1639.—May 10.
26. Answer to the above, addressed to Rothes.[187]
My Lord,
I Received a Letter yesterday morning signed by your Lordship, and divers Noblemen, and others, wherein you alledge you are come to attend the Parliament; but considering your Preparation and Equipage, it appears rather to fight a Battel, than to hold a Civil Convocation for the good of the Church and Commonwealth. You may perceive by His Majesties Gracious Proclamation, that he intended in His Own Sacred Person to be present at the Parliament, so soon as with Honour and Safety he might doe it, and for that end exprest therein what was fit to be done. But these Courses which you take, and your Disobedience to his Just Commands, daily more and more shewed, will necessitate him to have them put in execution another way.
It is true that His Majesty sent me hither to accommodate these Affairs in a peaceable manner, if it were possible, which I have laboured to doe; and accordingly my Deportment hath been, which hath been met with that Retribution, as if I had met with the greatest Enemy: but your refusing to publish His Majesties Grace to his People, signified in his Proclamation, hath taken away that Power which otherwise I had; that being a Liberty taken to your selves, which never any Loyal Subjects assumed in any Monarchy. You alledge many Reasons for your selves, of the Illegality of that Proclamation; but you cannot be ignorant, that your Carriage hath forced many of these principal Councellours for safeguard of their Lives to forsake the Kingdom, out of which they remain yet for the same cause. You have suppressed the Printing of all Writings, but what is warranted by Mr Alexander Henderson, and one Mr Archibald Johnstown; neither was the Clerk of the Council, whom I sent for twice to give him Directions concerning this Business, permitted to come aboard to me, upon conference with whom (for any thing you know) I might have resolved to come ashore my self, and convened a Council for the Publication thereof in the ordinary way. But your extraordinary Proceedings in all things must needs force from His Majesty some things, which perhaps you may think not ordinary. Whereas you desire me to be a means that your Supplications may have free access to His Majesties Ears, it is a work of no difficulty; for His Majesty hath never stopt his Ears, to the Supplications of any of his Subjects, when they have been presented to him in that humble and fitting way which became dutiful Subjects: nor did I ever refuse any all the time I was among you, or conceal any part of them from His Majesty. So that your Allegation of not being heard, is grounded upon the same false Foundations that your other Actions are; and serves onely for a means to delude the simple People, that by making them believe what you have a mind to possess them with, they may become backers of your unwarranted Actions; which as it is generally lamented by all His Majesties good Subjects, so it is more particularly by me, who have had the Honour to be imployed in this Business with so bad Success. My Lord, Your humble Servant,
Hamilton.
1639.—May 10.
27. Missive from the Council and Session to the Commissioner.[188]
Apud Edinburgh, decimo Maii 1639. Sederunt. Argile, Mar, Perth, Wigton, Galloway, Lauderdaill, Southesk, Naper, Aduocat, Treʳ Deput, Sir Robert Gordoun; Togider with the Lords of Session underwritten, viz. Durie, Innerpeffer, Balcomie, Foveraine, Cranston-riddel, Scotstarvet, Eskbanke.
The Lords nominats and appoints John Earle of Perth to be President at this meeting.
The whilk day the Lords of Secreit Counsell and Session abovewritten, ordained ane missive to be written and directed to James Marquis of Hamilton, his Majesties Commissioner, quhilk was accordinglie done, of the tenor following:—