IT may seme to your Lordschip­pis, that I melling with heigh materis of gouerning of com­mon welthis do pas mine estait, being of sa meane qualitie, and forgettis my dewtie, geuing counsall to the wisest of this Realme. Not the les seyng the miserie so greit apperyng, and the calamitie sa neir approching, I thoght it les fault, to in­cur the crime of surmounting my priuate e­state, then the blame of neglecting the publik danger. Thairfoir I chesid rather to vnderly the opinion of presumptioun in speiking, thē of treson in silence, and specially of sic thingis as euin seme presently to redound to the per­petuall schame of your Lordschippes, distru­ctioun of this royall estaite, and ruyne of the hole cōmoun welth of Scotland. On this con­sideratioun, I haue takin in hand at this time to aduertise your honours of sic thingis as I thoght to appertene, baith to your Lordschippis in speciall, & in generall to the hole com­munitie of this Realme, in punitioun of tray­touris, pacificatioun of troublis amāgis your selfis, and continuatioun of peace with our nighbouris. Of the quhilk I haue takin the [Page] trauell to write: and do remit the Iudgement to your discretioun, hopyng at leist, that al­thogh my wit and forsight shall not satisfie you, yit my gude will shall not displeis you, of quhilk aduertisement the summe is this.

¶First to consider how godly the actioun is quhilk you haue in hand, to wit, the de­fence of your King an Innocent pupill, the stablishyng of Religioun, punitioun of thiefis and traitouris, and mantenance of peace and quietnes amongis your selfis and with for­rane Natiounis.

Item remēber how you haue vindicat this Realme, from the thraldome of strāgeris, out of domestik tyrannie, and out of a publik dis­honour in the sight of all forrane natiounis, we beyng altogider estemid a pepill murthe­rars of Kingis and impacient of Lawis and in­grait, in respect of the murther of the late King Hēry, within the wallis of the principall Towne, the greatest of the Nobilitie beyng present with the Quene for the tyme and by your power one pairt of the cheif Traitouris tried from amōgis the trew subiectis, quhair­by strāgeris wer cōstranid afterwart as mekle to prayse your iustice, as of befoir thay wrāg­fully condempnid your iniustice.

Item remēber how far in doing the same ye haue obliged your selfis befoir the hole warld [Page] to continew in the same vertew of Iustice, and quhat blame ye shall incur, if ye be inconstāt. For all mē can belief na vtherwise, if the tyme followyng be not conforme to the tyme past, that nouther honour nor commoun welth stirrid you vp then, but rather sum particu­lair tendyng to your priuait commoditie.

Also remember how many gentill and ho­nest meanis you haue soght, in tymes past to caus the King be acknawledgid, and the con­trarie put at rest, and how vnprofitabill hath ben your honestie in treityng, your vailyeant curage in werr, your mercyfulnes in victorie, your clemencie in punischyng, and facilitie in reconsiliatioun.

Quhilk thyngis witnessis sufficiently, that ye estemit na man enemie that wald lyue in peace, vnder the Kingis authority, that ye wer neuer desyrous of blude, geir, nor honour of sic as wald not, rather in makyng of troubill and seditioun, declair tham selfis enemeis to God and the Kingis Maiestie, than liue in cō ­cord and amity with thair nightbouris vnder the correctioun of Iustice.

And sen ye can nouther bow thair obstinate hight with paciēce, nor mease thair stubburne hartis with gentilnes, nor satisfie their inordi­nate desyris, vtherwise then with the Kingis blude and youris, the destructioun of Religi­oun, [Page] banisching of Iustice, & free permission of crueltie, and misordour, your wisdomes may easely considder quhat kind of medicine is not only mete but alsw a necessair, for men­ding of sic a Maladie.

And to the effect that ye may the better cō ­sider this necessitie of medicine, remember quhat kind of pepill thay are, that professis thame selfis in deid, and disemblis in worde, to be enemeis to God, to Iustice, and to you, becaus ye maintene the Kingis actioun.

Sum of tham ar conseilaris of the Kyng his fatheris slauchter, sum conueyaris of him to the schambles, that slew his Grandschir, banisched his father, and not satisfyid to haue slayne him self, murtherit the Kingis regent, and now seikes his awin blude, that they may fullfill thayr cruelie and auarice being kingis, quhilk thay begonne to exercise the tyme of thair gouerning.

Vthers ar, that being alliat, nor neir of kyn to the Hamiltounis, thinkis to be partici­pant of all thair prosperitie and succes.

Vthers being giltie of kyng Henryis death, in the first parliament halden in the kyngis regne that now is, could well accord, that the Quene should haue bene put to deith also. And seing thay could not obtene that point, the next schift of thayr impietie was to put [Page] downe the King, that he should not rest to re­uenge his Fatheris deith, quhilk they thocht could not be mair easely done, then by bring­ing home the Quene with sic a husband, that other for auld haitred, or for new couatice, wald desire the first degre of succession to be of his awin blude.

Sum vthers ar practised in casting of Courtis and reuoluing of estatis, by raising of ciuile werr, and ar becum richer than euer thay ho­pid, and becaus thay haue found the practise sa gude in time past, now thay seik all wayis to continew it, & hauing ones gustid how gude fisching it is in drumly waters, they can by na maner leaue the craft.

Vthers of that faction ar, sum papistes, sum feined protestantis, that hes na God bot geir, & desiris agane the papistrie, not for luif thay beir to it (for thay ar scorners of all religioun) but hoiping to haue promotioun of idle bel­leis to benefices, and lamentis the present e­stait, quhair (as thay say) Ministeris gettis all, and leifis nathing to gude fellowis, & to this intent thay wald set vp the Quenis authoritie say thay.

Sum thair be also that vnder colour of sei­king the Quenis authoritie, thinkis to eschaip the punischement of auld faultis, and haue li­cence in tyme to cum to oppres thair nich­bouris, [Page] that be febiller then they.

Now haue I to schew you by coniecture, quhat frute is to be hopid of an assembly of sic men, as for the maist pairt are of insatiabill gredynes, intollerabill arrogancie, without faith in promeis, measure in couatice, pietie to the inferiour, obedience to the superiour, in peace desirous of troubill, in werr thirstie of blude, nuryshers of theft, raisers of Rebel­lion, counsallours of Traitouris, inuenters of tresoun, with hand redie to murther, mynde to deceiue, hart voyde of truth and full of fel­lonie, toung trampid in dissait, and word ten­ding to fals practise without verity, by quhilk properteis and many vthers thairunto ioy­nid as is knawin to all men, ye that vnder­standis their begynnyng, progres and hole lyfe, may easilie remember, to quhome thys generall speikyng-appertenis in speciall, and it is not vnknawin to sic as knawis the per­sonis, how they ar mellid with godles persons Papistes, harlot Protestantis, commoun bry­bouris, holie in worde, Hypocrites in hart, proude contempners or Machiauill mockers of all Religioun and vertew, bludie boucheris and opin oppressouris, fortifieris of the ifis, & manteneris of traitouris.

It is also necessarie to your Lordschippis to vnderstand thair pretence, that if it be a [Page] thing quhilk may stand with the tranquilitie of the commoun welth, your Lordschippis may in sum pairt, rather condiscend to their inordinate lust, thē put the hole estate in ieo­pardie of battell.

First, it is not honour, riches, nor authori­tie that thay desire, for thay haue had, and als haue presentlie, and may haue in tyme to cum sic pairt of all thay thingis, as a priuait man may haue in this Realme, not being chargea­bill to the countrie, or not suspectit to ane king, as vnassurit of his awin estait.

It is not the delyuerance of the Quene that thay seik, as thair doyngis contrair to thair worde testifeis manifestlie, for if thay wald haue hir deliuerit, thay wald haue procurit by all meanis possibill, the Quene of Inglādis fauour & support, in quhais power the hole recouerance stode onlie, & not offendid hir sa heichly as thay haue done, and daylie dois in participatioun of the conspyrit tresoun, to put hir maiestie not onlie our of hir stait, but out of this lyfe present, nor in receityng and mantening of hir Rebellis cōtrair to promeis and solempne contract of pacificatioun be­tuix this two Realmes, nouther yet haue hoū ­dit furth, proude and vncircumspect young men, to hery, burne, and slay, and take preso­neris in hir Realme, and vse all misordour & [Page] crueltie, not onlie vsed in weir, but detestabill to all barbar and vile Tartaris, in slaying of presoneris and contrair to all humanitie and iustice, keip na promeis to miserabill catiues receiued once to thair mercy, and all this was done by commandiment of sic as sayis thay seik the Quenis deliuerance, and reprochit to thame by the doaris of the mischiefis, say­ing that thay enterit tham in danger, and sup­portit tham not in mister, so mekle as to cum to Lawder and luik from thame, in quhilk de­serting of thair Collegis, thay schew crueltie ioyned with falsheid, and maist heich tresoun agaynst the Quene, pretendyng in worde hir delyuerance, and stoppyng in warke hir reco­uerance, the quhilk as euerie man may cleirlie se thay soght, as he that soght his wife drow­ned in the Riuer agaynst the streime.

It is not the Quenis authoritie that thay wald set vp in hir absence, for if that wer thair intentioun, quhome can thay place in it mair friendly to hir then hir onlie Sone, or quhat Gouernour may they put to hym les suspect, thā sic men as haue na pretēce of successiō to the Crowne, or any hoip of proffeit to cum to tham after his deith, or they that euer haue bene trew seruandis to Kingis before hym, should thay not be preferrit to his paternall enemeis, yea, and slayeris of hys Father, and [Page] sollicitaris of strangeris to seik hys Innocent blude?

Quhat thē shall we think that these mē seikis vnder pretence of the Quenis authoritie, se­ing thay can not bring hame the Quene to set vp hir, nor will not suffer the king lawful­ly inaugurate and confirmed by decreit of Parliament, to bruik it, with sa many of his Tutoris chosin by his mother, as ar not to be suspectit to will him harme, I traist it is not vneasie to perceiue by thair hole progres now presently and in tyme by past, that thay desire na other thing but the deith of the King and Quene of Scotland, to set vp the Hamiltou­nis in authority, to the quhilk thay haue aspi­rit by craftie meanis these fyftie yeiris ago. And seing thair purpois succedit not by craf­tie and secreit meanis, now thay follow the same trayde conioyning to falsheyde, opin wickitnes.

¶And that ye may see quhat meanis thay haue vsid thir fyftie yeires by past, to set vp by craft this authoritie, quhilk now thay seik by violence, force and tresoun. I will call to your memorie sum of thair practisis, quhilk many of you may remember asweill as I.

First after the deith of King Iames the Fourt Iohn Duke of Albany chosin by the Nobili­tie to gouerne in the Kingis les age, The Ha­miltounis [Page] thinkyng that he had bene als wic­kid as thay, and should to his awin aduance­mēt put downe the King beyng of tender age for the tyme and by the deceis of his brother left alone, and that thay wald easilie get thair hand beyond the Duke, being an stranger and without successioun of hys body, held tham quyet for a season, thinkyng that vther mens actioun should be thair promotion, but seyng that the Duke as Prince baith wyse and ver­teous, to bryng him selfe out of sic suspitioun, put four Lordis estimid of the maist trew and verteous in Scotlād in that tyme to attend on the Kingis grace, to wit; the Erle Merchell, the Lordis Erskyn, Ruthuen, and Borthicke, The Hamiltounis beyng out of hope of the Kingis puttyng downe by the Duke of Albany, & out of credeit to do him any harme by tham selfis, maid one conspyracie with certane Lordis, to put the sayd Duke out of authoritie, and take it on tham selfis, that all thynges put in thair power they might vse the King and the Realme at thair awin plesure. To that effect thay tooke the Castell of Glasgow, and there maid an assembly of thair factioun, the quhilk was dissoluit by the hastie cummyng of the Duke of Albany with an armie, for feir of the quhilk the Erle of Arrane cheif of that cum­pany, ded to his wifis brother the Lord Hume [Page] being then out of Court.

The second conspiracie was after the Dukis last departing (the foresayd Lordis separate from attending on the king) deuysit by Schir Iames Hammiltoun bastard sonne to the sayd Erle of Arrane, quha conspirit the Kinges deith then being in his hous in the Abbay of Halyruidhous, quhilk couspiracie ester many yeiris reueillit, the sayd Schir Iames sufferit deith for it. This conspiracie not being exe­cute, Schir Iames perseuerid in hys euill in­tentioun, & by secreit meanis in Court soght alwais that the king should not mary that for lack of his succession, the Hamiltounis might cum to thair intentis. For the king was yong, lusty, and redy to auenture his persoun to all hasardis, baith by sea and land, in down put­ting of theifis, and vpsetting of Iustice. The Hamiltounis luiked on quhen seiknes, throw excesse of trauell, or sum vther rakles auēture shold cut him of without children, and desti­tute of this hope, first he stopped the kingis metyng with his vncle the king of Ingland, quha at that time hauing but one daughter, was willing to haif maryid with the kyng of Scotland, and maid him kyng of the hole Ile after him, & to haue enterid him at that pre­sent time in possessiō of the Duchy of Yorke, but the sayd Schir Iames euer hauing eye to [Page] his awin scope, hinderid this purpois by sum of the Kingis familiaris, that he had practised with by giftis, and specially by the Bischop of Sanctandros Iames Betoun, vncle to the Erle of Aranis mother, and greit vncle to Schir Iames wyfe, and raysed sic suspitioun betuix the twa Kingis, that brought baith the realmes in greit besines.

This purpois as sayd is put abak, the King seing that his Ambassadouris furtherit not at his plesure, deliuerid him self in persoun to ga by sey in France, and Schir Iames Hamiltoun perseuering in his former intētion went with him to hinder his mariage, by all menis that he might, and to that effect, the King sleiping in the Schip, without any necessitie of winde and wedder, Schir Iames caused the marineris to turne saill of the West coist of Ingland bac­wart and land in Galloway, quhair the Kyng was varray miscontent with Schir Iames and Maister Dauid Panter, principall causeris of his returnyng, as diuers that was in the Schip yit liuyng can report. And fra that time furth, the King hauing tried out his pretence, and persaiuing his vnfaithfull dealyng euer disfa­uoured him, and to his greit displesure fauou­rid opinlie the Erle of Lennox & his freindis in his absēce, the quhilk Erle pretēded a right and tytill to the hole Erldome of Arrane, the [Page] present Erle for that time being knawin to be bastard, as also it was in mens recent memo­rie how Schir Iames Hamiltoun had cruellie slayne the Erle of Lennox at Linlythgow, euin to the great displesure of the Erle of Arrane father to Schir Iames, and vncle to the Erle of Lennox, commyng by the Kingis commandi­ment to Linlythgow. Sa the King as sayd is, vnderstandyng the priuate practike of Schir Iames, in keipyng him vnmaryid, haistit hym the mair eirnestlie to mary, to the effect, that hys successioun might put the Hamiltounis out of hope of thair intent, and hym out of danger by the Hamiltounis. And albeit that Schir Iames to make him self clene of that su­spitioun, soght many diueris wayis to the di­structioun of the Erle of Arrane hys brother, yit he could neuer cōqueis the Kingis fauour, vntill finallie he was executid for tresoun, and tooke ane miserabill end conforme to his vn­godly lyfe.

The King at last decessit, & leuing a dough­ter of sex dayis auld, the Hamiltounis thoght all to be thairis. For then the Erle of Arranea young man of small wit & great inconstancie, was set vp by sum of the Nobilitie, & sum fa­miliar seruandis of the kingis lately deceissit, for thay thought him mair tollerabill thē the Cardinall Beton, quha by ane fals instrument [Page] had takin the supreme authoritie to him selfe.

The Erle of Arrane namid Gouernour, by a priuait factioun, and fauourid by sa many as professit the trew Religioun of Christ, becaus he was beleift then to be of the same, howbeit he was gentil of nature, yit his freindis for the maist pairt, wer gredie baith of geir and blud, and geuin to iniustice quhair gayne followid. Thair was in his time nothyng ellis, but werr, oppression, and brybing of his callid brother the Bischop of Sanctandrois, sa that all the E­statis wer werie of him, and dischargid hym of hys office, and charged with it an woman strangear.

In the begynnyng of hys gouernement the Quene and hir mother wer keipit by hym, ra­ther lyke presoneris then Princessis, but yit that incommoditie was caus of preseruyng of the Quenis lyfe, he beleifing to mary hir on his sone. But after the Erle of Lennox had de­lyuerid tham out of his handis, and the Nobi­litie had refusid to mary hir on his sone, how­beit he left his ferme freindis, & come to the Quene, abiurid his Religion in the gray frei­eis of Striuiling, yit he could neuer cum agane to his pretendid clymmyng to the Crowne, quhilk he had lang soght, partly by fauour of sic of the Nobilitie as wer alliat with him, and partlie by distructioun of the ancient housis [Page] that might haif put impediment to his vn­reasonabill ambitiō. For hauing banished the Erle of Lennox, he thoght the Erle of Angous to be the principall that might resist him, and hauing enterid in waird Schir George Dow­glas, to be yit mair assurid, he send for the said Erle of Angous in freindly maner, & put him in prisoun without any iust occasioun, and wold haue beheadid them baith, if the arri­uing of the Inglis army had not stayit his pur­pois, by the quhilk, and feir of the murmour of the pepill, he was constranit to deliuer thā. And seing he durst not at sic a time put tham downe by tyrannie, he offerit tham to the sword of the enemy to be slaine by tham. And to the effect that thay and thayr freindes, ha­uing put aback the Inglis horsmen, & recei­uing an vther charge, might be the mair ease­ly slaine, thay standing in battell and fighting for him, he in the battell behind fled to [...] tham, and sa these Nobill men sa far as lay in him was slayne, and preseruid by the proui­dence of God.

The young Quene quhilk being in hir mo­theris keiping, he might not put downe, nor mary at his plesure, he consentid to offer hir to the stormes of the sea, and danger of ene­meis, and sold hir as a slaue in France, for the Duchy of Chastellarault, the quhilk he brui­kis [Page] in Name onlie, as the Crowne of Scotland in fantasie, & receauit sic price for hir as tre­soun, periurie, and the sellyng of fre persounis should be recompensit with. But yit the coua­tise of the Crowne that he had sold cessid not heir, for befoir hir returning hame out of France, at the troubillis quhilk began anent the repressing of the Frenchemen and tyran­nie agains the Religioun, how many meanis soght the Hamiltounis to haue depryuit hir of all right, and translatit the Crowne to tham selfis, is knawin baith to Scotland and Ingland.

¶Also after the Quenis arriuyng in Scot­land, sche seikyng a querrell agaynst the sayd Duike and sum vther Lordis, vnder pretence that thay had conspyrit agaynst hir, for the Religionis caus, the Duikis freindis left hym all, becaus that the rest of the Lordis wald not consent to destroy the Quene, or derogat hir authoritie by any maner of way. A litill befoir the quhilke tyme, the occasioun of the Dukis conspyracie, with the Erle Bothwell to slay the Erle of Murray in Falkland, was na vther, but becaus the sayd Erle of Murray lyuyng, thay could nouther do the said Quene harme in hir persoun, nor diminische hir authoritie, nor constrane hir to mary at thair pleasure, & to hir vtter displeasure.

[Page] After that the Quene had maryit with him, quhom thay estemid thayr auld enemie, and was with child, the gude Byschop of Sancton­drois first callid Cuningham, estemit Cowane, & at last Abbot Hamiltoun, not onlie conspy­rit with the Erle Bothwell, but come with the Quene to Glasgow, & conuoyit the Kyng to the place of hys murther, the Bischop beyng ludged, as he was seildom or neuer of befoir, quhair he myght persaif the plesure of that crueltie with all his sensis, and helpe the mur­theraris, if mister had bene, and send four of his familiar seruandis to the execution of the murther, watchyng all the night, & thinkyng lang to haue the ioye of the cummyng of the Crowne a degre neirer to the hous of Hamil­toun, & sa greit hoip mellit with ambition in­flamit his hart for the Kingis deceis, that with in schort tyme he beleuid firmelie hys callid brother to be Kyng, & he (the said Bischop) to be to him as curatour during the hole time of his non wit, quhilke had bene a langer teirme than Witsonday or Martymes, for he thoght vndoubtidlie, that the Erle Bothwell should distroy the yong Prince, & not suffer him pro­sper to reuenge hys fatheris deith, and pre­cede the Erlis children in successioun of the crowne, and the young Prince onis cut of, the Bischop maid his reknyng, that the Quene & [Page] the Erle Bothwel hated already for the slaugh­ter of the king hir husband, and mair for the innocent, wer easie to be destroyit with con­sent of all estatis, and the crime easie to the Bischop to be prouid, quha knew all the secre­tis of the hole disseigne▪ or if they wauld slay the Erle Bothwell, and spair the Quene, thay were in hope she should marry Iohn Hamil­toun the Dukis sonne, quhome with merrie luikes and gentill countenance (as sche could weill do) sche had entred into the pastyme of the Glaikis, and causit the rest of the Hamil­tounis to fond for fainnes. But after that the Erle Bothwell had refusit battell at Carbarry hill, and the Quene befoir the comming of the Hamiltounis, come to the Lordis, the Hamiltounis as that time disapointit, fosterit theyr vaine hope with a merie dreme, that the Quene should be punischit after hyr demeri­tis, and were a tyme in dowbill ioy, that one that beying rid of the Quene sche should not beir ma children to debarre tham from the Crowne: and the vther, that thay might haue ane easie way to calumniat the Regent for di­stroying of the Quene. But seyng hyr kepte, thay blamit openly the Regent, quha kepte hyr in stoir in dispite of tham (as thay sayd) to be a stud to cast ma foillis, to hinder tham of the succession of the Crowne, yit for all that, [Page] thare wald none of tham cum to Parliamēt to further thair desire with ane anerely vote, but lay back to keip them selfis at libertie, to re­pro if all that should be done in that conuen­tioun, and to fenze fauour towardis the Quene quhome thay hatit, sa as if by consent of the Lordis or vtherwise sche were deli­uerit, thay myght helpe hyr to put downe the Lordis, that would not put hir downe in fa­uour of tham.

This thair intentioun was opinly schawit, quhen the Quene beyng kept in Lochleuin, by commaundement of the hole Parliament, was deliuerit by conspiracie of sum priuate men, especially of the Hamiltounis, for thay assemblit all thayr forces to put downe the young King and Lordis obediente to hym. Quhilk euill wyll thay schew towardis the Lordis at the Langside, bringing wyth thame great stoir of cordis, to murther and hang thame, if thay had bene taken prisoneris and the victorye fallen to the Hamiltounis, and the same euill will towardis the King in kei­pyng the water of Forthe, that he should not eschaip thayr cruell handis, beyng assuerit if he come in the Quene of Inglandis power, that sche of hir accustomate clemencie and kindnes of blude, wald not abandoun him to thayr vnmercifull crueltie experimentit alre­dy [Page] in his father. And seyng that the proui­dence of God had cloisit the dore to all thair wickitnes at that tymes, thay haue neuer ceis­sit since to seike enemeis to hys Grace in all strange Natiounis, and perceiuyng that thay had faire wordis of all vtheris, except of the Quenis Maiesties of Inglād, quha vnderstode thair fals and tressonabill dealyng, thay turnit thair hatred agaynst hir, and enterid in con­spyracie with sum tratouris of Ingland, that wer als euill mindit towardis the Quenis Ma­iestie thair souerane, as the Hamiltounis wer to the Kingis hienes of Scotland. This is nou­ther dremid in wardrop, nor hard throw a boir, but a trew narratiue, of quhilke the me­morie is ludged in menis hartis, baith Scottis and strangeris and the veritie knawin. By the quhilke ye may vnderstand the Hamiltounis pretence this fiftie yeiris and mair.

After sa many wayis soght by thame to di­stroy the right successioun, and place tham in the Kynglie rowme, seyng all thair practisis could not auaill, and thair forces wer not suf­ficient, thay soght to augment thair factioun, adioynyng to thame all, that wer participant of the Kyngis slaughter, and had aspyrit to slay the Quene of Ingland. And to the ef­fect thay myght cum to thair wickit purpois, thay in a maner displayit a baner, to assemble [Page] togither all kynd of wickid mē, as Papistes, re­negat Protestantis, theifis, traitouris, murthe­raris, and opin oppressouris. As for thair ad­herentis in Scotland I neid not to expreme thair namis, nor the qualiteis of the conspy­ratouris of Ingland, for thay ar weill enough knowin to your Lordschippis. Yit one I can not ouerpas, beyng the chief conspyratour chosin by thame to be Kyng of Scotland and Ingland, I meane the Duike of Norfolke, in quhilke act ye may see how the thrist of your blude blindit thame agaynst thair awin vtili­tie. First thay chose the principall enemie of the Religioun of Christ in this ile, accompa­nyit with vther filthie Idolateris, to change the stait of the Kirk in baith Realmes by cut­tyng of the twa Princes, seyng that thair au­thoritie stāding, the conspiratouris could not cum to thair intēt. Next thay respect it in that proude tyranne, the vertewis that were com­moun to him and tham, as arrogancie, cruel­tie, dissimulatioun and tresoun, for euin as thay had this lang tyme in Scotland, sought the deith of thair righteous Prince, sa he in Ingland followyng the traide of his anteces­souris, diueris tymes attemptyng tresoun, wald haue put downe the Quene of Ingland. Heir alswa appeiris the Hamiltounis crueltie agaynst the Nobilitie of thair awin Natioun, [Page] in seikyng thair professit and perpetuall ene­mie of Scotland (as his bage beiris witnes) quha should haue spilt the rest of the noble blud of Scotland in peace, that his anteces­souris could not spill in werr, by quhilk elec­tioun, beyng assurit that na Scottis hart can loue thame, sa can thay loue nane of you, a­gainst quhome, thay haue vsit sa many treso­nabill actis. Thay do schaw also how crueltie & auarice haue blindit tham that thay cā not se in bringyng a tyranne to haue power ouer thame, seyng thay pretending neyrest clame to the crowne, should be neirest the danger. And vit for all this could these men be weill contentit, if by any meanes they could attene to thair intent, by spoyle & rubberie, as thay did quhen as they wer placid in supreme au­thoritie, or by making of you slaues as thay did in selling of thayr Quene, begin that pra­ctise quhairin howbeit the inhumanitie was great, yit was it not in supreme degree of cruelteis, but it is na moderat, tollerable, nor accustomate thing that thay seike: It is the blud first of our innocēt king, euin sic as hath bene preseruit by wild beastis, nixt the blude of all his trew seruandis and trew subiectis in­differentlie. For quhat defence can be in No­bilitie, or quhat suirtie againis tham that half murtherit a Kyng, and seikis strangeris to [Page] murther ane vther Kyng, quhome shall thay spair for vertue & innocencie, that latelie executit, and yit defendis the murther of the Regent, or quha will be ouerseene for law, de­gree or base estait, in respect of thay that con­ductit out of Tiuidaill to slay Maister Iohnne Wod, for na vther caus, but for being a gude seruand to the Crowne, and to the Regent his Maister, and had espyit out sum of thair pra­ctisis.

¶If this thirst of blud of these Lochlechis, might be imputit to haistie hounger or any sodane motion, quhilk causis men sum times to forget thair dewtie, there might yit be sum hope, that sic a passioun ouerpast, thay wald with time remember thame selfis, and after power amend faultis past, or at leist abstene in time to cum. But thare is na sic humanitie in thayr nature, nor na sic pietie in thayr hartis, for not contentit with a Kingis blude, thay gaip for his Sonnis murther, nor satisfyit to haue slayne the Regent, they keipit the mur­therar in the Duikes house in Arrane. Maist like thinking, as if they honourit not the doar, thay should nat be knawin as counsal­louris of the deid, and wald tyne the glorie of that nobill acte. And besides all this thay are not onelie contentit to mantene Scottis tra­touris, but alswa receifis Inglis tratouris, and [Page] settis vp a sanctuarie of tresoun, a refuge of Idolatrie, a receptacle of theifis and mur­theraris.

And howbeit the bullerant blud of a Kyng and a Regent about thair hartis, qu hair of the lust in thair appetite geuis tham litil rest, day­lie and hourelie making new prouocation, yit the small space of rest, quhilk thay haue beside the executioun of thair crueltie, thay spend in deuysing of generall vnquyetnes, throw the hole countrie, for not content of it, that thay tham selfis may steale, brybe, and reif, thay set out ratches on euery side, to gnaw the pepillis bonis, after that thay haue consumit the flesche, & houndis out, one of thame, the Clā ­gregour, ane vther the Grantie and Clauchat­tan, ane vther Balcleuch and Fairnyherst, ane vther the Iohnstounis and Armestrangis, and sic as wald be haldin the haliest amāgis tham, schew playnlie the affectioun thay had to ba­nishe peace and steir vp troublis, quhen thay bendit all thair fyue wittis, to stop the Regent to go first North, and syne South, to puneis theift and oppressioun, and quhen they saw that thair counsall was not authorisit, in ge­uyng impunitie to all misdordour, thay spend it in puttyng downe of hym that wald haue put all in gude ordour.

Thair is a kynd of these theifis euin odious [Page] to mair gentill theifis, quhilk callyng thame selfis great Gentilmen spoyllis trauellaris, cadgearis, and chapmen by the way, and ran­sounis pure men aboute Ediburgh for xx. schillyng the heid, quhilke vice can not pro­cede of vengeance of enemeis, but rather of loue and plesure in wickitnes. This kynde of men dois not onlie dishonour to Nobilitie in steillyng, and to theifis in purspyking, but also to the hale Natioun of Scotland, geuyng opi­nioun to strangeris, that sum of the Scottis be of sa law courage, that men amangis tham as­piryng, to the hiest estait of a Kingdome, haue crouchit thame selfis in the mayst lawe order of knaifis.

¶Now my Lordis ye may consider, how thay that slayis sa cruellie Kyngis and thayr Lieutennentis, will be mercyfull to you, and quhen thay sall haue put you downe, that craifis reuenge of the Kyngis blude, ye may vnderstand how few dare craif Iustice of your slaughter. Ye may se how cruell thay will be in oppressiō of the poore, hauyng cut of you, quhilke beyng of mayst Nobill and potent housis of this Realme, sufferis throw your sleuthfulnes euery pairt of thys countrie, to be maid worse than Laddisdaill, or Annar­derdaill, and not onlie sufferis the purspy­karis of Cliddisdaill, to exercise theift and reif [Page] as a crafte, but nurisis and authorisis amangis you, the chief counsellaris of all misordour, as ane Edder in your bosum. Of all thys ye may lay the wyte on na vther but vpoun your selfis, that haue sufficient power to represse theyr insolencie, and proudnes, hauing in your hand the same wande that ye haue chai­stifit tham with of befoir, for ye haue your protectour the same God this yeir, that was the yeires bypast, vnchangeabill in hys eter­nall counsellis, constant in promeis, potent in punising, and liberall in rewairdyng, ye haue your trew freindis and seruandis that wer with you of befoir, ye ar deliuerit of dis­simulate brethren, that had thair bodyis with you, and thair hartis with your enemeis, that subscribit with you, and tuik remissioun of your aduersareis, that stuide with you in bat­tell, luiking for occasioun to betray you, had not God bene your protectour. Ye haue a great number of new freindis alienate from tham, for thair manifest iniquity in deid, wic­kidnes in word, and tresoun in hart, ye haue of the saime enemeis that ye had then sa ma­ny, as hes thayr hartis hardennit, and thayr myndis bent against God, and lawfull ingrai­tis, ye haue the same action, that ye had then, accumulat with recent murther and tresoun, to prouoke the ire of the eternall, agaynst [Page] tham, How far God hath blindid tham. blind men may se, that hauing sa euill ane actioun, and sa many enemeis at hame, yit be houn­dyng out of small traytouris of thayr wickid conspiracie, men execrabill to thayr awin pa­rentis, quhome amangis vthers thay haue di­uers times spoylit, by hounding out I say of sic persounis, to burne, murther, reif, and steill. Thay prouoke the Quenis Maiestie of Ingland, to seik vengeance of thayr oppressi­oun agaynst hir Realme and subiectis, quhilk vengeance Iustice and honour craifis of hir sa instantly, that sche can not ceis but pursew thame, thayr resettaris and mantenaris, vntil sche gyif sic exempill to vthers, that althought thay will not respect vertue, yit for feir of pu­nitioun thay sall be content to liue in peace with nightbouris, quhairin hir heighnes hath alredy renuit the memorie of hir experimen­tit liberalitie, and tender loue to this Nati­oun, seikyng on hyr propir charges and tra­uell of hir subiectis, the punitioun of sic, as we on our charges should haue punished, I mene not onely of our tratouris, but also res­settaris of hyr Maiesteis tratouris, and in do­ing of this se [...]kis pacificatioun amangis tham that violatid peace with hir without prouo­catioun, seuering the punischment of sic as ar giltie in offending, from the subiectis that [Page] hes not violatid the peace. And as sche ke­pis peace and Iustice amangis hir awin sub­iectis in Ingland, sa vnrequyrit sche offerid support to the same end in Scotland, and not onelie geuis remedie to our present calami­teis, but cuttis the roote of troublis to cum, and preuenis the wickid counsall of sic, as prouokis Inglismen, and solistis Frenchmen to cum in this Realme, to the ende, that these twa Natiounis enterit in barres, the ane a­gains the vther, thay may saciat thayr cruell hartis of blude, thair obstinate will of venge­ance, thair bottomles couatise of spoyle and theift.

Thairfoir seyng God haue sa blindit your enemeis wittis, my Lordis be in gude hope that he sall alswa cast the spreit of fear and dis­peratioun in thair indurat hartis, and prosper your gude actioun, to the quhilk he confortis you with his redy helpe, exhortis you by hys worde, and constrainis you by the dewtie of your estait, and necessitie of preseruyng of your lyfis and honouris. For promeis beyng neglectit, sayth violatid, subscriptioun set at noght, thair is na meane way left but outher to do or suffer, and seing that baith ar misera­bill amangis sic, as should be freindis, yit bet­ter it is to slay iustlie than to be slayne wrang­fullie. For the executioun of Iustice in puni­schyng [Page] the wickid is approuid by God & mā, and sleuthfulnes in defence of Iustice can not be excusid of tresoun. And besydes that God schawis him sa mercyfull and liberall to you, in sending you freindis by procuiring of your enemeis, also the persounis maist recommen­dit of God crai [...]is the same, for saikles blude, oppressioun of the pure, and of the fatherles, cryis continually to the heuin for auenge­ance, quhilke God committis to your handis as his Lieutennentis and speciall officiaris in that pairt, and euin as he rewardis fayth and diligence in obedience of his eternall will, sa he will not neglect to punische sleuthfulnes in iust executioun of his commandementis.

¶Thairfoir my Lordis, as ye wald that God should remember on you and your posteritie, quhen thay sall call on him in thair necessitie, remember on your Kyng our Souerane, and on my Lord Regentis pupillis, committit to you in tutorie by the reasoun of your office and estait, anent persounis that are not in age nor power to helpe tham selfis and are recom­mendit speciallie to all Christianis by God in hys holy Scripture, and defend sic innocent creaturis, as may nouther do nor speike for thame selfis, from the crueltie of vnmercyfull wolfis: neglect not the occasioun, nor refuse not the helpe send to you by God, but recog­nose [Page] thankefully hys fauour towardis you, that causis your enemeis to procure your helpe, neglect not the offer of frendis. In cais if ye let slyp thys occasioun, ye sall craif it in vane in your necessitie. Thinke it na les pro­uidence of your heuinly father, then if he had send you ane legioun of Angellis in your de­fence, and remember that he schew him selfe neuer mair freindfull and succurable, to na pepill than he hath done to you, and traist well if ye will perseueir, in obe­dience and recognoscence of his grace he will multiplie his be­nefites to you and your po­steritie, and sall neuer leif you, vntill ye for­get him first.