PATERSON, Cl. Sti. Concilij.    

Edinburgh, reprinted by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anno DOM. 1685.