THE REVEREND PATRICK GALLOWAY TO KING JAMES VI.
7th April, 1607.
Pleas your Gratious Maiestye,
This prasent is to giwe your maiestye most hartelye thanks for all your maiestyes fauors touards me, speciallye for the constant continuance of your maiestyes loue with me, as it vas vount, assuring your maiestye you haue the man vho neuer vas nor shall, Godwilling, be found alterable in his duetifull affection to serue your maiestye, as becomes him. If it fall out that I suspend my judgment in something is proponed to me affhand, till I got fuller resolution both to speak and to stand honestlye to that vhiche I speak assuredlye, it arryses of no vnsound and altered affection touard your maiestyes seruice, bot onlye off laik of foreinforming, vhiche geues light and curage to men to doe; and for the clearing of this point I referre my self to my Lord of Dunbars testification, who can and will giue iust information to your maiestye of it. I heare that your maiestye is ressolued to haue the ministree of Edinburgh plainted, the estate vhereof is more miserable and desolat nor ony toune or kirk in Scotland; and, whiche is vorse, the pulpittis ar sometymes possessed with yong people and persones vnmeete for that place, vhiche bringis the Gosple and ministree into a contempt and will ouerturne all in end if it be not remeadit. The planting of it will doe great good to all the countrey, and help to amend mony thinges amisse, and procure great forderance of your maiestyes seruice and quyat of this kirk, provyding the persones be good teachers, peaceably disposed, and weyll affected. I heare also that your maiestye is somequhat moued to haue me placed there; bot, Ser, beleefe me, in truth I am not for it, in respect of mony thinges in thame, and more in me vhiche can not concurre weyll to make vp so good manage betuix vs. I need not to vse mony vordes with your maiestye who knoues vs both alsueyll as our selfis doe. I mynd, Godwilling, to teache euery Sabboth, where euer I be, so long as I may, and to be readye in most duetifull maner to concurre in your maiestyes seruice, as I salbe employed, bot to take on the charge of a particular flock, and such are flock, my heart cannot yeeld, and I hope your maiestye sall not burden me with it. The bearer hereof, Mr Peter Heuat,[[22]] is ane honest man, and your maiestye may reiose in the planting of him, being ane of your maiestyes owne plantation there, and ansuring to your maiestyes expectation of him in all pointis, and can truely and sufficiently informe your maiestye of all particulars here; bot he is not, as he deserues, and as your maiestye appointed for his encuragement, ansured of his small pension assigned to him, vhiche is pitie, and wald be helped to put difference betuix those that are your maiesties owne men and others. If Mr Jhone Hall,[[23]] ane honest man, and ane of your maiestyes owne planting also, and he war remoued, I wat not vhat suld become of Edinburgh, your maiestyes cheefe toune her. Bot leafing those particulars, appardone me, Ser, to speak one word of the common cause. Ser, at Ligbqubo, my Lord of Dunbar did good seruice to your maiestye, and by God blissing his vyse and canny forme of doing, he prevailed so as I neuer sawe ane more peaceable and ordourlye assembly in my tyme, bothe in the progress and end, as it was, and therefore was admired and praised in all the publique sermones and privat speaches. The hope of taking order with Papists and quyating of distraction among ourselves be constant moderation led all menn joyfullie to your maiestys vay, and if that course selected there be prosequute your maiestey may assure yourself of peace here during our dayes, that is, if Papistis can be keeped under be your maiestys auctorite soundly used here, and the kirk censures be suffered to have their awne place against thame, our pace will grow, ill tongues wilbe silenced, and all things will go calmely to your maiestys contentment. Your maiestys glory hath bene, and is the professing and manteaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all the vorld sees your maiestys multiplyed preferments and preservations to aryse of the presence of Jesus, the Lord of the Gosple with you, and to tend to the preservatioun and advancement of it by your maiestys preservation and advancement, tuo thinges inseparably united sense your maiesty hade being. Lat thame therefor be computed your enemyes that will not conforme thame selfis to it, and God sall continue his blessing with your maiesty, and croune you with an incorruptible croune of Glory in the end. So, most humblye taking my leefe I commend your maiestys persone, familye, kingdome and affaris to the blessing of God. From Edinburgh this 7 of Aprle 1607.
Your maiestys awn & most humble
& affectionate Servitour
Mr P. Gallowey.
[The Rev, Patrick Galloway died one of the ministers of Edinburgh in 1624. He wrote a history of his own times, the MS. of which was in possession of Dr Urquhart of Aberdeen in the beginning of last century. It unfortunately cannot now be traced. He was father of the first Lord Dunkeld.]