Upone the secound Weddinsday of Julij 1650, the Generall Assemblie met at Edinburgh, being the tent day of Julij, and dissolvit not till the 24 day of the same moneth.
22 July 1650, being ane Monday, the Inglische airmy, under the commandement of Generall Oliver Cromwell, croced the watter of Tweid and marched in to our Scottis bordouris to and about Aytoun; quhairof present advertisement wes gevin to our Committee of Stait, and thairupone followit ane strict Proclamatioun that all betuix 60 and 16 sould be in reddines the morne to marche, both horse and fute. The same day, the fute sodgeris lying heir for the tyme did cast ane trinsche fra the fute of the Cannogait to Leith, for halding out of the enymie, that thai sould not pass that way; bot that Edinburgh and Leith sould haif saif correspondence ane with the uther without interruptioun of the enymie.
23 Julij.—The College of Justice outreikit ane fute company of gallant youthes, notwithstanding they haid ane troup of horse on the feildis these twa yeiris bypast.
25 Julij 1650.—The Englische airmy lifted fra Aytoun and Halidounhill, without sound of trumpet or touk of drum, at eftir nune that day, and marched doun toward Cokburnespaith and Dumbar; thaireftir to Hadingtoun, and so to Mussilburgh, Figgetburne, Dudingstoun, Colingtoun, Braidis Craiges-haiffing thair trinches both at Mussilburgh, and alongis to Braid and westwart. And haiffing on sea fyftene sail, they resavit furth thair amunitioun and victuell furth of thair schipis without interruptioun, both at Dumbar, Mussilburgh, Fischerraw, and uther pairtes thairabout, and careyed all alongis with thame to thair airmy with ane convoy of hors and fute.
The Scottis airmy haiffing, efter few dayis, convenit heir upone the Linx of Leith to the number of fourtie thowsand men and above; the half of thame were sent bak, eftir a long space apoynted for purging of the airmy, to the discon[ten]tment of much pepill, and of gentillmen volunteris quha haid frielie cum in to feght for defence of the kingdome. The Scottis airmy being thus in purging daylie, upone the Linx of Leith, it pleasit the Kinges Majestie to cum doun frome Sterling, quhair he than wes, to the Linx of Leith, upone the Monday the 29 of Julij, 1650, quhair he saluted the airmy, being all rankit thair in a plesant posture, to the great joy of the King and contentment of the pepill.
Thaireftir, upone Friday the 2 of August 1650, the King come frome the Leager lying at Leith, to the toun of Edinburgh, ryding with his nobles and leaff-gaird up throw the Cannogait to the Castell of Edinburgh, quhair he wes saluted with a great number of cannoun schot.Thai rfra he come doun on fute throw Edinburgh, quhair he was feasted by the toun of Edinburgh in the Parliament Hous the said day; and thaireftir went doun to Leith, to ane ludgeing belonging to the Lord Balmerinoch, appoyntcd for his resait during his abyding at Leith; and thus haiffing remayned a certane space, veiwing the airmyes on both sydes, he went over the watter to Dumfermling, and to Falkland, and Pearth, for his recreatioun....
The enymie also advanced the lenth of Restalrig, and thair placed thair haill horse in and about the toun of Restalrig, his foote at that place callit Jokis Ludge, and his cannoun at the foote of Salisberrie Hill, within the park dyke; and twelf of his schips advanced to the Raid of Leith, and thrie utheris betuix Edinburgh and Dumbar; and thair, both be sea and land, played with thair cannoun aganes the Scottis Leaguer, lyand in Sant Leornardis Craiges; the Scottis airmy also schuting at thame: bot small skaith on ather syde.
Penult, Julij 1650.—Thair wes ane commandit pairtie sent out from the Scottis Leagure, quha rancountered with ane pairtie of the Englische, both of thame being horsmen, and at Restalrig thai skirmisched about thrie houres. Quhairat the Scottis behaved thame selffis gallantlie at the first, and killed ane major to the enymie with sindrie utheris of thair commoun trouperis; but thair went out sindry gentillmen and volunteiris, and, throw thair ignorance of militarie effaires, maid great confusioun, so that the Scottis were forced to reteir. Quhairupone the enymie tuik thair advantage, and persewed the Scottis hard to the Leagure, and killed and hurt sindrie gentillmen and uther volunteiris, and tuik sum of the Scottis men prissoneris, amongis quhom ane simple sodger, quhois eyes they holkit out of his heid, becaus upone his bak thair wes drawn with quhyte calk thir wordis, I am for King Charles, stryped him naked of his cloathes, and sent him bak to the Scottis Leagure, as wes reported. The enymie, eftir this skirmische, finding the ground not so fit as he desyred for his Leagure, reteirit bak his forces, both horse and fute, to the toun of Mussilburgh.
Upone the morne thaireftir, being Weddinsday the last of Julij, 1650, about brek of day, ane commandit pairtie of Scottis, consisting of 800 men, under the command of Colonell Robert Montgomerie and Colonell Strachane, went out to rancounter the enymie at Mussilburgh, quhair they behaved thame selffis stoutlie and gallantlie, killed many of the enymie, both commanderis, trouperis, and commoun sodgeris, horse and fute, and tuik sindry prissoneris; yit, in end, thai war forcit to quhyte the prissoneris and reteir bak, for the enymie advanced upone thame with fresche horses, and the Scottis, not haiffing a secound help as had the Englische, wer in end compellit to returne to thair Leagure; quhairas gif they haid gottin the help of 500 men, they haid totallie routed the enymie. At this retreit of the Scottis pairtie, sindry Scottis wer killed; bot many mae to the Englische, as wes reportit.
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