[A1571/9/23]¹

Declarations

The nobilitie and estaittis of this realme of Scotland presentlie convenit in parliament at Striveling, in the feir of God and the lauchfull obedience of the king, oure soverane lord, to all personis now remaning in the burgh and castell of Edinburgh.

The sevint of September 1571

Admonitioun to the withhaldaris of Edinburgh

Albeit we mycht lay furth befoir your eyis particularlie how evill ye have deservit of the commoune weill of this oure native cuntre quhairin ye wer borne, in that ye have bene the verie instrumentis and occasioun bayth of your awin troubill and punisement and als of the greit calamitie that oure haill cuntrye and puyr people thairof hes and dalie dois sustene throw this unnaturall weare and civile discord, yit not meaning to irritat you be repetitioun of thingis unplesand (quhilkis to oure greif ar ower mony), and quhairof we doubt not your awin consciences accusis you, bot rather intending be geving you this hailsum admonitioun to discharge ws first to God and nixt befoir the warld that we have socht yow tobe win quhairthrow, in caise be your awin obstinat wilfulnes ye taist the uttirmest of the plaig and punisement, it may be rychtlie adjugeit tobe in your awin default. This consideratioun hes movit ws be this lettre to require yow to considder with youre selffis, in commoune and every ane in particular, the ground and circumstances of the caus and querrell that ye pretend your awin present conditioun, with quhome it is that ye contend and quhat probably mon be the end of all. The ground is twicheing the deprivatioun of the king, oure soverane lord, frome his croun and royall authoritie diverse tymes intendit be sum of yow, and yit be Goddis providence alwayis dissappointit for the caus. Amangis yow ar men that wer als ernist to promote it as ony uther, and be the same divers of yow acquirit honour, gude report and benefite; bot sen ye rejectit his hienes obedience, ye have fund your reward reproche, obloquy and skayth, and your intentis oftymes frustrat. As to your oppressioun of that toun quhair the seit of justice sould remane, for the weill of the haill subjectis, ye have not onelie thairby depaupereit the inhabitantis of the toun, bot hes maid your selffis contemptibill to this haill natioun. And now ye have to lay your compt quhethir the few nowmer of yow remaning thair sall conquest and owerthraw ws all, or gif be liklyheid we be not mair abill to mak yow conformabill. Your contentioun is for displaceing of the king, oure soverane lord, sum of yow being the cheif instrumentis of his promotioun; and the greitest part of yow all having promeist and sworne obedience to him, he is (ye se) the rysing sone and schortlie wilbe abill, Godwilling, to decerne this querrill him self be cours of aige. And the end mon be ayther he tobe obeyit and peace and justice restorit in this commoune wealth, or than the force of you now compassit within that toun and castell mon undo him, quhais subjectis we profes oure selffis, and consequentlie exterminat ws and oure posteriteis. Quhat ground ye build on in your interpryise, or quhat certanetie ye can louke for be the cours ye ryn, let every ane of yow considder be him self and louke upoun the inconvenientis of this weir, gif it sall continew, and of the frutis that peace and justice wald bring. Call alsua to your rememberance the desolatioun that hes bene in uther regionis nixt unto ws thir last yeris throw wearis, alsweill forayne as intestine, and yit ar the same at this day for the maist part quietit and peace restorit, owther be victory or than the waikest hes yeildit to tollerabill conditionis. Tak heid quhidder ye manteine that caus be your propir force or not, or quhat habilitie had ye to contend in it gif the kingis hous and munitioun wer not at your devotioun. Tobe schort, this realme may na langer sustene this contempt, rebellioun and confusit state, bot ayther mon the king, oure soverane lord, and his authoritie be obeyit, that toun of Edinburgh set at libertie and the seit of justice restorit to the universall commoditie and ease of the subjectis, or than mon we gif oure lyffis and employ oure freindis and substance in the querrell. And as we have ordourlie proceidit heirtofoir be law aganis yow, sa befoir the just executioun thairof, quhilk we can not, nor may not, leif undone, we have thocht meit to gif yow this admonitioun, that ye may in tyme eschew the eminent perrell and dangeare approcheing; quhilk advise, gif ye follow, than will we travell safar as in ws sall ly for your releif and saiftie. And gif oure admonitioun beis rejectit, then we protest that as ye your selffis hes bene and ar the occasioun of all the evill and extremitie that hes followit your obstinacy and contempt, sa quhatsumevir harme or inconvenient happen to ony of ws in prosequutioun of this just caus, that oure bludis and skayth be requirit at the handis of you and your posteriteis.

• ²Angus
• Ergile
• Mortoun
• Craufurd
• Montrois
• Eglintoun
• Cassillis
• Glencarne
• Sutherland
• Buchane
• Ruthven
• Simpill
• Glammis
• Boyd
• Uchiltre
• Cathcart
• Sanctandrois
• Glasguene
• Ad. Orchaden
• Dunfermling
• Abirbrothok
• St Colme
• Balmerynocht
• St Marie Ile
• Dryburgh
• Cambuskynneth