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england_n	france_n	king_n	sovereign_a	2,743	5	8.9902	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30389	The memoires of the lives and actions of James and William, Dukes of Hamilton and Castleherald, &c. in which an account is given of the rise and progress of the civil wars of Scotland, with other great transactions both in England and Germany, from the year 1625, to the year 1652 : together with many letters, instructions, and other papers, written by King Charles the I : never before published : all drawn out of, or copied from the originals / by Gilbert Burnet ; in seven books.	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649. Selections. 1677.	1677 (1677)	Wing B5832; ESTC R15331	511,397	467

being a necessity of searching divers Records for Precedents which required a competent time as had been allowed in former cases but the Court refused to promise it only they said they would take it into their consideration The Counsel insisted and said plainly they declined the Imployment on those terms and would be forced to declare it Monday the 26th the other two Officers that had signed the Capitulation for the Duke and his Troops The ninth Appearance who had been sent for a great way off were examined who agreed with the former Witnesses in matters of Fact and also with Lilburn that by signing the Articles they only meant the Duke should be preserved from the Violence of the Souldiers and not from the Justice of the Parliament Then the Counsel began to Plead and all four spoke on the several Heads of the Plea Mr. Heron spoke cursorily and elegantly but not very materially Mr. Parsons a young man spoke boldly and to good purpose Mr. Chute the Civilian spoke learnedly and home and Mr. Hales since the much-renowned Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench elaborately and at length The Heads of their Arguments follow The Duke's Counsel at Law plead for him The Duke being as was granted a born Scotch-man his Tie of obligation and subjection to that Kingdom was indispensable and indissoluble so that his late Imployment could not be refused when laid on him by the Authority of that Kingdom no more than a Native of England living in it can disobey the Commands of this Parliament whereas any Subjection the Duke owed the Parliament of England was only acquired and dispensable That since no man can be a Subject of two Kingdoms whatever Tye lay on him to the Kingdom of England it was not to be put in Competition with what he owed Scotland it being a Maxim in Law that Major relatio trahit ad se minorem and that Ius Originis nemo mutare potest That there was an Allegeance due to the King and another to the Kingdom and no Treason could be without a Breach of Faith and Allegeance due to them against whom it was committed for these Kingdoms were two distinct Kingdoms and though the Allegeance due to the King was the same in both Kingdoms yet that due to the Kingdoms was distinct nor was the Actual administration of the Kingdoms in the Kings Person when the Duke got his Imployment therefore as his Allegeance to the Kingdom of Scotland was ancienter and stronger than any Tie that lay on him in England so what he did by their Order might well make him an Enemy to this Kingdom but could not infer Treason Yet all this of the Allegeance due to the Kingdom was founded on no Common or Statute Law as Mr. Hales himself confessed afterwards but he urged this well against those who asserted it it being the universally received Maxim at that time That whether he was a Post-natus or Ante-natus did not appear but though he were it did not vary the Case nor his obligation to the place of his Nativity and so though he were Post-natus or accounted a Denizen by his Fathers Naturalization his Offence could not be Treason but Hostility at most and by that supposed Hostility he could only lose his Priviledge of a Denizen but could not be made a Traitor there being no Precedent where ever any man was attainted of Treason for a hostile Invasion and it was questionable if this Offence could amount to that nor could any case be alledged where one born in another Independent Kingdome acting by a Commission from that Kingdom and residing there when he received his Commission and raising the Body of his Army in that Kingdom and coming into this in an Open Hostile manner was ever judged guilty of Treason Naturalization was intended to be a Benefit and not a Snare so that one might well lose it but was not to be punished for it And so when France and England were under one Soveraign divers of both Nations were naturalized in the other yet when Hostility broke out betwixt them many so naturalized fought on the side of their Native Kingdom for which none were put to death though divers were taken Prisoners And in Edward the third's time though he claimed France as his by Right yet when the Constable of France invaded England and was taken Prisoner he was not tried nor put to death but sent back to France as being a Native of that Kingdom And when David Bruce King of Scotland invaded this Kingdom and was taken Prisoner great endeavours were used to find a Legal ground for his Trial he being Earl of Huntington in England but this Plea was waved for it was found that it could not be done justly that being but a less degree of Honour though King Edward claimed a kind of Homage from the Crown of Scotland That if the Duke were on that account put to death it might prove of sad consequence in case there was War any more betwixt the Kingdoms since most of the present Generation were Post-nati and all would be so quickly and yet if the Lord Fairfax who was both a Post-natus and had his Honour in Scotland were commanded to lead an Army thither and being taken were put to death it would be thought hard measure For the Duke's Father's Naturalization it was true by the Statute of the 25 Ed. 3. provision was made that Children born without the Kingdom whose Parents were then in the King's Allegeance should be Denizens but the Duke was born before his Father's Naturalization which can never reach him none but the Issue after his Father's Naturalization being included within it and the word Haeres in the Act is only a word of Limitation and not of Creation nor did his making use of the assistance of some English Forces make him a Traytor It is true if an Englishman conduct a Foreign Army or if a Foreigner come of his own head or in a Rebellious way to assist an English Rebellion it will amount to Treason for the Act of such an Alien is denominated from the crime of those he assist here where he owed a local Obedience which was the Case of Shirley the Frenchman and of Lopez but if an Alien come with a Foreign Force though he make use of English Auxiliaries that only infers a Hostility but no Treason and was the case of the Lord Harris a Scotchman 15 Eliz. and of Perkin Warbeck both having English help and though Warbeck was put to death it was by no Civil Judicatory but only by the Will of Henry the 7th who erected a Court-Marshall for that purpose The present case was yet clearer where the Alien had Authority from his Native Kingdom and was commanded by them to make use of English help so that though Langdale's assisting the Duke did make himself a Traytor yet the Duke's accepting of it only infers an Act of Hostility And whereas it was objected that the Parliament had already by

Interest which he could offer unto His Majesty and he would be sure of all his Men there such naked Rogues as they were is his own phrase Besides there were store of Cows in that Island for the provision of the Fleet which he appointed should not be spared Thus was the Design laid down for curbing the Scotish Insolences and layes down method● for the effectuating of his design yet His Majesty firmly resolved that when-ever they returned to their Obedience he should not be inexorable The first thing for prosecuting this Design was the looking for Officers and Money for the former England was pretty scant yet the best were sought out On the second of February the King named the Earl of Arundel to be General the Earl of Essex to be Lieutenant-General of the Foot and the Earl of Holland to command the Horse Letters were also sent through the Counties for levying of Men and Advertisements given to the Nobility to meet the King at York against the first of April Antrim undertook bravely and Strafford said he should doe what was possible with all expedition The Fleet was appointed presently to be rigged out and Orders issued out for levying five thousand Souldiers under the Command of the three gallant Colonels Morton Byron and Harecoat who should go with the Fleet without knowing whither they went A Commission for the Lieutenantry of the North of Scotland was sent to the Marquis of Huntley but he was ordered to keep it up as long as was possible and carefully to observe two things One was not to be the first Aggressor except he were highly provoked or His Majesties Authority signally affronted the other was that he should keep off with long Weapons till His Majesty were on the Borders lest if he should begin sooner the Covenanters might overwhelm him with their whole Force and either ruine him or force him to lay down his Arms. As for the Marquis his Employment he told His Majesty that though he was so far from declining his Service at such a time that he should be infinitely troubled if he were not imployed yet he desired the King might choose a fitter person for the Naval Forces since he was altogether unacquainted with Sea-affairs and not fit for such an important Service But His Majesty looking upon this as an effect of his Modesty gave no hearing to it telling him that as for Affairs purely Naval Sir Iohn Pennington the Vice-admiral should go with him and would abundantly supply his defects in that But the getting of Money was the hardest part of all for two hundred thousand pound Sterlin was all the Money the King could make account of The Treasury was much exhausted and an unlucky Accident fell in at that time which put the King to much extraordinary Expence the Queen-Mother of France coming over to England yet the King found Himself able to doe well enough for the Summer following but His Purse could not weather out another year Thus did the King frame and prosecute His Design with the Secret whereof very few were trusted it being communicated to none without reserve save to Canterbury Arundel Sir Henry Vane and by Letters to Strafford but above all to the Marquis But here this Narration must be stopt that we may take a view of Scotland The Covenanters prepare for War and of the Power and Practices of the Covenanters In the beginning of Ianuary there was a full Meeting of them at Edinburgh where they first resolved to send a Gentleman to the King with the Assemblies Letter and a Petition from themselves full of Submission to the King Invectives against the Marquis and Justifications of their Procedure in all things particularly in the late Assembly which they doubted not they should make appear in the ensuing Parliament of the holding whereof they seemed to make no question With this the Earl of Argyle wrote a general Vindication of his own Behaviour and these Letters were sent to Court by Mr. Winram His Majesty received their Petition but resolved to give it such an Answer in due time as their Behaviour deserved but he wrote back to Argyle that he should be willing to receive from his own mouth a Vindication of his late Behaviour though it seemed scarce capable of any The Covenanters their next and indeed chief care was to fortifie themselves against what they knew in reason they might quickly expect Orders were therefore given through all the Shires of Scotland that a Committee of War should sit in every Shire Souldiers be listed and trained and a Commissioner sent from every County to lie at Edinburgh for receiving and transmitting of Orders Great care was also taken to provide the Country with Arms and Ammunition Merchants were sent every where to buy up all were to be had and in a short time there were Arms for above thirty thousand men brought to Scotland and particular Orders were given that none should be sold but to such as were well-affected to the Cause Strong and strict Guards were set about the Castle of Edinburgh so that it being but hitherto ill furnished little was to be expected from it wherefore Ruthwen would not shut himself up within it but went to offer his Service to His Majesty where he might be more useful They were also careful to fortifie Leith apprehending hazard from the Kings Fleet and about fifteen hundred of all Sexes yea and all Qualities for encouraging of others wrought about it till the Fortifications were compleated But of all men the Ministers were the busiest the Pulpits did ring with the Ruine of Religion and Liberties and that all might look for Popery and Bondage if they did not now quit themselves like men and are much inflamed by the Ministers Curses were thundred out against those who went not out to help the Angel of the Lord against the mighty so oddly was the Scripture applied and to set off this the better all was carried on with many Fasts and Prayers and they forgot not to pretend much Duty and Affection to the King but the Bishops and his other ill Councellours as they called them got the blame of all and none more than the Marquis By these means it was that the poor and well-meaning People were animated into great extremities of Zeal resolving to hazard all in pursuance of the Cause for they were told that the design was to reduce Scotland to a Province under the Power of the English whose Oppression they must resolve to bear if they stood not now to their own Defence Upon this it was that the Committees for War which were held in the several Shires about the beginning of February found small resistance and no difficulty of levying Men greater numbers being offered than could be either armed or maintained At Edinburgh the Session met with great trouble from the Covenanters The Session is disturbed for the greater number of the Lords of the Session being resolved not to own the Assembly all

Lanerick Cousin YOu will perceive by this that you cannot make more haste in obliging Me A Letter from the Queen to Lanerick than I shall on My part in witnessing My Acknowledgements of it I ascribe a great deal of the good Inclinations your Commissioners do now express to the good Offices you do of which I intreat the Continuance The testimonies of Friendship which I receive from those of your Family surprize Me less than what I met with from other Hands and I promise My Self to see further effects of it And as I have all the esteem of you that you can expect so you owe Me the Iustice of believing that I shall give evidence of it upon every occasion that shall be offered to Me nor shall I rest satisfied with that but shall diligently search out every opportunity of expressing it Therefore I entreat you to believe that I am Cousin Your very good and very affectionate Friend and Cousin HENRIETA MARIA R. Towards the end of December the Earls of Lowdon Lauderdale and Lanerick The Scotish Commissioners go to His Majesty followed the English Commissioners to the Isle of Wight and after they had protested against the Bills they concluded their Treaty with His Majesty to engage for his Rescue and Re-establishment on his Throne and to bring in an Army into England assoon as it were possible for that effect An Agreement with the King to bring an Army for His Service The King on the other hand engaged to them for all the Assistance they could demand from the Queen or Prince or any other who would obey His Authority and that the Prince should come to Scotland assoon as they found it convenient to invite him and that His Majesty should grant all the Desires of Scotland which with a good Conscience he could grant And the Commissioners having advised and agreed with His Majesty both about the Methods of carrying on their Designs and the ways of keeping Correspondence with him they resolved to return home to Scotland and so they left His Majesty at Wight in the end of the Year But upon the Kings refusing to pass the Bills he was made close Prisoner and a Vote passed in both Houses against all further Addresses to him MEMOIRES OF THE LIFE and ACTIONS OF James Duke of Hamilton c. LIB VI. Of the Dukes Engagement for the Kings Preservation and what followed till His Death Anno 1648. An. 1648. THe former Book has given the Reader a just and full Representation of His Majesties Imprisonment and the Danger his Person was in of the Force put on the Two Houses by the Army and of the breach of former Treaties with the Scotish Nation and now it cannot but be imagined that such Illegal and Unjust Proceedings must have inflamed the Resentments of all good Subjects and more signally of such who had formerly been carried away in the crowd to act against the Kings Interests but now seeing how fatal the Breach between the King and his People was likely to prove to both were much concerned to correct all former Errours and expiate all past Faults by a vigorous appearance for the Kings Rescue out of his Imprisonment In order to this Design the Duke was not idle in Scotland The Dukes endeavours in Scotland but by all the Art and Diligence he was Master of did study to rouse up and work upon the Fidelity and Loyalty of that Nation representing that now an Occasion was in their Hands to witness to the World the sincerity of their Intentions for their King when he was under so base a Restraint and Designs were hatching against his Life Would they now look on and see the King murdered the Parliament of England over-awed the City of London oppressed the whole English Nation enslaved the Treaties with Scotland so unworthily violated the Covenant and Religion so neglected and swarms of Sectaries over-run all Now or never was the time for declaring themselves and if Duty did not move them yet the apprehension of their own Danger might provoke them to look to themselves for did they think to escape the fury of the Sectaries if they were so tame as to suffer them to prevail in England therefore all Laws Divine and Humane did oblige them to look to themselves and to those Enemies of theirs And there was good reason to hope for success since besides the Blessing of God which might be expected upon so just and Noble Enterprizes the People of England were groaning under this Usurpation and would be ready to assist them and they had reason to expect a welcome from the City of London and the better part of the Two Houses These things did prevail much on the most of the Nobility and Gentry Three Parties in Scotland But at this time Three Parties begun to appear in Scotland The one was of those who would hear of no Proposition for the Kings Delivery unless he first gave satisfaction in matters of Religion and this was made up of the Preachers and a few of the Nobility and the Western Counties Others were for a direct Owning of the Kings Quarrel without any restrictions and for taking all Persons who had been in Arms for the Kings Service within it The Earls of Traquair and Calendar were the chief of these and many Noblemen were of it who called themselves the Kings Party but their Power in the Country was not great The Duke was as much for that in his thoughts as any of them but saw it impossible to effectuate the Kings business at that rate and therefore judged it best to go on in so great a Design by degrees The present Strait was that he first looked to which was the Rescue of the Kings Person and he doubted not if they once got a good Army engaged upon that account though all were at first clogged with many severe Restrictions yet it would be easy afterwards to carry things that were not to be then spoken of and this way took with almost the whole Gentry of Scotland The Scotish Commissioners spent much of the month of Ianuary at London The Commissioners return to Scotland establishing a good Correspondence with the Kings Friends in England and they had Letters from St. Germans in France in which the Queen and Prince undertook to make good to them all that had been promised by the King in their Name And in the Commissions the Prince gave to Sir Marmaduke Langdale and others for Levying of Forces in the North of England he commanded them to receive their Orders from the Earls of Lauderdale and Lanerick and follow their Commands Thus having laid down the best Methods they could think of with their Friends in England they set out for Scotland about the end of Ianuary At their coming to Scotland they found a general dissatisfaction with the Kings Message in November about Religion And though all the Duke's Friends were ready to have hazarded their Lives for His

as also that many of the Covenanters were broken in their Estates so that if Justice were patent some of the most troublesom of them might be driven away but chiefly the settling them again in Edinburgh looked like a resolution of going on with a Treaty of which it was fit they should be persuaded till the King were in a good posture for reducing them He tried what assurance he might have of the Lords of the Session being fixed to their Duty Divers of them who were no ill-wishers to the Kings Authority yet durst not own it being threatned by the Covenanters of some he had all reason to hope well yet the greater part of that Court what through fear what through inclination was so biassed that he saw little hope of prevailing with the Colledge of Justice whether Judges or Lawyers to declare the Covenant seditious or treasonable and he was secure of none who sate on the Bench save Sir Robert Spottiswood President Sir Iohn Hay Clerk-Register and Sir Andrew Fletcher of Innerpeffer Halyburton of Fotherance and one or two more the first of these was among the most accomplished of his Nation equally singular for his Ability and Integrity but he was the Archbishop of S. Andrews his Son and so his Decision in that would have been of the less weight On the 16th of Iune the Covenanters came and presented their Petitions to the Marquis craving a present redress of their Grievances The Covenanters press speedy satisfaction otherwise they said they would be put off no longer by delays and they desired he would propose the matter to the Council and give them a speedy Answer He told them that His Majesty did resolve to call both an Assembly and Parliament for the redress of all Grievances but if this was not yet done they had nothing but the Disorders of the Country to blame for it which should be no sooner composed but all their Desires should be fully examined They went away no way satisfied with this Answer but the Marquis found all the Lords of Council inclined to the granting of what they demanded so that he durst call no Council about it lest they should have avowedly sided with the Covenanters of which he advertised His Majesty shewing him that persons of all ranks pressed him to represent to him that the Covenant was not illegal and that if His Majesty would allow of the Explication of the Bond of mutual Defence Many move that an Explanation of the Covenant might be received which they offered that they meant not thereby to derogate any thing from the Kings Authority for whom they were ready to hazard their Lives all might be settled without more trouble either to the King or Country and that otherwise it must needs end in Blood He desired His Majesty would consider well in what forwardness his Preparations were before he hazarded on a Rupture lest if they had the start of him all his faithful Servants in Scotland should be ruined ere he could come to their rescue England wanted not its own Discontents and they in Scotland seemed confident that they had many good Friends there France had not forgot the Isle of Rhea and had certainly a hand in cherishing those Broils in Scotland He also added the Covenanters resolution was upon the first Rupture to march into England and make that the seat of the War Upon all this he craved His Majesties Pleasure which he would punctually obey and ended begging pardon for the fair hopes he had given him in his last protesting that his desire of seeing Royal Authority again settled without a bloody Decision for which he was gladly willing to sacrifice his Life made him too easie sometimes to believe what he so earnestly desired Thus I give the most material Heads of the Marquis his Dispatches to His Majesty for though the Originals of them be in my hands yet they are not inserted both because of their being too long and too particular for publick view as also that the substance of them may be seen in the Kings Answers which for many reasons are set down at their full length But to this I shall adde a surprising thing that I find the Archbishop of S. Andrews was for accepting an Explanation of the Covenant for a draught of it yet remains under his Pen which follows The Archbishop of S. Andrews his draught of an Explanation WE the Noblemen Barons Burgesses Ministers and others that have joyned in a late Bond or Covenant for the maintaining of true Religion and purity of Gods Worship in this Kingdom having understood that Our Sovereign Lord the Kings Majesty is with this our doing highly offended as if we thereby had usurped His Majesties Authority and shaken off all Obedience to His Majesty and to His Laws for clearing our selves of that Imputation do hereby declare and in the presence of God Almighty solemnly protest that it did never so much as enter into our thoughts to derogate any thing from His Majesties Power and Authority Royal or to disobey and rebell against His Majesties Laws and that all our Proceedings hitherto by Petitioning Protesting Covenanting and whatsoever other way was and is onely for the maintaining of true Religion by us professed and with express reservation of our Obedience to His most Sacred Majesty most humbly beseeching His Majesty so to esteem and accept of us that he will be graciously pleased to call a National Assembly and Parliament for removing the Fears we have not without cause as we think conceived of introducing in this Church another form of Worship than what we have been accustomed with as likewise for satisfying our just Grievances and the settling of a constant and solid Order to be kept in all time coming as well in the Civil and Ecclesiastical Government which if we shall by the intercession of Your Grace obtain we faithfully promise according to our bounden duties to continue in His Majesties Obedience and at our utmost powers to procure the same during our Lives and for the same to rest and remain Your Graces obliged Servants c. His Majesties Answer follows Hamilton I Do not wonder though I am very sorry for your last Dispatch to which I shall answer nothing concerning what you have done or mean to doe because I have approved all and still desire you to believe I do so untill I shall contradict it with my own Hand What now I write is first to shew you in what Estate I am and then to have your Advice in some things My Train of Artillery consisting of 40 Peece of Ordnance with the appurtenances all Drakes half and more ●f which are to be drawn with one or two Horses apiece is in good forwardness and I hope will be ready within six weeks for I am sure there wants neither Money nor Materials to doe it with I have taken as good order as I can for the present for securing of Carlisle and Berwick but of this you

many Persons and Families otherwise exposed to Ruine might not become fuel to new Disorders or the seeds of future Troubles His Majesty desires that His Two Houses of Parliament should seriously descend into these Considerations and tenderly look upon His Condition herein and the perpetual Dishonour that must cleave to Him if He should thus desert so many persons of Condition and Fortune that have engaged themselves with Him only out of a sense of Duty His Majesty is very unwilling to enlarge Himself further upon this Subject but earnestly desires that upon Conference these Particulars may be better understood and reconciled wherein He will condescend to all that in Honour and Iustice He may do concerning the same and then they may likewise particularly consider and conclude of the best Means to discharge the Publick Debts as likewise those of His Majesties and then His Majesty will apply Himself to the Consideration concerning the Seals and any other thing now casually omitted or to which for the present without further Information or Debate His Majesty cannot give any positive Answer As for the Offices which are mentioned in the 17th Article albeit His Majesty judges that the free Disposal of them is a necessary Flower of the Crown yet he is content for the space of these next Ten Years to come to nominate such both for England and Ireland who after shall be approved of by the Two Houses to be enjoyed by these Persons Quam diu se bene gesserint so that after the said Ten Years they shall return to be disposed of as formerly His Majesty will very willingly consent to the Act for the Confirmation of the Priviledges and Customs of the City of London And now that His Majesty hath thus far endeavoured to comply with the Desires of His Two Houses of Parliament He conceives it seasonable for Him to propose some things for Himself which if consented to may be a testimony of their reciprocal Affections to Him First that an Act of Oblivion and General Pardon be passed by Act of Parl●ament whereby all the seeds of Discontentments and future Troubles may be quite extirpated Secondly that the Two Houses would settle upon His Majesty such a certain Revenue as may be honourable and sufficient for the support of Him His Wife Children and their Families Lastly that this Agreement may be firm and lasting His Majesty desires to come to Westminster with honourable Freedom and Safety there solemnly to confirm the same where He may both give and receive Pledges of mutual Love Confidence and of Trust with them in all things which shall concern the good and prosperity of His People Newcastle the Decemb. 1646. To this Letter with the Inclosed Message my Lord Lanerick wrote the following Answer Lanerick 's Answer to His Majesty Most Sacred Soveraign IMmediately after the receipt of Your Majesties Commands of the 4th Instant by Sir James Hamilton I imparted under a tye of Secrecy Your intended Message to the Houses of Parliament to such Persons as I knew were most tender of Your Majesties Honour and Happiness but I must humbly beg Your Majesties Pardon if my Freedom offend since I cannot conceal so important a Truth as that I cannot find many here satisfied with it nor dare I promise the least Countenance to it from this Kingdom seeing Your Majesty hath divers times verbally and now again by Your Letter assured me of Your Resolution to adhere to the Grounds contained in this Message I shall not presume to make any Objections against it having when I had the honour to wait upon Your Majesty last represented my sense of that You was pleased to send by Mr. Murray whereof this in divers Particulars comes far short for besides that it is as wanting in that Article concerning Religion Your Majesty offers far less than you did at that time by the private Instructions Your Majesty then gave Him in the Propositions about the Militia Officers of State and the Great Seal yet I find not Your Majesties Condition is much more promising at least to vulgar eyes That Clause concerning the Liberty Your Majesty would allow to Tender Consciences is one of the meanest Particulars that is misliked in Your Majesties Answer to the Proposition concerning Religion Your Majesties Preface to that Article the Limitation of time to Presbyterial Government the addition of Twenty of Your Majesties Nomination to the Assembly of Divines the particular Exception of Your Own Family and what is most of all the total omission of making any mention of the Covenant are the most insisted-on Objections But as I dare not think upon the sad Consequences in relation to Your Majesties Person and Government which will presently follow upon the Return of the Scotish Army and Your Majesties declining to allow the Covenant without which though I presume not to press it all that can be offered will not satisfie here so I will not conceal the great advantages which I conceive the doing of it would bring to Your Majesty and to those You study to preserve for I am confident it might be so managed as this Kingdom would not only declare themselves for Preserving Your Majesties just Rights in Civil Relations but likewise engage themselves for an honourable and speedy Invitation of Her Majesty to return from France Besides an easie passing of all such who during these Troubles have adhered to Your Majesty in England with what else could be expected from faithful and dutiful Subjects But I have by my impertinent Expressions exceeded both my Intention and Duty for which I humbly beg Pardon for Your Majesties most faithful most loyal most obedient Subject and Servant LANERICK Edinburgh 8th Decemb. 1646. Upon this His Majesty wrote what follows Lanerick I Like well of your accustomed Freedom nor shall I alter My stile to you and indeed as I am well satisfied with your Proceedings His Majesty writes more fully on these Heads in order to My Commands sent by Sir James Hamilton so I wonder much that My intended Answer had so ill a Reception among you for a●beit I could not expect that you would approve what I know is so much against your Wishes yet I thought that even Common Charity besides believe Me there is also the Interest of the Country which would be considered might make you endeavour to make the best of that y●u saw remediless Yet since what I sent you is so much mistaken the rest is the less wonder to Me for it amazes Me to hear that some amongst you who know every tittle that Will. Murray carried say that this is far short in divers Particulars when there is but one which is the Militia for which there is any colour and not that neither but in a much wrested sense And is it not so when private Instructions are the only ground which only permit a further Latitude to be made use of in case of absolute necessity and not otherwise it being a new kind of Incivility