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Concerning the supplication given in by William [Stewart], commendator of Pittenweem, captain of his highness's guard, for himself and in name of captains, other officers, gentlemen and soldiers who served under the regiment and charge in the wars of the Netherlands, to our sovereign lord and lords of his highness's parliament, making mention that where, by our sovereign lord's regents and council for the time, it being permitted and licensed to assist the Prince of Orange and estates of the said Netherlands in their wars, the said colonel, with his said captains and others above-written, willing to advance their cause after their power, passed to that effect out of his country to the said lands where they, for the most part, having served by the space of 10 or 12 years, have enduring the said space omitted no duty to the advancement of the said cause, profit of the said lands and contentment of the said estates, as the inhabitants thereof and estates' passport given to the said colonel will testify; and true it is that he doubts not it is not unknown, partly to our said sovereign lord and lords aforesaid, during the said space their persons have not been only subject to the hazard of the wars against their enemies, but likewise to the intolerable extremity of poverty and hunger in default of their wages acquired and due to them, through which the hurt sustained by them in loss of their own blood, slaughter of their friends, with other violences by their said enemies, may not be compared to that which has followed of their intolerable poverty proceeding of the causes aforesaid, through the which, beside the great number miserably dead therein, without any means of support, they have been forced to employ their credit at sundry merchants and others, their friends' hands, for diverse great sums of money to relieve their necessity; for the which they are daily molested and craved, as in like manner by the widows, bairns and kinsmen of sundry their friends and soldiers for the debt owing to them for their service made to the said estates under their charge; which they (albeit not ignorant that without help the same will tend to their wrack) in no way are able to support nor put remedy to by reason of non-receipt thereof, nor yet able to assist them with any part of the same in respect of the great debt owing to the said colonel and his said regiment, which will extend to the sum of 960,000 merks Scots or thereby, as their obligations and accounts respectively made by their commissary-depute by them to that effect particularly thereupon will testify; wherefore, in consideration of the premises, and that the said colonel this long time bygone in his regiment, as well by themselves as others in their names, has solicited and desired payment of their said debt duly acquired by them by their and their friends' blood, as likewise by spending so long time of their best years and has nor can obtain no contentment, as yet requesting therefore, most humbly, our said sovereign lord and lords aforesaid to deputise and direct a commissioner to the said estates, desiring them to make the said colonel and his regiment payment of the said debt resting owed as said is, or at the least of one part thereof for relief of their said creditors, help of the poor widows, fatherless bairns and others of the nation lamed, made impotent and crippled in their said wars; and likewise to give to them sufficient assignation for payment of the rest at reasonable terms, according to their obligations and contract respectively made with the said colonel thereupon, or else that the king's majesty and lords aforesaid will take such order thereto that they may be satisfied and a number of his grace's true and faithful subjects preserved from utter ruin and perdition, which they, without his majesty's and lords' favourable aid and assistance in the premises, cannot escape, as at more length is contained in the said supplication. Which being first seen and considered by the king's majesty and lords of his articles aforesaid, and thereafter by the lords estates in parliament, and they therewith being ripely advised, the king's majesty, with advice of the three estates of parliament, ordains a commission to be given to such honourable person or persons as the king's majesty, with advice of the lords of secret council, shall direct according to the instructions and form of commission that shall be given, wherein it shall be always eschewed that the king by his intercession for the debts contained in this supplication in favour of his subjects shall not affirm that the captains and soldiers serving the estates were sent by his commandment or allowance.