Forasmuch as, We, with Advice of Our Pri­vy Council, have thought fit, for putting the Countrey in a posture of Defence, against an Invasion of French and Irish Papists, threatned to this Our Antient Kingdom, whereby it may become the Seat of a Bloody War, to appoint all the Fencible Persons betwixt sixty and sixteen, in the Shires under-written, being nearest to the places where the said Invasion is apprehended to be designed, to be in readiness when advertised, with their best Horses, Arms and Provisions, to attend Our Host, for Resisting the said horrid Invasion, and have named several Officers to Command the Heretors and Fencible Men, who are not Heretors; And by Letters direct from Our Privy Council for that effect, have impowered the the said Officers named, with consent of the Commissioners, to name the other In­ferior Officers not already Nominat by Our Privy Council, in the saids several Let­ters, and to Intimat a place of Rendezvouz for the saids Heretors to Rendezvouz at, when advertised, and particular places within each Paroch for Fencible Men, who are not Heretors, to Assemble and Rendezvouz at, when required; And it being convenient, the saids Heretors, and other Fencible Men, should be Ren­dezvouzed and Mustered by their Officers at the saids places, at some fit day be­fore it be necessary to Call them out to Action, to the end their Number, Arms, and other Provisions requisit, may be the better known; Therefore We, with Advice of Our Privy Council, peremptorly Require and Command, all Here­tors, Wodsetters and Liferenters, betwixt sixty and sixteen, who are Fencible Men, within the Shires and Stewartrie following, with their best Horses and Arms, to Rendezvouz, under the Command of the Officers who are, or shall be ap­pointed, and that upon the Days and at the Places respective aftermentioned, viz. The Heretors of the Shire of Edinburgh, at the Links of Leith, the thirty first Day of May; The Heretors of the Shire of Haddingtoun, at Beenstoun Muir, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Berwick, at Fogo-Muir, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Roxburgh, on the Muir upon the South-side of Ancrum-Bridge, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Selkirk, at Selkirk, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Peebles, at Peebles, the said Day; The He­retors of the Shires of Strivling and Clackmannan, at Strivling, the said Day; The Shires of Fife and Kinross, at Edensmuir, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Linlithgow at Linlithgow-Bridge, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Lanerk, at Hamiltoun, the said thirty first Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Air, at Air, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Argile, at Inveraray the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Dumbartoun, at Dumbartoun the said Day; [Page 2]The Heretors of the Shire of Renfrew, at Renfrew-Muir, the said Day; The He­retors of the Shire of Dumfreis, at Dumfries, the said Day; The Heretors of the Shire of Wigtoun and Stewartry of Kirkoudbright, at Glenluce, the said Day; all at ten Hours in the forenoon. And sicklike We, with Advice foresaid, perem­ptorly Require and Command, all the Fencible Persons within the saids Shires and Stewartrie, not being Heretors, to Rendezvouz under their several Captains, at the Chief Town or Paroch Kirk within each Captains bounds, upon the nineteenth Day of May instant, with their best Arms; And We hereby ordain the Comman­ders of the saids Heretors, and Captains of the saids Fencible Men, who are not Heretors, to make Lists of the persons who shall appear at the saids several Ren­dezvouzes, an [...] th [...] saids Commanders of the Heretors to make Report to Our Council, of the condition of the Horse and Arms of such H [...]retors as do appear, with all possible D [...]ligence, and at furthest within eight Days thereafter, together with a List of such Heretors as appear not at the saids Rendezvouzes, from the Clerks to the Commissioners of Supply, out of the Books and Rolls of Assess­ment, for the saids respective Shires and Stewartrie, which the Clerks are here­by Ordained to give them gratis, and that they take Tryal what Arms the saids absents have, or Horses above the value of an hundred Merks Scots: And We Ordain the saids Captains of the Fencible Men, who are not Heretors, betwixt and the Day foresaid, to make Report to Our Privy Council, of the number of Per­sons, and their Names who shall appear at their several Rendezvouzes, and the nearest estimat they can make what greater number might have been expected, if all the Fencible men, not Heretors, had attended the saids Rendezvo [...]zes, and of the co [...]dition of their Arms, and whether they have any other or better Arms. And We Considering, that by the 28 Act of the 2d Session of Our current Parlia­ment, Our Privy Council is Authorized to put the Oath of Allegiance, and the Assurance subjoined to the said Act, to every Subject of this Realm, as they shall see cause; Declaring such as shall refuse to Subscribe the same, shall be repute D [...]saffected to Our Government, and be deprived of any Offices, Benefices and Jurisdictions which they enjoy, and shall be obliged to give such Security for their good behaviour, and that they shall Act nothing against Our Government, as Our Council shall think fit, providing it extend no further than Bond, Caution, or personal Imprisonment, securing of Horses, and Arms, or Garrisoning of Houses; And seing there can be no greater occasion to call for such Security and Assurance to Us. and Our Government, from Our several Subjects, and particularly the per­sons intrusted by Us, with the Command of the Heretors or Fencible Men; And the saids Heretors and Fencible Men themselves, within the several Shires and Stewartrie above-named, than the present threatned Invasion, and the securing the Peace and Quiet of the Countrey, at such a time, from all Treasonable Mis­chiefs, which may be Intented or Designed by persons Disaffected to Us and Our Government: Therefore VVe, with Advice of Our Privy Council, Appoint and Require, all the Officers already Named by Our Privy Council, to Command the saids Heretors and Fenc [...]ble Men, betwix and the seventeenth Day of May current, to Swear and Subscribe the Oath of Allegiance and Sign the Assurance, in presence of the Commissioners of Supply of the saids res [...]e [...]ive Shires, or any two of them, or to Instruct before them, that they have already Sworn, and Signed the same, which is to be Reported by the Commissioners to Our Privy Council, with a List of the Inferiour Officers to be Named, with Consent of Our saids Commissioners, within eight Days after at furthest: And albeit VVe, Have Resol [...]e [...] to put no distinguishing Character upon any of Our Subjects, without evident Grou [...]ds of Suspition, that they will comply with this abominable Design of Invasion, whereby Religion, Liberty and Property may be betrayed into the hands of the most Bigot, Barbarous and Cruel Papists: Therefore, and for the Discov [...]ry of the saids Disaffected Persons, VVe with Advice foresaid, hereby Require and Command the whole Heretors, VVodsetters and Liserenters, who [Page 3]are Fencible Men, within the saids several Shires and Stewartry, to attend upon and meet with the Justices of Peace within the same, or any two of them, upon one or other of the Days, and at the Dyets under-written, or to such particular Day and Dyet as the saids Justices of Peace shall Require any of them who does not attend the Dyets of the first VVeek after-mentioned: And sickhke, That the saids Justices of Peace do meet and attend at the Head-Burgh of the Respe­ctive Shires and Stewartry, from ten to twelve in the Forenoon, and from two to four in the a [...]ternoon, with the Clerk of Supply to serve them for the time, each Wednesday and Thursday of every Week, until the Rendezvouz of the saids Here­tors, at the Days above set down, to propose to all the Heretors, Wodsetters and Liferenters, who are Fencible Men within their several Jurisdictions, the Ingage­ment unde-written (whereof the Tenor is hereto subjoyned) and to make re­turn of the Subscriptions, of such as do wi [...]lingly Subscribe the same, to Our Pri­vy Council, with all possible Diligence, after the said Day, that it may be known of whom the said Oath of Allegiance and Bond of Assurance should be required, conform to, and under the Certifications in the foresaid Act of Parliament: And We, with Advice foresaid, Require and Command the saids Justices of Peace to Tender and Administrat the Oath of Allegiance and Assurance, to all such of the saids Heretors, Wodsetters and Liferenters within their Respective Bounds, as shall not voluntarly Subscribe the said Ingagement: And in like manner, VVe with Advice foresaid, peremptorly Command and Charge, under the pain of Rebelli­on, and being put to Our Horn, and to be further pursued and punished, as per­ [...] disaffected to Our Government, all the Fencible Heretors, Liferenters and Wodsetters, betwixt sixty and sixteen, who shall not appear before the Justices of Peace at the Dyets foresaid, or appearing, shall not Subscribe the said Engage­ment, and each one of them to deliver upon Oath their Horses above the price of an Hundred Merks, with their Furniture and Arms into the hands of the Justices of Peace of the saids several Shires and Stewartry to be Secured by them, for the publick Service. And the saids Justices of Peace are hereby Authorized and Required, to give and put the saids Horses with their Furniture, in the custody and keeping of Stablers, Hostlers, or In keepers, or in the custody of other persons who shall undertake to keep and be answerable for themat the ordinary Rates to be payed by their Owners, and shall restore the same again with the Furniture and Arms to the pro­per Owners thereof, when the present Danger is Declared by Proclamation to be over; and that in the mean time the saids Horses shall be imployed for no other use but for publick Service, in case of an Invasion, or Insurrection. And We, with Advice fores [...]id, Declare, That what Damnage or Detriment shall befal the saids Horses, Furniture and Arms, through the fault of the saids Keepers, or their Ryders, to whom they shall be committed, shall be satisfied and paid to the re­spective Owners; With Power nevertheless to the saids Stablers, Hostlers, or o­thers Keepers of the saids Horses, to pursue and call for the price of what Enter­tainment they shall have advanced for the saids Horses, from their respective Own­ers, at the ordinar Rates, when, and in what manner soever they think fit and con­venient; And because it may contribute much to Our Service in the Premisses, that there be Justices of Peace appointed in the saids Shires where they are wanting; Therefore We, with Advice foresaid, conform to the Act of Parliament made there­anent, Declare, Appoint and Authorize the Commissioners of Supply, of the re­spective Shires foresaids, who have or shall qualifie themselves according to Law, to be Justices of Peace in the saids Shires, with power to them to do and perform every thing, which to the said Office and Trust is competent, and known to be­long and pertain, by the several Laws and Acts of Parliament made thereanent, and Instructions [...]herein set down. OUR WILL IS Herefore, and We Charge you straitly and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and to the remanent Mercat-Crosses of the whole Head-Burghs of the several Shires and Stewartry above-named, and there [Page 4]in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make publication of the Premisses, that none pretend Ignorance. And Ordains these Presents to be Prin­ted.

GOD Save King William and Queen Mary.