[After giving an account of the defeat of Montrose in his last expedition, on the 27th April this year, which it is unnecessary to insert, Nicoll thus proceeds:—]
It may be justlie said that the prayeris of the faithfull availleth much, for during the tyme that this excomunicat traitour remaned in the North, the faithfull servandis of God wer gevand up thair daylie prayeris for his confusioun, quhilk be this former relatioun, is manifest to haif bene hard and grantit; quhilk did moir evidentlie appeir thaireftir at this traitouris taking, for within foure dayis eftir this victorie, this bloodie traitour wes takin and apprehendit. Eftir he haid fled to the hillis, and remayned thair in great miserie and famyne, he come to ane hous and familie quhais Maister was callit MᶜCloyd, luiking for protectioun at his handis, being ane of his auld acquentance, and complyer with him in his former plottis and bloodie courses; bot this manis sone, callit Neill MᶜCloyd, fearing the danger of the lawis gif he sould conceale him, and heiring of the lairge prommesis of money to the reveillaris and apprehendaris of him, he was inducit thairby to seas upone him, and tak him prissoner in his awin hous, and randerit him to the commanderis of this airmey. All quhich being takin be the moist pairt of this kingdome to be a singular mercy, it pleasit the Commissioneris of the Kirk and Generall Assemblie to appoynt a solempne day of thankisgeving throw all this kingdome; quhilk wes obeyit and began heir in Lothiane, and keipit in all the kirkis of Edinburgh and about, upone the fyftene day of May 1650; at quhilk day and tyme, the new Psalme Buikis wer red and ordanit to be sung throw all the kingdome.
[Nicoll then gives an account of the treatment which Montrose received on his arrival as a prisoner at Edinburgh, of his condemnation to death, and of the incidents attending his execution; but his statements being substantially the same with those of Balfour, which are already given, it is unnecessary to repeat them.]
Heir followis, as is reportit, a wicked and ungodlie Declaratioun quhilk James Grahame causit all the ministeris of Orknay and Caithnes to subscryve and assent to, except ane Mr William Smith, ane of the ministeris in Cathnes.
“We, the Ministeris of the Presbytereis under subscryveris, considdering it convenient to us, and these of our calling, to give publict testimonie to the conscientiousnes and justice of his Majesteis service, now presentlie depending, for the gude example of utheris, and removing of quhatsomevir scruple from the myndes of all men, We willinglie frelie, and with candour declair, That we from our soules detest that continued Rebellioun, maliciouslie hatched, and wickedlie prosequute, aganes his late sacred Majestie of glorious memorie, and do from our hartis abhor his delyvering over in bondage and imprissonement, horride and execrable murthour, and all uther dampnable and malicious pretensis, execute aganes him be the wicked rebellious factioun of both kingdomes; the quhich we will not faill heireftir to preache to our pepill, and witnes every day of our calling, as als of our lauchfull acknawlegement, prayer and wisches of the happie establishment of his present Majestie unto all his just richtis; and particularlie, that it may pleis God to gif a blessing to his Excellence James Marques of Montrois, Capitane Generall to his Majestie in the kingdom of Scotland. All quhich we will faithfullie stand to and to the advancing thereof, without haiffing the least thocht or pretext in the contrare. So help us God.”
[Nicoll then details the banishment of the Earl of Callendar, and a number of other noblemen and gentlemen, for being concerned in the Engagement; the execution of General Hurry, John Spottiswood, Hay of Dalgatie, &c.; the arrival of the King; the great rejoicings, &c.]
It is formarlie recordit that, in these preceding yeiris, the prevailling pairteis of Sectareis in Ingland war verrie insolent, quha haid despysed religioun, and laid it in the dust, and haid tollerat many gros errouris, blasphemeis, and strange opiniounes in religioun, and haid mantened, allowed, and ventit the same in England, as the lyke hath not bene hard of in former generatiouns. And the Monarchy and the power of Parliamentis wes the auntient and long continued governament of that Kingdome, yit haif these men usurped above the Parliament, quhois servandis thai war; and, by oppin violence, haif drawn away many, and imprissoned sum of the memberis thairof; and haif not onlie takin away the Hous of Lordis, and destroyed the lait King, but also subverted Monarchy itself, and turned the fundatiounes upsyde doun; and labour to wreith the yok of thair oppressiounes upone thair bodyes and soules, quhairof that Ingadgement now in England is a publict testimonie.
This pairtie, eftir thai haif actit such thinges in England and Yreland, conceaving that thai can not be establisched and eat the fruit of thair awin devyces without contradictioun, als long as the Kirk of Scotland standis in thair way; thairfoir thai threaten us with a warr, drawing thair forces northward, and sending thame in in small pairteis toward the Border, that it may be the les decerned quhat thai do. And gif the Lord sall suffer thame to invaid this land, (as it is to be feared,) that the gangrene of thair errouris may tak hold upone sum ignorant and unstable myndis quho hath not resaved the love of the treuth, so we may luik for desolatioun and destructioun; thairfoir, and for many uther grave and wechtie ressones, the Estaites did levie ane airmy, and put this kingdome in a posture of defence. And the Commissioun of the Generall Assembie upone the 25 day of Junij 1650, did emit ane Seasonable Warning concerning the present dangeris and dewteis unto all the memberis of the Kirk....
At the approaching of this Englische airmy, many pepill heir in the eist pairtes and south wer overtakin with great feares, till the haill regimentis did convene. Mony also in Edinburgh, Leith, Linlithgow, Falkirk, and uther pairtes about, wer put in great perplexitie, quha removed thair best guidis over to the north syde of Forth.
The ministrie also, in thair severall places, wer not deficient to encurage the pepill, prommessing, in Godis name, a victorie over these erronyous and blasphemous pairteis in England, quha, aganes the Covenant and Solempne League, did unjustlie persew this Natioun; and farder, did freelie and franklie outreik ane regiment of hors, for defence of the same, upone thair awin charges and expensses, under the conduct of Colonell Strachane.