tion of the Scottish Covenant, and a deep Affurance never fo much as to proteft against any of his Majefties Commandements whatsoever.

No fooner was this Oath thus craftily contriv'd, but with all Hafte it is fent to fuch Places of the Kingdome where our Countrey-men had Refidence: and Men, Women, and all other Perfons, above the Yeares of fixteen, conftrained either prefently to take the Oath, and thereby renounce their Nationall Covenant as feditious and trayterous, or with Violence and Cruelty to be haled to the Jayle, fined above the Value of their Eftates, and to be kept clofe Prisoners, and fo far as we know, fome are yet kept in Prison, both Men and Women of good Quality, for not renouncing that Oath, which they had taken forty Yeares, fince, in Obedience to the King who then lived. A Cruelty enfued, which may parallell the Perfecutions of the most unchriftian Times: For weake Women, dragged to the Bench to take the Oath, died in the Place, both Mother and Child: Hundreds driven to hide themfelves, till in the Darkneffe of the Night they might escape by Sea to Scotland, whither Thousands of them did flye, being forced to leave Corne, Cattel, Houses, and all they poffeffed, to bee a Prey to their perfecuting Enemies, the Lieutenants Officers. And fome indited and declared guilty of High Treafon, for no other Guiltineffe but for fubfcribing our Nationall Oath, which was not onely Impiety and Injuftice in it felfe, and an utter Undoing of his Majefties Subjects, but was a weakning of the Scots Plantation, to the Prejudice of that Kingdome, and his Majefties Service, and was a high Scandall against the Kings Honour, and intolerable Abuse of his Majesties Truft and Authority: His Majefties Commiffion, which was procured by the Lieutenant, bearing no other Penalty than a Certification of noteing the Names of the Refufers of the Oath.

But this his restleffe Rage and infatiable Cruelty, against our Religion and Country, can not be kept within the Bounds of Ireland.

By his Meanes a Parliament is called, and although by the fixe Subfidies granted in Parliament not long before, and by the bafe Meanes which himfelfe and his Officers did ufe, as is contained in a late Remonftrance, that Land was extreamly impoverished, yet by his Speeches, full of Oaths and Affeverations, that we were Traytors and Rebels, cafting off all Monarchicall Government, &c. he extorted from them foure new Subfidies, and indicta caufa, before wee were heard, procured that a Warre was undertaken, and Forces fhould be leavied against us as a rebellious Nation, which was alfo intended to be an Example and Precedent to the Parliament of England for granting Subfifidies, and fending a joynt Army for our utter Ruine.

According to his Appointment in Parliament, the Army was gathered, and brought downe to the Coaft, threatning a daily Invafion of our Countrey, intending to make us a conquered Province, and to deftroy our Religion, Liberties, and Lawes, and thereby laying upon us a Neceffity of vaft Charges, to keepe Forces on foot on the West Coaft to waite upon his Comming.

And as the Warre was denounced, and Forces leavied before wee were heard; fo before the denouncing of the Warre, our Ships, and Goods on the

Irish Coaft were taken, and the Owners caft into Prison, and fome of them in Irons. Frigats were fent forth to fcoure our Coafts, which did take fome, and burne others of our Barkes.

Having thus incited the Kingdome of Ireland, and put his Forces in Order there against us, with all Hafte he commeth to England.

In his parting, at the giving up of the Sword, he openly avowed our utter Ruine and Defolation, in thefe or the like Words: If I returne to that honourable Sword, I shall leave of the Scots neither Root nor Branch.

How foone he commeth to Court, as before he had done very evill Offices against our Commiffioners, clearing our Proceedings before the Point; fo now he ufeth all Meanes to stirre up the King and Parliament against us, and to move them to a prefent Warre, according to the Precedent, and Example of his owne making in the Parliament of Ireland. And finding that his Hopes failed him, and his Defignes fucceeded not that Way, in his Nimbleneffe he taketh another Courfe, that the Parliament of England may be broken up, and defpifing their Wifdome and Authority, not onely with great Gladneffe accepteth, but ufeth all Means that the Conduct of the Army, in the Expedition against Scotland, may be put upon him; which accordingly he obtaineth as generall Captaine, with Power to invade, kill, flay, and fave at his Difcretion, and to make any one, or more Deputies in his ftead, to doe and execute all the Power and Authorities committed to him.

According to the Largeneffe of his Commiffion, and Letters Patents of his devifing, fo were his Deportments afterwards; for when the Scots, according to their Declarations fent before them, were Comming in a peaceable Way, farre from any Intention to invade any of his Majefties Subjects, and still to fupplicate his Majefty for a fetled Peace, he gave Order to his Officers to fight with them on the Way, that the two Nations once entred in Blood, whatfoever should be the Succeffe, he might efcape Tryall and Cenfure, and his bloody Defignes might be put in Execution againft his Majefties Subjects of both Kingdomes.

When the Kings Majefty was againe enclined to hearken to our Petitions, and to compose our Differences in a peaceable Way, and the Peeres of England convened at Yorke, had, as before in their great Wifedome and Faithfulneffe given unto his Majeftie Counfels of Peace, yet this Fire-brand still fmoaketh and in that honourable Affembly, taketh upon him to breath out Threatnings against us as Traytors, and Enemies to monarchicall Government, that we be sent Home againe in our Blood, and he will whip us out of England.

And as these were his Speeches in the Time of the Treaty, appointed by his Majesty at Rippon, that if it had beene poffible, it might have beene broken up. So when a Ceffation of Armes, was happily agreed upon there, yet he ceaseth not, but ftill his Practises were for Warre, his under Officers can tell who it was that gave them Commiffion to drawe neere in Armes beyond the Teefe, in the Time of the Treaty at Rippon.

The Governour of Barwicke and Carlile can fhew, from whom they had their Warrants for their Acts of Hoftility, after the Ceffation was concluded. It may be tryed how it commeth to paffe, that the Ports of Ireland are yet clofed, our Countrey-men for the Oath ftill kept in Prifon, Traffique interrupted, and no other Face of Affaires, than if no Ceffation had been agreed upon.

We therefore defire that your Lordships will reprefent to the Parliament, that this great Incendiarie upon these, and the like Offences, not against particular Perfons, but against Kingdomes, and Nations, may be put to a Tryall, and from their knowne, and renowned Justice, may have his deferved Punishment.

16 Decemb. 1640.

The SCOTTISH Commiffioners Demand concerning their Sixt

ARTICLE.

Oncerning our Sixt Demand, although it hath often come to paffe, that thefe who have beene joyned by the Bonds of Religion, and Nature, have fuffered themselves to be divided about the Things of this World: And although our Adverfaries, who no leffe labor the Divifion of the two Kingdomes, than We doe all feeke Peace, and follow after it, as our common Happineffe, doe prefume that this will be the Partition Wall, to divide us, and to make us lofe all our Labours taken about the former Demand; wherein by the Helpe of GOD, by his Majefties Princely Goodneffe, and Juftice, and your Lordships noble and equall Dealing, We have fo fully accorded, and to keep us from providing for a firme and well grounded Peace, by the Wisdome and Juftice of the Parliament of England, which is our greatest Defire expreffed in our laft Demand. We are ftill confident, that as we shall concerning this Article reprefent nothing but what is true, juft, and honourable to both Kingdomes: So will your Lordships hearken to us, and will not fuffer your felves, by any Slanders, or Suggestions, to be drawne out of that ftraight and fafe Way wherein yee have walked fince the Beginning.

It is now Wee fuppofe knowne to all England, especially to both the honourable Houses of Parliament, and by the Occafion of this Treatie, more particularly to your Lordships, That our Diftreffes in our Religion, and Liberties, were of late more preffing than We were able to beare, That our Complaints and Supplications for Redreffe, were answered at laft with the Terrours of an Army; That after a Pacification greater Preparations were made for Warre, whereby many Acts of Hoftilitie were done against us, both by Sea and Land; The Kingdome wanted Administration of Justice, and Wee conftrained to take Armes for our Defence; That we were brought to this extreame, and intollerable Neceffity, either to maintaine divers Armies upon our Borders against Invafion from England, or Ireland, ftill to be de

prived of the Benefit of all the Courts of Justice, and not onely to maintaine fo many thousands as were spoiled of their Ships, and Goods, but to want all Commerce by Sea, to the Undoing of Merchants, of Saylors, and many others who lived by Fishing, and whofe Callings are upholden from Hand to Mouth by Sea Trade: Any one of which Evils is able in a fhort Time to bring the most potent Kingdome to Confufion, Ruine and Defolation; how much more all the three at one Time combined to bring the Kingdome of Scotland to be no more a Kingdome: Yet all these behoved Wee either to endure, and under no other Hope, than of the perfect Slavery of our felves, and our Pofterity in our Soules, Lives, and Meanes; Or to refolve to come into England, not to make Invafion, nor with any Purpose to fight, except we were forced, God is our Judge, our Actions are our Witneffes, and England doth now acknowledge the Truth, against all Sufpitions to the contrary, and against the impudent Lyes of our Enemies, but for our Reliefe, Defence, and Prefervation which we could find by no other Meanes, when we had effayed all Meanes, and had at large expreffed our pungent, and preffing Neceffities, to the Kingdome, and Parliament of England. Since therefore the War on our Part (which is no other but our Comming into England with a Guard) is defenfive, and all Men doe acknowledge, that in common Equity, the Defendant fhould not be fuffered to perish in his juft and neceffary Defence, but that the Purfuer, whether by way of legall Proceffe in the Time of Peace, or by way of Violence, and unjuft Invasion in the Time of Warre, ought to beare the Charges of the Defendant. We trust that your Lordships will thinke that it is not against Reafon for us to demand fome Reparation of this Kind, and that the Parliament of England, by whofe Wifdome and Juftice wee have expected the Redreffe of our Wrongs, will take fuch Course, as both may in Reafon give us Satisfaction, and may in the notable Demonstration of their Juftice ferve most for their owne Honour.

Our Earneftneffe in following this our Demand, doth not fo farre wrong our Sight, and make us fo undifcerning, as not to make a Difference betweene the Kingdome, and Parliament of England, which did neither decerne nor fet forward a Warre against us, and that prevalent Faction of Prelats and Papists who have moved every Stone against us, and ufed all Sorts of Meanes not onely their Counsells, Subfidies and Forces, but their Kirk Canons, and Prayers for our utter Ruine, which maketh them obnoxious to our just Accufations, and guilty of all the Loffes, and Wrongs, which this Time paft wee have sustained: Yet this wee defire your Lordships to confider, That the Eftates of the Kingdome of Scotland being affembled, did endeavour by their Declarations, Informations, and Remonftrances, and by the Proceedings of their Commiffioners, to make knowne unto the Counfell, Kingdome, and Parliament of England, and to forewarne them of the Mifchiefe intended against both Kingdomes, in their Religion, and Liberties, by the Prelates, and Papifts, to the End, that our Invafion from England might have beene prevented, if by the Prevalencie of the Faction it had beene poffible. And therefore wee may now with the greater Reason, and Confidence preffe our Demand, That your Lordships, the Parliament, the Kingdome, and the

King himfelfe may fee us repared in our Loffes at the Coft of that Faction by whofe Meanes we have fuftained fo much Dammage, and which, except they repent, will find Sorrow recompenced for our Griefe, Torments for our Toyle, and an infinite greater Loffe for the temporall Loffes, they have brought upon a whole Kingdom, which was dwelling by them in Peace.

All the Devices and Doings of our common Enemies were to beare downe the Truth of Religion, and the juft Liberties of the Subjects in both Kingdomes. They were confident to bring this about one of two Wayes: Either by blocking us up by Sea and Land to conftraine us to admit their Will for a Law both in Kirk, and Policy, and thus to make us a Precedent for the like Miferie in England, or by their Invafion of our Kingdome to compell us furiously, and without Order, to break into England, that the two Nations. once entred into a bloody Warre, they might fish in our troubled Waters, and catch their defired Prey. But as wee declared before our Comming: Wee trufted that God would turne their Wifedome into Foolishneffe, and bring their Devices upon their owne Pates, by our Intentions, and Refolutions to come into England as among our Brethren, in the most peaceable Way that could stand with our Safety, in Refpect of our common Enemies, to prefent our Petitions for fetling our Peace, by a Parliament in England, wherein the Intentions and Actions, both of our Adverfaries, and ours might be brought to Light, the Kings Majefty, and the Kingdome rightly informed, the Authors, and Inftruments of our Divifions, and Troubles punished, all the Mischiefes of a nationall, and doubtfull Warre prevented, and Religion, and Liberty with greater Peace, and Amity than ever before established, against all the Craft and Violence of our Enemies. This was our Declaration before wee fet our Foot into England, from which our Deportments we fince have not varied. And it hath bin the Lords wonderfull Doing, by the wife Counfels, and juft Proceedings of the Parliament, to bring it in a great Part to paffe, and to give us lively Hopes of a happy Conclufion: And therefore wee will never doubt, but that the Parliament in their Wifedome and Juftice, will provide that a proportionable Part of the Coft, and Charges of a Worke fo great and fo comfortable to both Nations bee borne by the Delinquents there, that with the better Confcience the good People of England may fit under their owne Vines, and Figtrees, refreshing themselves, although upon our greater Paines and Hazard, yet not altogether upon our Coft and Charges, which we are not able to beare.

The Kingdome of England doth know and confeffe, that the Innovation of Religion and Liberties in Scotland, were not the principall Defigne of our common Enemies, but that both in the Intention of the Workers, whofe Zeale was hottest for fetling their Devices at home: And in the Condition of the Worke, making us whom they conceived to be the weaker for Oppofition, to bee nothing else but a leading Cafe for England. And that although by the Power of GoD, which is made perfect in Weaknesse, they have found amongst us greater Refistance, then they did feare, or either they or our felves could have apprehended: Yet, as it hath beene the Will of GOD that wee fhould endure the Heate of the Day; fo in the Evening the

pretious