BOOK VII. SCOTLAND AND IRELAND. SCOTLAND. 1. [At the Restoration, a Council for Scottish affairs was established at Whitehall and a Lord Commissioner was appointed to govern Scotland in the King's name. The King's Letter to the Parliament of Scotland, 29 November, 1660. A.P.S., vii. 6.] Right Trustie and Right well Beloved Cosens and Councellors . . . We greet you well. We greet you well. No sooner did it please God to restore us to the exercise of Our Royall Government than Wee applyed ourselves to the settling of our Government in that our ancient kingdome and for that purpose, Wee authorized some of our Nobilitie and others of that our kingdome to meit heer at London and to represent their thoughts to Us and at their humble desire Wee called our Comittee of Estates to sitt till wee could call a Parliament, which now wee have indicted and Seing our great affaires heir could not allow us to be present with yow wee have authorized the Earle of Midletoun to be our Comissioner and have comanded him to give yow full assureance of our constant affection to that our Antient kingdom Our sense of your great sufferings for us and of your Loyaltie (of which we have had many testimonies. both dureing our aboad with yow and dureing the late usurpations) He will alsoe assure yow that wee are resolved by the Grace of God to preserve that our kingdome in its freedome. And as Wee expect that you will assert our antient Royall prerogative so wee promise to maintaine the just liberties of our people as they enjoyed them under our Royall Ancestors according to the law. 2. [Middleton did not go to Scotland until December, 1660; the following extract show Clarendon's anxiety for the establishment of a settled government in Scotland. The "Notes" from which this fragment is taken show the Chancellor's influence over Charles II and the King's indolence in regard to affairs of State at this period. Extract, December, 1660, from "Private Confidential Notes which passed between Charles II and Clarendon at the Council Meetings," edited by Macray, p. 17.] Chancellour. I doubte you do not thinke enough of the businesse of Scotland. Do you know how these rogues in this Citty and Kingdome depend upon troubles there? Downinge writes me worde by a letter this last night, that there are a great store of armes and ammunicōn of all kindes sent lately into Scotland from Rotterdam. . . . I assure you I thinke its high tyme that Midletoun be sent away thither. King. I am of your opinion.. Chan. Have you said all the gracious things to Middleton you resolved, of a pencōn ther, and a pencōn heareafter? 3. [English garrisons were withdrawn from the Scottish fortresses of Ayr, Perth, Leith, and Inverness in 1660 and the fortifications of these citadels were destroyed, by order of the king and at the advice of the Earl of Lauderdale, Secretary for Scotland. The following order is similar to those issued for the demolition of the citadels of Ayr, Perth, and Leith. Act for demolishing the walls of the citadel of Inverness, 1661. P.C.R., Scot., i. 6.] The Lordes of Secreit Councill gives order and warrand to Alexander Earle of Murrey, to cause demolish and slight the wallis, strengths and fortifications of the Citiedale of Innernesse and to cause to fill up the ditches thereof except so much of the samen as are built upon the sea-coast which shall be found necessary to preserve the houses built therein from the storme and tempest of the sea; and gives warrand to the said Earle to requyre and charge the inhabitantes of the next adjacent shyre and paroches to repair to the said Citiedaill for performing that service, and if neid be, ordaines letteris of horneing to be direct simpliciter against them for that effect in case of their disobedience, charging them thereto under the paine of rebellione; and appointes the said Earle to report his diligence to his Majesties Secreit Councill anent the performance of the premisses with all conveniency. 4. [The Act Rescissory was passed on 28 March, 1661. It deprived the Presbyterian Church of all legal sanction. 'Act Rescinding and Annulling the Pretendit Parliaments in the yeers 1640, 1641, etc.” A.P.S., vii. 86.] The Estates of Parliament considering that the peace and happines of this Kingdome and of his Majesties good subjects therein doth depend upon the safety of his Majesties person and the maintenance of his royall Authority power and greatnesse and that all the miseries confusions and disorders during these twentie three yeares have issued from these neglects. . . [Recital of the sacred rights inherent in the Crown, which had been usurped in the name of Religion by many who were joined in league with some in England to subvert His Majesty's Government. Consequently Parliament seeks to remove all remembrance of those things which have been injurious to the Royal authority.] And considering that besides the unlawfullness of the public actings dureing these troubles, most of the acts in all and every of the meitings of these pretendit Parliaments, doe heighly encroach upon and are destructive of that Soverane Power Authority Prerogative and Right of Government, which by the law of God and the ancient Laws . . of this Kingdom doth reside in and belong to the Kings Matie, and doe reflect much upon the honour loyaltie and reputation of this Kingdome, or are expired and serve only as testimonies of Disloyalty and reproach upon the Kingdome and are unfit to be any longer upon Record, thairfor the kings Majestie and Estates of Parliament doe hereby Rescind and Annull the pretendit Parliaments keept in the yeares. 1640, 1641, 1644, 1645, 1646, 1647, 1648, and all acts and deids past and done in them to be henceforth voyd and null. [Indemnity granted to all who acted in the "pretended" Parliaments during the "usurpation."] 5. [The Establishment of Episcopacy. "Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie, D.D., Principal of the University of Glasgow," 1727, ii. Letter 200, 1661.] The Parliament sat down at the beginning of January on the Tuesday. . . . The design appeared of Annulling all the former parliaments since 1633, which had given any civil sanction to the General Assembly of Glasgow 1638 or any after Assembly which ratified our Solemn League and Covenant or Church Government. . . . This caused a great noise and grief over the whole land. [Ibid., Letter 201, 12 May, 1662.] Our publick affairs, you know them as well and better than I. His Majestys letter to us at first, penned by Mr Sharp, promised to keep up our church government established by law, and to send for Mr Douglas 1 and others to confer about our affairs. The last, Mr Sharp 2 hindered; 1 1 Important minister in the Presbyterian Church. 1 2 Presbyterian minister who became an Episcopalian and was made Primate of Scotland, 1662. for with himself alone it pleased his Majesty to confer; and the sense of the first, none of us ever dreamed till it came out thereafter. We were amazed at the proclamation, discharging all petitioning against Episcopal Government, established by law, as it was in the year 1633; of putting down our synods, presbyteries, and sessions; of calling up Mr Sharp, Mr. Fairfoul,' and Mr. Ja. Hamilton 2 of Cambusnethan, also Mr. Leighton then at London, to be consecrated by the English Bishops. 3 The archbishops consecrated other five on the Wednesday in the abbey church; Mr Haliburton to Dunkeld, Mr Paterson to Ross, Mr. Murdoch Mackenzie to Moray, Mr Forbes to Caithness, Mr Robert Wallace to the Isles, Dr. Wishart designed for Edinburgh and Mr David Mitchell for Aberdeen are not yet come out of England; nor old Sydserf appointed for Orkney. .. The guyse now is, the bishops will trouble no man, but the State will punish seditious ministers. 6. [Rothes, who was appointed commissioner in May, 1663, here describes the loyalty of the Scottish people to Charles II and the absolute power of the king, since the restoration of Episcopacy and the passing of the "Act concerning the constitution and election of the Lords of the Articles," 18 June, 1663. Private instructions to Sir Robert Murray which he is desired to represent humbly to the king, July, 1663. "Lauderdale Papers" (ed. O. Airy), i. 169.] You shall acquaint his Matie that . . . .. [he] may rest Assured of the loyaltie and affection of the much greatest part of Scotland, and that there is so little reason to apprehend the least disturbance to his affaires from hence that if his Majesties service in any of his dominions doe 1 Appointed Bishop of Glasgow. |