[1706/10/409]¹

Letter: to the queen

Letter from the parliament to the queen

May it please your majesty,

We your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects the noblemen and commissioners from shires and burghs assembled in parliament do, with most humble thankfulness, acknowledge that this nation has enjoyed many advantages under your majesty's most happy government. But above all, we beg leave to return our most humble and hearty thanks to your majesty for the great care and concern you have shown to bring the treaty of union of your majesty's two kingdoms of Scotland and England to a happy conclusion. This union, which has often been attempted by your royal predecessors without effect, is, by the special blessing of heaven upon your majesty's reign and your wise conduct, now brought to perfection which, with the settlement of the succession in the Protestant line, has established a lasting monument of your majesty's glory to all future ages, and laid a firm foundation of the security of our religion and the peace and prosperity of this island.

We assure your majesty we shall do our utmost in our several stations to promote mutual good correspondence with our neighbours of England that we may be united in our hearts and affection for your majesty's service and the public interest of your United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Your majesty was pleased by your most gracious letter to recommend to us to provide supplies for your troops, garrisons and ships here. We have cheerfully offered to your majesty such supplies as the present circumstances of this nation could possibly bear, and we in all humility entreat and hope your majesty will graciously accept of them.

Your majesty's choice of [James Douglas], duke of Queensberry to represent your royal person in this session of parliament was most acceptable to us and we cannot but acknowledge that the success in the weighty affairs which have been before us is very much owing to his prudent and steady conduct.

May God Almighty, who has hitherto blessed your majesty's arms and councils with wonderful success, preserve and prosper your majesty long for a lasting blessing to your people, and a firm support to your allies. We are with all submission and duty,

Subscribed in the presence by warrant and in name of the estates of parliament by, may it please your majesty, your majesty's most loyal most faithful and most obedient subject and servant, [James Ogilvy, earl of] Seafield, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament, Edinburgh, 24 March 1707.