A True NARRATIVE Of The RECEPTION OF THEIR Royal Highnesses At their Arrival in SCOTLAND. With the Councils Letter directed to the KING Upon that occasion
Printed by Command of His Majesties Privy Council.
Reprinted Anno Dom 1680.
A true NARRATIƲE of the RECEPTION of their ROYAL HIGHNESSES at their Arrival in SCOTLAND.
M [...]NDAY the 15th. of October, Their Royal Highnesses Arriving with the Evenings Tide, in Kircaldy Road, about Ten of the Clock at night, The Duke of Rothes sent His Nephew Mr. Francis Montgomerie, to Complement the Duke and Dutchess: And the next morning His Grace sent the Lord Justice Clerk for that same end, and to receive His Highnesses commands concerning his Landing. That same day about Eleven a Clock in the forenoon, Their Royal Highnesses Arrived at Kirkcaldy Road; where [...]ving Landed, They were met by his Grace the Duke of Rothes, Lord High Chancellor, with many of the Privy Council, & most of the Nobility and Gentry of the Shires next adjacent, who kiss'd their Royal Highnesses hands, at their Landing upon the Shoar, which was crouded with a multitude of People, to Congratulate their Royal Highnesses safe Arrival to this His Majesties ancient Kingdom. From Kirkcaldy, their Royal Highnesses set forward to the Lord Chancellor's House of Lesly; whither they were attended with a noble Train of Coaches, and many of the Nobility and Gentry, on Horse-back; and Guarded by His Majesties Troop of Guards, At Lesly th [...] Royal Highnesses were Magnificiently Intertained, till Friday the 20th. W [...] (having [...]ted thence) they were attended to Bruntisland Their Royal Highnesses [...]ain still growing more numerous: At Bruntisland They were Received with Shooting of great Guns ringing of Bells, Acclamations of the People, and all other Expressions of Joy imaginable; which continued till their Royal Highnesses were aboard the Churlot Yaught, attended by His Grace the Lord Chancellor, and many of the best of the Nobility: The other Yaughts, with several other Boats, and all the Boats about Bruntisland, were filled with the Nobility and Gentry of the Train.
In their passage to Leith, they were saluted by the Great Guns from His Majesties Castle of Edinburgh, with the Guns from the Bastions at Leith, from the men of Warr, and other Ships, both in the Road and Harbour of Leith.
The Shoar was so throng with Persons of all Ranks, that the noise of the Cannon, Trumpets, Kettle-Drums and Drums wee almost drowned with the loud & reiterared Acclamations of the people, for the safe arrival of their Royal Highnesses, which was about five in the Afternoon.
At their Landing at Leith, their Royal Highnesses were met by the Lords of His Majesties Privy Council, Ushered by their Macers; where several Ladies were attended to wait on Her Royal Highness: Here their Royal Highnesses, were received by the Earl of Linlithgow, Collonel of His Majesties Regiment of Guards, upon the head of several Companies of the Regiment, and were attended by the Sheriffs, and most of the Gentlemen of the three Lothians and next adjacent Shires; which made a Lane on both sides of the street, through the whole Town of [Page 3] Leith: After the Kings Troop of Guards, Marched the Nobility and Gentry that were on horse-back, and after them a great train of Coaches, filled with the Council and Nobility; their Royal Highnesses having made choice of the Lord Justie Clerk his Coach.
From Leith, to the Water-Gate, at the Abby of Halyrudehouse, their Royal Highnesses were Guarded by the Train-Bands and Militia Regiment of this City, consisting of 44. Companies, who made a Lane for their Royal Highnesses and their train to pass betwixt Leith and Edinburgh: All the while they were upon the way, the great Guns from the Castle, and other places, prepared on purpose, saluted them; the whole body of the people universaly, shouting with great Joy and cheerfulness, Lord preserve His Majestie, and their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Dutchess of Albany: Being come to the Water-Gate, near the palace Royal, They were met by the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of Edinburgh, in their best formalities; where the Lord Provost kneeling, and having Kist His Royal Highness hand, delivered to Him the Silver Keys of the City, and heartily welcomed Him, in Name of the whole Citizens, to His Majesties good Town of Edinburgh.
From this to the Palace, their Royal Highnesses were guarded by two or three hundred of the best Citizens with Gilded Partizans, and in the outer Court were received by several other Companies of His Majesties guards: In the Guard-Hall they were received by their Graces, the Lords Arch-Bishops of St. Andrews and Glasgow, and several others of the Lords of the Clergy, where His Grace, the Lord Primate Complemented their Royal Highnesses in name of the Orthodox Clergy. Where the Lieutenant Governour of the Castle of Edinburgh, delivered to His Royal Highness the Keys of the Castle.
All the Bells of this City continued Ringing most of the night, & all the streets of the City were filled with great Bonefires, whither many of the Citizens repaired to Drink their Majesties and Royal Highnesses health Nor was any thing to be seen but an universal Joy in the Countenance of all here.
Saturday the 3. of Octob. the Lord Bishop of Edinburgh with all the Clergy in and about this City, in their Canonical Habits, Kist His Royal Highness hand, where the Bishop of Edinburgh exprest the general satisfaction of the Orthodox Clergy, for His Royal Highness safe arrival; and assured His Highness of their Fervent prayers for His Sacred Majestie, and the Royal Line. Tuesday the [...]. of Nov. being the first day of Sessions, the Senators of the Colledge of Justice, with all the other Members thereof in a great Body, in their Gowns, Ushered by their Macers, went to the Palace, where having Kist His Royal Highness hand, The Lord President of the Session, in Name of the Lawyers of this Kingdom, complemented His Royal Highness upon His Arrival; As did the Lord Justice Clark, in Name of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesties Justiciary, who in their Scarlet Gowns, attended by the Members of their Court, and Ushered by the Macers, waited likewise upon His Royal Highness, and Kist His hand. Nor indeed was there any thing wanting to Express the General Joy of all here, for the happy Arrival of so Excellent a Prince and so Dear to this Kingdom.
The Letter directed from the Council to the KING.
VVE have good reason to believe, that your Majesties just commands shall never be obstructed by the unwillingness, nor returned by the negligence of the Subjects of This your Majesties Ancient Kingdom, being fully convinced, that nothing is required of Ʋs, save that we may preserve our selves, by suitable and easie means, against those formidable and imminent dangers, which threaten us now from the same principles, by which we were formerly Ruined: so that the only thing which is forced upon the worst of your Subjects, is, that they must unavoidably confess, that nothing can lessen their happiness, except their being unsensible of it, and an thankful for it. And your Majesty, by dispensing for our protection, all the Revenue which is raised in this your Majesties ancient Kingdom, lets Ʋs see, that all you crave of us, is, that We would be true to our own interest, and all that you get by us, is the care of governing us to our own satisfaction. That prosound respect, and sincere Kindness, Sir, which we observe in your Majesties Subjects here, to your Royal Brother, the Duke of Albany and York, assure us, that we want nothing but occasion to hazard for the Royal Family, these lives and fortunes which you have made so sweet and sec [...]re to us, and as our esteem for his Royal Highness at his last being here, grew daily with his stay, so our expectations of Security and satisfaction, return naturally with him. And therefore we are oblieged with all zeal and sincerity to return your Sacred Majesty, our most humble and hearty thanks for securing the just and natural descent of that Royal Family, which is the Chief Glory and only Security of this Kingdom, upon which the least invasion, would be so great an invitation to all insolence and arbitrariness in your Subjects, as could not but procure us a Civil War in every Age; for m [...]n of Parts and Interests being discon [...]ted or factious, would by promoting colourable Titles, and pretences, make the body of your people, the price of their avarice, and the prey of their ambition; and ren [...] not only these Kingdoms from one another, but amongst themselves: nor can We sce [...]y every man may not pretend to be King, when the lawfull Successors are debarred, nor how we can be fixed in any thing, when we loose: this great Fundamental. And in the next place, we do likewise return your Majestie most humble and hearty thanks for sending your Royal Brother to be an example to, as well as a witness of our Loyalty, and affording us in him, the renued occasion of letting the world see that no humor nor jealousies, shall for the future divert that Dutifulness, to the Royal Line, which our Predecessors have maintained for so many Ages. Nor doubt we very shortly to let your Majesty find, what happy effects his stay here will produce for promoting your service, and cementing our differences, in all which his Royal Highness shall be most obsequiously assisted, By