In the afternoon, the Lord Governor and his chief Officers of place called together all the soldiers that were under pay; so did the Mayor and Aldermen convene all the communalty of the town. To whom when the oath was read, and the Magistrates had certified them that they had been their example; the Lord of Holyroodhouse wondered at, and much commended, their joy and readiness to be sworn servants to so regal a Master. Which he amply discoursed at his return to Edinburgh the next day; not hiding any of their forward applauses, but delivered their willingness to His Highness with express and lively words: assuring him, by his entrance into England at that little door, how welcome into the wide house His Excellence should be.
While this was a doing in Berwick, there drew to the King hourly most of the Nobility in Scotland, with sundry Knights and Gentlemen; gratulating the great blessings befallen His Highness, and attending his royal pleasure.
Besides, many numbers of Gentlemen came out of England to salute His Majesty; all [of] whom he graciously welcomed, and honoured one of them with the Order of Knighthood, [17]—being Master John Peyton [co. Norf.], son to Sir John Peyton, Lieutenant of the Tower of London. This being to that noble Gentleman no little glory that he was first Knight—yea, named by the King's Majesty "his first Knight"—that was made by our Sovereign after he was nominated and truly known to be the mightiest King in Europe.
During the continuance of His Majesty in Scotland, before his Progress towards England, his whole care was for the peaceable government of that Realm, from which he was a while to part. And to that end, he had sundry conferences with his Nobility, laying the safest projects that, in his wisdom and their experiences, seemed likely for effecting his royal desire: which, GOD willing, will come to pass to his great liking and [the] benefit of both the Realms.
But that it might more to his people appear; he in person came graciously to the city of Edinburgh, unto the Public Sermon. And after the Sermon was finished, in a most learned but more loving Oration, he expressed his occasion of leaving them, to the burgesses and a number of the people: exhorting them to continue in obedience, being the bond that binds Princes to affect their subjects, which broken on their part he trusted should never be, and of his they were assured; persuading them also to agreement amongst themselves, being the bond of charity that tied all men, especially Christians, to love and bear with one another. In which obedience to him, and agreement amongst themselves if they continued: howsoever he was, in a manner, at that time, constrained to leave them; yet he would, in his own person, visit them, and that shortly, in times convenient and most necessary for his own advancement and their benefit.
Yet for all his kingly oratory, mild behaviour, and true intention; the people's hearts against his departure were even dead: and grief seized every private man's reins, saving only those that were made happy by attending his royal person into England.
For now they began duly to think upon his unmatched virtues, which never the most malicious enemy could impeach: being in the World's eye innocent of any capital and notorious crime, but such as may be incident to any just man; who daily falls, but never falls away. They now considered his affability, mercy, justice, and magnanimity They remembered how, in late years, Scotland, by his government, had increased in more riches than in the time of many [of] his predecessors: besides, his care for establishing true religion, his traffic almost with all nations, the royalty of his marriage, the blessings hoped for by his issue.
And such a universal sorrow was amongst them, that some of the meaner sort spake even distractedly; and [there were] none but, at his departing (which yet we are not come unto), expressed such sorrow as in that nation hath seldom been seen the like: albeit the King's Majesty was possessed of that which the common sort of the nation long wished for; I mean, the Kingdom [of England].