[Letter from the commissioners at London to the committee of estates]

To the right honorable the lordis and otheris of the committie at Edinburgh,

Right honorable,

Upon the 17th of this instant wee receaved yours desireing the removeall of the incendiaries, which wee presented wnto his majestie, wherewnto his majestie returned this answer: first, as concerneing the Erle of Traquare, his majestie declareth upon his trust and credite that he nevir had any comunication with him since his removeall from courte, neither had his majestie any commission from him, but onlie concerneing his submissioun sent to the parliament, that it might be so formed as wold make it most acceptable to the parliament and concerneing other tuo particular signatures, and now his majestie will adverteis him that he may reteir towards Scotland and at a greater distance from court.† As for Sir John Hay and Sir Robert Spottiswood, his majestie declares it is long since they tooke their leave of him, but they ar forced to stay throwghe want of money, and his majestie hes given thame adverteisment that they come no more to court. As for Doctor Balcanquall, his majestie declares he will come to Scotland, but gave no otherr answer.

Wee desired of befoir that your lordships wold be pleased to give ws tymous advertisment how yow wer satisfied with the treatie, that so the same might have bene the more tymouslie presented to the parliament, but it wold appeare that your lordships resolwes to delay till my Lord Lowdown his returne.

Wee perceave by a letir from the Earle of Dunfermeling and Lord Lowdown direct to his majestie that your lordship are not resolved to prorogue the parliament, but to sit still while the sevintenth day of August and prepare busines for the parliament without makeing any acts wnles some occacion occur which the parliament shall find to concerne the publict good of the kingdome and present necessitie theirof. This conditionall exception presupposeth a possibilitie of doeing suche acts, which trewlie may disorder a faire game. His majestie protesteth verie frequentlie to accomodate all materis according to oure heartie desire, but declares that if any suche acts shall now be made he will hold the same as the greatest injurie that evir hath bene done to him, being in suche faire termes as wee are now into, and will protest against the same, for what wee did formerlie was throwghe necessitie and in the tymes of mistake. Wee are confident your lordships will be verie tender in this point, and doe humblie entreat yow to send ws some letir wndir your handis thereanent whereby his majesties mynd may be put to peace and quietnes.

As your lordships have delayed the proceidings of your parliament to the 17th of August for his majesties doune comeing, so doe wee conceave it necessarie that your lordships wold write a new letir to his majestie to keep him in mynd of his comeing doune. Not that wee doe think his majestie anywayes remiss theirintill (for nevir one was more earnest on a journey), but least if the English doe not get their owne bussines ended again that tyme, they may possiblie laboure to divert his majestie. Wherefore the invitation will be verie necessarie, which is much wished and expected by,

Your lordships affectionat friends and servants, Rothes, London, 21 July 1641†

28 Juli 1641

Producit be the Erle of Dumfermelin. Red in audience of parliament, who appointis evrie estate to take the same into thair consideratione and think upon the answer.†

  1. NAS, PA6/3, 'July 28 1641', f.1r-1v. Back
  2. 'but wee doe conceave that except his submissione be accepted he will not come home', deleted. This line, clearly scored out in the manuscript, appears in APS without comment. Back
  3. 'Rothes' has been subscribed twice - the first, in an apparently different hand, has been scored through and deleted. Back
  4. This clause is written on the rear of the document. Back