DECLARATION, OF HIS EXCELLENCY, JAMES MARQUES OF MONTROSE.
THough it may seem, Publick (both) and Privat Injury, Rather then mater of Duety or Just Procedeur, to do any Act whatsumever that can in so much as appear to dispute, the Clearnesse of this present service, or to hold such enemyes as a Party; The Justice of his Majesties cause, The wickednes of thos Rebells, and my oun Integrity, Being (all of them) so weell and so throughly knoun as they are;
Yet the further to confirm the world, The more to encourage all who are to engage, And the Pouerfullier to convince many, who have Harmlesly been envolved, and Innocently Inveigled, in those desperate courses; I do in the name of his most sacred Majesty, and by vertue of the Pouer and Authority granted by him unto me. Declare.
[Page 2] That Howbeit ther hath been (and still are) ane Horrid and Infamous Faction of Rebells within the Kingdome of Scotland [who most causlesly at first did hatch Rebellion against his late Majestie of Glorious Memory, And when he had granted unto them (by their oun acknouledgement) all their Violent and most unjust desyrs, They were so farr from resting, notwithstanding, satisfyed (as being Themselves able to fynd no further Pretences) They did Pernitiously Solicit ane Party in the Kingdome of England, to beginn, where Shame and Necessity had forced them to break off, And when Thos of the English (being by much lesse wicked) would have often Satisfyed themselves by his Majesties extraordinary Concession; (They then not intending the desperate lenths which fatall successe and their hollow Practisers did therafter dryve them too) Then did they still thurst in (as Oyll to the Fyre, and Ganger to the Wound) untill they had randred all Irrecoverable; [Page 3] Neyther were they contented in the Fox skinn allone, to act this Their so Brutish a Tragedy (which indeed could never have served their ends) But while they had received all Imaginable Satisfaction at Home, (As their werry oun Acts of Parliament doth witnesse, wherein, They say, That his Late Majestie parted a Contented King from a Contented People,) Fynding their Rebell Brood, how they had begot in England beginning to lessen, and that his Majesties Party appeared to have by much the better, They not only contrary to the Duety of subjects, But all Fayth, Covenants, Oathes, Attestations, to which they had so often Invoked God, his Angells, the World, and all as witnesses, Did enter with a strong Army the Kingdome of England, Persecute their Prince, in a Forraigne Nation, Assist a company of stranger Rebells, against their Native King, and thos of his Loyall Party within that same Kingdome, Except for which the whole [Page 4] world does know his Majestie had without all Peradventure Prevailed; And not ashamed of all this, (which even many of their oune Party did blush to awow) when his late Majestie wes by (God knows) how many unhappy treacheries, redacted to think upon extream Courses for his safety, He wes pleased, out of his so much Invincible goodnesse, and Naturall Inclination towards his Native People (Notwithstanding all Their former Villanies) To chuse that Ignoble Party to fall upon, Thinking that Thos who his Greatnesse and their Duty could not obliedge, His Missery, and their Compassion, might perhaps move with Pitty; Yet too Justly fearing their Punik Faiths, He first resolved to Ingage them by a Treaty, After which, when by many Intercourses, his Majesty had receaved all manner of Assurances, (which tho Shame would make them willingly excuse, Yet guylt will let Them have nothing to say for it, It being so undenyable [Page 5] and to all the world so knoun a Trueth) Casting himself in their hands, They (Contrary, to all Fayth and Faction, Trust of Friends, Duty of subjects, Laws of Hospitality, Nature, Nations, Divine and Humane, to which there hath never been Precedent, nor can ever be a Follouer) Most Infamously, and beyond all Imaginable Expression of Invincible Basenes, (to the Blush of Christians Abomination of Mankynd) Sold their Soveraigne ower, to their Mercyles Fellow Traytors to be destroyed; with whom How they have Comploted his Destruction, Their secret Intercourses, both before, In the tyme, and since his Horrid Murther, do too evidently declare; Of all which Villanies, They are so little touched with the guylt, as they now beginn with his Majesty upon the same Scores they left with his Father, Declaring him King with Provisoes, so Robbing him of all Right while they would seem to give some unto him, Pressing him to [Page 6] Joyne with Thos who have liged all his Dominions in Rebellion and layd all Royall Pouer into the Dust, That in effect he would Condemne the Memory of his Sacred Father, Destroy himself, and Ruin his Faithfull Party within all thos Dominions; Thir are Thos who at First entred England, Soliciting all to Ryse in this Desperat Rebellion (as the Prologue of their enseuing Tragedy (who who wer the Cheeff and Mayne Instruments of all the Battells; Slaughters, and Bloody Occasions, within that Kingdome, who sold Their Soveraigne unto the Death, And that yet Diggs in his Grave, and who are more Pernitiously Hatching the Destruction of his present Majestie, by the same bare, Old, Outdated Treacheries, then ever they did his Sacred Fathers] Yet the People (in Generall) Having been but Ignorantly misled to it (Whos eyes now for most part, God hes opened, and turned their hearts, (at least in their Desyres) to Their Dutyful obedience, [Page 7] And that there hes still been a Loyall Party, who have givvin Such Proffs of their Integrity, as his Majestie is mowed with a tender Compassion; for thos Righteous sakes, in behalf of All, who now at last, have Remorse for their former misdemeanours. His Majestie is not onely willing to Pardon every one, (Excepting Such who upon clear evidencies shall be found guylty of that most Damnable Fact of the Murther of his Father) (who upon sight or knouledge heerof do Immediately or upon the First Possible Conveniency, Abbandon thos Rebells and Ryse and Joyne themselves with ws and our Forces in this present service) But also to assure all who are or will turne Loyall unto him of that Nation; That it is his Majesties Resolution (which He doth Assure, and Promise unto them, upon the word of a Prince (to be ever ready to Ratiefy (so soon as it shall pleas God to put it in his Pouer, According to the advyce of the Supreame Judicatories [Page 8] of that Kingdome) All what hes been done by his Royall Father in Order to their Peace; Desyring nothing More, but Their dutyfull Obedience, and Faithfull Services, for the Rewenge of the Horrid Murther of his Father, His Just Reestablishment, and their oun Perpetuall Happienes, under his Gouernment.
Wherfor, All who haue any Duety left them, to God, their King, Countrey, Friends, Homes, Wyves, and Childreen, Or Would chang (now at Last) the Tyrrany, Violence, and Oppression, of Thos Rebells, With the Myild and Innocent Gouernment, of their Just Prince; Or Revveng, the Horrid, and Execrable Murther of Their Sacred King, Redeem their Nation from Infamy; themselves from Slavvery, Restore the Present, and Obliedge the Ages to come; Let Them, as Christians, Subjects, Patriots, Friends, Husbands, and Fathers, Joyne themselues Furthvvith with ws, In this Present service, that is so full, of Conscience, [Page 9] Duety, Honnor, and all Just Interrests, And not apprehend any Evills, (which they may feare Can befall) Halfe so much, as Thos they Presently lye vnder, For tho ther may appeare many Dificulties, Yet let them not Doubt of Gods Justice, Nor the Happie Providence that may attend his Majestie, Nor their oun Resolutions, Nor the Fortuns of Thos, who they are Joynd withall; Resolving with Joab; to play the Men for their People and the Cittyes of their God, And let the Lord do whatever seemeth him Good; Wherin, whatsum euer shall behappin, They may (at least) be assured, of Crastinus Recompence, That Dead, or Allyue, the World will giue Them Thanks.