"Not only the hearts of the true servants of God, but also those of all who bear any favour to their country and fellow-countrymen, ought to be moved by the present troubles to descend within themselves and to consider deeply what shall be the end of this pretended tyranny....
"Firstly, I most humbly require of you, my Lords, to say to the Queen's Grace Regent, in my name, that we whom she in her blind rage doth persecute are God's servants, and faithful and obedient subjects to the authority of this realm; that that religion which she pretendeth to maintain by fire and sword is not the true religion of Christ Jesus, but is expressly contrary to it, a superstition devised by the brain of man; which I offer myself to prove against all that within Scotland will maintain the contrary, liberty of tongue being granted to me, and God's written Word being admitted for judge.
"And, secondly, I farther require your Honours to say unto her Grace, in my name, that, as I have already written, so now I say that this enterprise of hers shall not prosper in the end; and albeit for a time she trouble the saints of God, she does not fight against man only, but against the eternal God and His invincible truth; and the end shall be her confusion, unless she repent and desist betimes.
"These things I require of you, in the name of the eternal God, to say unto her Grace as from my mouth; adding that I have been and am a more assured friend to her Grace than are these servants to her corrupt appetites, who either flatter her, or else inflame her against us. We seek nothing but the advance of God's glory, suppression of vice, and the maintenance of truth in this poor realm."
All three did promise to report these words so far as they could, and we learned afterwards that they did so. Yea, the Lord Semple himself, a man sold under sin, enemy to God and to all godliness, yet made such report that the Queen was somewhat offended that any man should use such liberty in her presence. She still proceeded in her malice; for she sent her Lion Herald immediately after with letters in which all men were straitly charged to quit the town, under pain of treason. After he had declared these letters to the chief men of the congregation, the Herald proclaimed them publicly, upon Sunday, the twenty-eighth of May.
The Nobility of the West-Land march to the aid of Perth: the Regent takes Fright.
In the meantime, sure knowledge came to the Queen, to the Duke, and to Monsieur D'Oysel, that the Earl of Glencairn, the Lords Ochiltree and Boyd, the young Sheriff of Ayr, the Lairds of Craigie-Wallace, Cessnock, Carnell, Barr, Gadgirth, and the whole congregation of Kyle and Cunningham, approached for our relief. In very deed they came with such diligence, and in such a number that the enemy had just cause to fear, and all that professed Christ Jesus had just matter to praise God for their fidelity and stout courage in that need; for the tyranny of the enemy was bridled by their presence.... Their number was estimated at twenty-five hundred men, and of these twelve hundred were horsemen. The Queen, understanding how the said Earl and Lords approached with their company, caused all ways to be beset, so that no information should come to us, and that we, despairing of support, might consent to the terms required by her. At the same time, she sent to require that some discreet men of our number should come and speak with the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel (who lay with their army at Auchterarder, ten miles from Perth) for the purpose of making some reasonable appointment....
From us were sent the Laird of Dun, the Laird of Inverquharity, and Thomas Scott of Abbotshall to learn what appointment the Queen would offer. The Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel required that access to the town should be given, and that all matters in dispute should be referred to the Queen's pleasure. To this they answered that neither had they commission so to promise, nor durst they conscientiously persuade their brethren to agree to such a promise. But, they said, if the Queen's Grace would promise that no inhabitant of the town should be troubled for any such crimes as might be alleged against them for the late change of religion, and the abolition of idolatry and downcasting of the places of idolatry; and if she would suffer that the religion begun should continue, and would on her departure leave the town free from the garrisons of French soldiers, they for their part would labour to secure from their brethren that the Queen should be obeyed in all things.
Monsieur D'Oysel perceived the danger to be great, should a speedy appointment not be made. He saw, also, that they would not be able to execute their tyranny against us after the congregation of Kyle, of whose coming we had no information, should be joined with us. So, with good words, he dismissed the said Lords to persuade the brethren to quiet concord. All men were well disposed to this course, and with one voice they cried, "Cursed be they that seek effusion of blood, war, or dissension. Let us possess Christ Jesus, and the benefit of His Evangel, and none within Scotland shall be more obedient subjects than we shall be." After the coming of the Earl of Glencairn was known, the enemy quaked for fear, and with all expedition there were sent from Stirling again the Earl of Argyll and the Lord James, in company with a crafty man, Master Gavin Hamilton, Abbot of Kilwinning, to finish the appointment foresaid....