_TWo causesmy lordisand ze all of the e|statis haue mooued me to send for zow at this time to craue zour aduises towardis them, quharof, sith the one is generall & the vther particular, I will begin at the generall as the matter of greatest weight. Amongst all the be|nefeits that God dooth bestow vpoun his elect and church, the triall and sifting of the gud chosin from the bad hipocreitis, is ane of the mast speciall, quhich he hath vsed in all ages for the separatioun of thame, alswell for that to lang companie of the vicked dooth corrupt the godlie, as also that their separatioun is a taken in this earth, of Godis l [...]e towardis them, quhich triall he dooth now chéeflie vse, for that the number of the vicked doth abound in these letter daeis, quherin God dooth permit the deuill most to rage. For quhat greater triall of the faithfull can there be, than the confederating togidder of all the bastard christians, I meane the papistis, in a league quhich they terme holie albeit most vnholie in varie truth, for the subuersioun of the trew religioun in all realmes throuchout the quhole world. This is a matter so manifest and notorious to zou all, euen by the report of the smallest merchantis that trauill, as it dooth dilat the selfe, thought I were silent.
This leagues whome of I speake, are composed of Frenchmen, and Hispaingnols, assisted with the king of Spaines and the papes monie, solemlie sworne to performe the forsaid enterprise before they leaue armes: the performance quhereof we aught to resist for thrée causes (to wit) for conscience, ho|nor, and loue of selffis. For gif they may atteine to their purpose (as God forbid) either will they de|stroie or root out ws, our vitis, and childrein, & quhat|soeuer we possesse, gif we remaine constant; either else must we render Christ Iesus, and suffer our saulis which is the mast nabiest part of man to be bund with the bundis of idolatrie, and our bodies to be vsed at their inordinat plesuris. But sith the loue of our selffis and our honour cannot per|mit the ane, and that our consciencis and the reue|rence we ow to God, cannot suffer the vther: I craue my lords zour best and soundist opinionis and aduisis quhat ze thinke meitest to be vsed for the re|medie hereof. But gif ze desire to haue first my opinioun, it is this in few woardis; that as sondrie christian princis haue alreadie counselled me, our contralcague salbe maid, not anelie in termes, but in effect holie, for the ioining togidder all true christi|an princis to defend themselfis, in case of vtheris inuasioun. A thing hurtfull to none, profitable for selfis, acceptable to God, and vise in the sight of the varld. By this meanes fall our consciencis, ho|nors, and lifis be preseruid, and God and his reli|gioun glorified and aduancid.
And sith the quéene of England is not anlie a true christian, but also nerest ioinit to vs in nigh|bourhed, consanguinitie and gudwill, I thinke it meitest in mine opinioun, that it be our league first & maist adstrictlie maid with hir; for quhich cause I haue maid & set downe a forme of act to be subscri|bit by zou all, quherein ze promes to ratifie and ap|proue in parliament, quhatsoeuer articles I, or anie in my name fall conclude with the quéene of Eng|land, or anie in hir name, for the making and the ef|fectualing of the foresaid league. But for that the act it selfe vill mare ample informe zou, it salbe presentilie read in all zour audiencis.
Upon this spéech, the lords being of diuerse opini|ons, some willing to imbrace the league with Eng|land, and some destrous to leaue it, and to ioine in a|mitie with France according to the most ancientest leagues, which haue béene established betwéene them and the Scots (by most of their former kings, whereof the first was Achaius, who entering league with Charles the great, had a token of confirmati|on thereof, which was the floure delices added to the armes of Scotland) there was nothing doone in that conuention. After which, the banished lords of Scot|land remaining in England, entered their countrie: the manner and time of the entrance of which nobili|tie was in this sort.
Towards the latter end of September, the earls of Angus and Mar, with such others of their faction as were in England, did (after that they had long before this, sent thither the maister of Glames out of England to prepare their waie, which he did verie effectuallie) returne into Scotland; at whose com|ming [page 446] into that their natiue countrie, there met with them about the borders, manie others of the nobilitie to ioine in one action, for the redresse of such gouernment as was vsed by persons about the king, suspected to nuzzell him in the Romane religi|on. After this their first méeting, they did by ap|pointment disperse themselues, euerie one to the place of his most strength, and where he could make most friends and followers, appointing a daie to méete againe at Fawkirke, a méete place fensed by nature for the assemblie of an armie. Wherevpon, some departed to Lowthian, some to Domefreis, and others to other places. But in short time fol|lowing, they reassembled in O [...]ober at Fawkirke with such power as they could make, which amoun|ted to the number of ten or eleuen thousand per|sons. The report wherof was brought vnto the king, then remaining at a noble mans house (not far from Sterling) whereas a contract of mariage was so|lemnized. Upon which, the king supposing it to stand most for his suretie (iudging these noblemen so as|sembled to be his enimies) conueied himselfe, and such nobilitie as were with him to Sterling, rai|sing power (such as the present state of the time would permit) intending with them to haue subdu|ed the earle of Angus and his companie: for which cause also, the earle of Arrane came from his house to Sterling, and the maister of Greie with commis|sion rode to saint Iohns towne to assemble the kings subiects.
After that the earle of Arrane was come to Ster|ling to the king, the earles of Angus, Mar, Both|well, Atholl, Marshall, the lords Hamilton, Hume, Heres, Cambuskeneth, Dribourgh, Paislaie, & Coldingham; the lairds of Sefford, Drumlarige, Codentnewes, Wedderburne, with other earles, barons, gentlemen & commons, with their friends & complices, marching all night from Fawkirke, did in the next morning come to saint Ninians chappell within a mile of Sterling, and presented themselues before the towne of Sterling, before anie suspicion was had of their approch so néere. At what time, be|ing the first of Nouember, they pitched their tents, placed there as it had béene a new towne, to the great terror of their enimies within Sterling: de|liuering for the cause of their comming this pro|clamation following.