wysest of this realme: not the les seyng the miserie sa greit apperyng, and the calamitie sa neir approchyng, I thoght it les fault to incur the crime of surmountyng my priuate estate, then the blame of neglecting the publik danger; thairfor I hesid rather to vnderly the opinion of presumptioun in speiking, then of treson in silence; and specially of sic thingis, as euin seme presently to redound to the perpe tuall schame of your Lordschippis, distructioun of this royall estate, and ruyne of the hole commoun welth of Scotland. On this conside ratioun I haue takin in hand, at this tyme, to aduertise your honours of sic thingis, as I thoght to appertene, baith to your Lordschippis, in speciall, and in generall to the hole communitie of this realme, in punitioun of tratouris, pacificatioun of troublis amongis your selfis, and continuatioun of peace with our nighbouris. Of the quhilk I haue takin the trauell to write, and do remit the iudgement to your discretioun, hopying, at leist, that, althogh my wit and forsight shall not satisfie yow, yit my gud will shall not displeis yow, of quhilk aduertisement the summe is this,

First, To consider how godly the actioun is quhilk yow haue in hand, to wit, the defence of your King, an innocent pupill, the stablisching of religioun, punitioun of thiefis and tratouris, and mantenance of peace and quietnes amongis your selfis, and with forrane natiounis.

Item, Remember how yow have vindicat this realme from the thraldome of strangeris, out of domestik tyrannie, and out of a publik dishonour, in the sight of all forrane natiounis, we beyng altogidder estemid a pepill-murtherars of Kingis, and impacient of lawis and ingrait, in respect of the murther of the late King Henry, within the wallis of the principall towne, the greatest of the nobilitie beyng present with the Quene for the tyme: and by your power, one part of the chief tratouris tried from amongis the trew subjectis, quhairby stran gers wer constranid afterwart as mekle to praise your iustice, as of be foire they wrangfully condempnid your injustice.

Item, Remember how far, in doing the same, ye haue obliged your selfis befoir the hole warld, to continew in the same vertew of iustice, and quhat blame ye shall incur, if ye be inconstant: for all men can belief na vtherwise, if the tyme following be not conforme to the tyme past, that nouther honour nor commoun welth stirrid yow vp then, but rather sum particulair tending to your priuate commoditie.

Also remember how many gentill and honest meanis yow haue socht, in tymes past, to caus the King be acknawledgid, and the countrarie put at rest; and how vnprofitabill hath been your honestie in treityng; your vailycant curage in werr; your mercyfulnes in victorie; your clemencie in punisching, and facilitie in reconsiliatioun.

Quhilk thingis witnessis sufficiently, that ye estemit na man an enemie that wald liue in peace, vnder the Kingis authoritie; that ye wer neuer desirous of blude, geir, nor honour of sic as wald not, rather, in making of troubill and seditioun, declair thame selfis enemeis to God, and the Kingis Maiestie, than liue in concord and amitie with thair nichbouris vnder the correctioun of iustice.

And sen ye can ŋouther bow thair obstinate hight with pacience,

nor mease thair stubburne hartis with gentilnes, nor satisfie thair inordinate desyris, vtherwyse then with the Kingis blude and youris, the distructioun of religioun, banisching of iustice, and fre permissioun of crueltie and misordour, your wisdomes may easily considder quhat kind of medicine is not only mete, but alswa necessair, for mending of sic a maladie.

And, to the effect that ye may the better considder this necessitie of medicine, remember quhat kynd of pepill they ar, that professis thame selfis in deid, and dissemblis in worde, to be enemeis to God, to iustice, and to yow, becaus ye maintene the Kingis actioun.

Sum of them ar counseillaris of the King his fatheris slauchter, sum conueyaris of him to the schambles, that slew his grandschir, banisched his father; and, not satisfyid to haue slayne him self, murtherit the Kingis regent, and now seikes his awin blude, that thay may fulfill thair crueltie and auarice, being Kingis, quhilk they begonne to exercise, the tyme of thair gouerning.

Vthers ar, that, being alliat nor neir of kyn to the Hamiltounis, thinkis to be participant of all thair prosperitie and succes.

Vthers, being gyltie of King Henryis death, in the first parliament halden in the Kingis regne that now is, could well accord, that the Quene should haue bene put to deith also.

And, seing they could not obtene that point, the next schift of thair impietie was, to put downe the King, that he should not rest to reuenge his fatheris deith; quhilk, thay thocht, could not be mair easilie done, then by bringing hame the Quene with sic a husband, that, other for auld haitred, or for new couatice, wald desire the first degre of succession to be of his awin blude.

Sum vthers ar practisid in casting of courtis, and reuoluing of estatis, by raising of ciuile werr, and ar becum richer than euer thay hopid; and, becaus thay haue found the practise sa gude in tyme past, now thay seik all wayis to continew it; and, hauing ones gustid how gude fisching it is in drumly waters, they can, by no maner, leaue the craft.

Vthers of that faction ar, sum Papistis, sum feined Protestantis, that hes na God bot Geir; and desiris agane the Papistrie, not for luif they beir to it (for they ar scorners of all religioun) but hoping to haue promotioun of idle bellies to benefices; and lamentis the present estait, quhair (as they say) ministeris gettis all, and leifis nathing to gude fellowis; and to this intent thay wald set vp the Quenis authoritie, say thay.

Sum thair be also, that, vnder colour of seiking the Quenis authoritie, thinkis to eschaip the punischement of auld faultis, and haue licence, in tyme to cum, to oppres thair nichbouris that be febiller then they.

Now haue I to schew yow, by coniecture, quhat frute is to be hopid of an assembly of sic men, as for the maist pairt ar of insatiabill gre dines, intollerabill arrogance, without faith in promeis, measure in couatice, pietie to the inferiour, obedience to the superiour, in peace desirous of troubill, in werr thirstie of blude, nuryshers of theft, raisers of rebellioun, counsallours of tritouris, inuenters of tressoun,

with hand reddie to murther, mynd to deceiue, hart voyde of treuth and full of fellonie, toung trampid in dissait, and worde tending to fals practise without veritie; by quhilk properteis, and many vthers thairunto joynid, as is knawin to all men, ye, that vnderstandis thair beginning, progres and hole lyfe, may easilie remember, to quhome thys general speiking appertenis in speciall; and it is not unknawin to sic as knawis the personis, how they ar mellid with godles persons, Papistes, harlot Protestantis, commoun brybouris, holy in worde, hypocrites in hart, proude contempners or Machiauill mockers of all religioun and vertew, bludie boucheris, and open oppresšouris, fortifieris of theiffis, and manteneris of tratouris.

It is also necessarie to your Lordschippis to vnderstand thair pretence, that, if it be a thing quhilk may stand with the tranquillitie of the commoun-welth, your Lordschippis may, in sum pairt, rather condiscend to thair inordinate lust, then put the hole estate in ieopardie of battell.

First, It is not honour, riches, nor authoritie that thay desire; for thay haue had, and als haue presentlie, and may haue, in tyme to cnm, sic pairt of all thay thingis, as a priuait man may haue in this realme, not being chargeabil to the countrie, or not suspectit to ane King, as vnassurit of his awin estait.

It is not the delyuerance of the Quene that thay seik, as thair doingis contrair to thair worde testifeis manifestlie; for, if they wald haue her deliuerit, they wald haue procurit, by all menis possibill, the Quene of Inglandis fauonr and support, in quhais power the hole recouerance stode only, and not offendid hir sa heichly as thay haue done, and daylic dois, in participatioun of the conspirit tressoun, to put hir Maiestie, not only out of hir stait, bot out of this lyfe present; nor in receiting and mantening of hir rebellis contrair to promeis and sodempne contract of pacificatioun betuix this two realmes, nouther yet haue houndit furth proude and vncircumspect young men, to hery, burne, and slay, and take presoneris in her realme, and vse all misordour and crueltie, not only vsed in werr, but detestabill to all barbar and vile Tartaris, in slaying of presoneris, and, contrair to all bumanitie and iustice, keip na promeis to miserabill catiues, receiued once to thair mercy; and all this was done by commandiment of sic as sayis thay seik the Quenes deliuerance, and reprochit to thame, by the doaris of the mischeifis, saying, That they enterit thame in danger, and supportit thame, not in mister, so mekle as to cum to lawder and luik from thame; in quhilk deserting of thair collegis, thay schew crueltie joyned with falsheid, and maist heich tressoun against the Quene, pretending, in worde, hir delyuerance, and stopping, in warke, hir recouerance; the quhilk, as euery man may cleirlie se, thay socht, as he that socht his wyfe drowned in the riuer againis the streime.

It is not the Quenis authoritie that thay wald set vp, in hir absence; for, if that war thair intention, quhome can they place in it mair friendly to hir then hir onlie sone; or quhat gouernour may they put to him, les suspect, than sic men as haue na pretence of succession to the crowne, or any hoip of proffeit to cum to tham after his deith; or thay that euer haue bene trew seruandis to Kingis before him, should

thay not be preferrit to his paternall enemeis, yea, and slayeris of his father, and sollicitaris of strangeris to seik his innocent blude?

Quhat then shall we think that these men seikis vnder pretence of the Queenis authoritie, seing they can not bring hame the Quene to set vp hir, nor will not suffer the King lawfully inaugurat and confirmed, by decreit of parliament, to bruik it, with sa many of his tu toris chosin by his mother, as ar not to be suspectit to will him harme? I traist it is not vncasie to perceiue, by thair hole progres, now presently, and in tyme by past, that they desire na other thing but the deith of the King and Quene of Scotland, to set up the Hamiltounis in autho ritie; to the quhilk they haue aspyrit, by craftie meanis, these fyftie yeires ago: and, seing thair purpois succedit not by craftie and secreit meanis, now thay follow the same traide, conioynyng to falsheid opin wickitnes.

And, that ye may see quhat meanis they haue vsid, thir fyftie yeiris by past, to set vp by craft this authoritie, quhilk now they seik by violence, force, and tresoun, I will call to your memorie sum of thair practisis, quhilk many of you may remember asweill as I.

First, After the deith of King Iames the Fourth, Iohn, Duke of Albany, chosin by the nobilitie to gouerne in the Kingis les age, the Ha miltounis, thinking that he had bene als wicked as thay, and should, to his awin aduancement, put downe the King, being of tender age, for the tyme, and by the deceis of his brother left alone; and that thay wald easilie get thair hand beyond the Duke, being an stranger, and without successioun of his body, held thame quyet for a season, think-` ing that vther mens actioun should be thair promotioun ; but seing that the Duke, as a prince baith wyse and verteous, to bring him selfe out of sic suspitioun, put four Lordis estemid of the maist trew and verteous in Scotland, in that tyme, to attend on the Kingis grace, to wit, the Erle Merchell, the Lordis Erskyn, Ruthuen, and Borthick; the Hamiltounis being out of hope of the Kingis putting doune by the Duke of Albany, and out of credeit to do him any harme by thame selfis, maid one couspyracie, with certane Lordis, to put the sayd Duke out of authoritie and take it on thame selfis, that, all thinges put in thair power, thay might vse the King and the realme at thair awn plesure. To that effect thay tuik the castell of Glasgow, and there maid an assembly of thair factioun, the quhilk was dissoluit by the haistie cummyng of the Duke of Albany, with an armie; for feir of the quhilk, the Erle of Arrane, cheif of that cumpany, fled to his wifis brother, the Lord Hume, being then out of court.

The second conspiracie was, after the Dukis last departyng (the foresayd Lordis separate from attending on the king) deuysit be Schir Iames Hamiltoun, bastard sone to the sayd Erle of Arrane, quha conspyrit the kingis deith, then being in his hous, in the abbay of Halyruidhous; quhilk conspyracie, after mony yeiris, reueillit, the Schir lames sufferit deith for it. This conspyracie not beyng execute, Schir Iames perseuerid in his euill intentioun; and, by secreit meanis in court, soght alwais that the king should not mary, that, for lack of his successioun, the Hamiltounis might cum to thair intentis: For the King was young, lusty, and redy to auenture his persoun to all hasardis, baith by sea and land,

in doune putting of theifis, and vpsetting of justice. The Hamiltounis luiked on, quhen seiknes, throw excesse of trauell, or sum vther rakles auenture, should cut him of without children; and, destitute of this hope, first he stoppid the Kingis metyng with his vncle the King of Ingland, quha, at that tyme, hauing but one doughter, was willing to haif marryid with the King of Scotland, and maid him King of the hole ile after him; and to haue enterid him, at that present tyme, in possession of the duchy of Yorke; but the said Schir James, euer hauing eye to his awn scope, hinderid this purpois by sum of the Kingis familiaris, that he had practised with by giftis, and speciallie by the Bischop of Sanctandros, Iames Betoun, vncle to the Erle of Arranis mother, and greit vncle to Schir lames wyfe, and raised sic suspitioun betuix the twa Kingis, that broght baith the realmes in greit besynes.

This purpois as sayd is put abak; the King, seing that his ambassadouris furtherit not at his plesure, deliuered him selfe in persoun to ga be sey in France; and Schir lames Hamiltoun, perseuering in his former intentioun, went with him to hinder his mariage, by all meanis that he might; and, to that effect, the King sleiping in the schip, without any necessitie of wynde and wedder, Schir Iames causid the marineris to turn saill of the west coist of Ingland bakwart, and land in Galloway, quhair the King was verray miscontent with Schir James and Maister Dauid Panter, principall causeris of his returnyng, as diuers that was in the schip, yit liuyng, can report: And, fra that time furth, the King, haning tryid out his pretence, and persaiuing his vnfaithfull dealing euer disfauourid him, and, to his greit displesure, fauoured opinlie the Erl of Lennox and his friendis in his absence; the quhilk Erle pretended a right and tytill to the hole Erldome of Arrane, the present Erle for that tyme being knawin to be bastard; as also, it was in mens recent memorie how Schir lames Hamiltoun had cruellie slayne the Erle of Lennox at Linlythgow, euin to the greit displesure of the Erle of Arrane, father to Schir Iames, and vncle to the Erle of Lennox, cumming by the Kingis commandiment to Linlythgow: Sa the King, as said is, vnderstanding the priuate practick of Schir lames, in keiping him vnmaryid, haistit him the mair eirnestlie to mary, to the effect that his successioun might put the Hamiltounis out of hope of thair intent, and him out of danger by the Hamiltounis. And albeit that Schir James, to make him selfe clene of that suspitioun, soght many diueris wayes to the distructioun of the Erle of Arrane his brother; yit he could neuer conqueis the Kingis fauour, vntill finallie he was executid for tresoun, and tooke ane miserabill end, conforme to his vngodly lyfe.

The King at last deceissit, and leuing a doughter of sex dayis auld, the Hamiltounis thoght all to be thairis. For then the Erle of Arrane, a young man of small wit and greit inconstancie, was set up by sum of the nobilitie, and sum familiar seruandis of the Kingis, lately deceissit; for thay thoght him mair tollerabill then the Cardinall Beton, quha, by ane fals instrument, had takin the supreme authoritie to him selfe.

The Erle of Arrane namid gouernour, by a priuait factioun, and fauourid by sa many as professit the trew religioun of Christ, becaus he was beleift then to be of the same; howbeit he was gentill of nature, yit his friendis, for the maist pairt, wer gredie baith of geir and blude, and