HIS MAJESTIES MOST GRACIOUS DECLARATION TO HIS GOOD PEOPLE OF HIS ANCIENT KINGDOM of SCOTLAND, COMMANDING THEIR ASSISTANCE AGAINST the Prince and Princesse of Orange, and their Adherents.
WHEREAS it has pleased Almighty God to put it into our power to answer the earnest desires and longing expectations of Our Friends, by returning to Our Kingdome of England, with such à considerable Army as may enable our faithfull subjects to declare for US, without any danger from their Enemies. WE have thought fitt, to declare the same to you our Ancient People, That you may have your share in the honor of reestablishing US your Lawfull Soveraigne to our Crowns, and we the satisfaction of restoreing you to your Rights and Priviledges again, which have for this time past been trampled on by the Usurpers the Prince and Princesse of Orange and their Adherents: who having made use of the falsest Calumnies as well as of illegall force to drive US from our Kingdoms, have enslaved our People, and under the false pretence of softening the Government and freeing the subjects, have brought in a Tyranny and barbarity never heard of in the bypast Reignes of Our glorious Predecessors or our own, of which the inhumane nourthers committed lately in cold blood upon the Inhabitants of Glenco is too true and too horrid an instance, as well as à fair warning of what our People would have to expect from the Usurper in time to come, should he be in liberty to pull off the masque and shew his naturall Temper, which how much it differs from the meeknesse and gentlenesse of our Reigne, there is no Scotsman but must in his conscience be convinced of, especially if he consider the numbers who must have fallen by the severity of the Laws if Our Mercy had not saved them.
The Confusion the Government has been brought into by this infortunate Revolution we are resolved to remedy by the Advice of à Free Parliament which we intend to call immediatly after Our Restauration by whose advice we will settle the Rights, Liberties and Propertys of Our People.
And since We think Liberty of Conscience most consonant with the gentlenesse of the Christian Religion, as we will protect and maintain the Church established by Law in all their Legall Rights and possessions, so We will endeavour to find such means of settleing the minds of Our subjects in matters of Religion as may consist with the wellfare and happinesse of Our People, it being Our designe to advance the interest of the Nation in generall on sure and lasting foundations in Church and State.
The which that we may the better effectuate We command and require all Our Loving subjects to declare for US and to assist US to the utmost of their power against the Usurper and his Adherents and to joyn those Commissionated by US for the asserting of Our Authority: Declareing that as we are resolved to reward such as shall be forward and zealous on this occasion, so We will punish severely all who shall resist Our Authority.
And that none may be discouraged from serving US through the guilt they at this present lye under, We declare that We will and do hereby give our full Pardon and indemnity to all Our subjects of that Our Ancient Kingdom of Scotland for all Crimes committed against US, who shall own our Authority and declare for US immediatly after notice given hereof. Excepting always the Earle of Crawford, the Earl of Lothian, the Earl of Leven, the Earl of Annandale, the Earl of Tweedale, Viscount Kanmore, Viscount Tarbat, the Lord Melville, the Lord Strathnaver, M. Alexander Swinton Lord Mersington, the Lord Lorn, the Master of Burgly, the Master of Melville, the Master of Forbes, Sir John Maitland of Halton, Sir James Dalrymple of Stairs, Sir John Dalrymple, Sir John Hall of Dunglasse, Sir John Lauder of Fountenhall, Sir Patrick Murrey, Sir Hugh Campbell of Calder, Lieutenant General Douglas Major General Mackay, the Laird of Philiphaugh, the Laird of Mockrum, the Laird of Houston of that ilk younger, the Laird of Pollock of that ilk, the Laird of Weem, Duncan Menies, John Swinton late of that ilk, [...] Home of Nineholls, James Stewart Advocat, Gilbert Elliot, [...] Campbell of Glenlyon, [...] Dunbar of Grange, Doctor Gilbert Burnet, [...] Rosse of Balnagoun, Provost Flesher of Dundee, [...] Gordon of Edinglessy, [...] Duncauson, The Magistrats of Kirkcaldy who seised our Chancellor, Major Bunting, James Oswald of Fingletown, George Hamilton of Binni.
Excepting also those of the pretended Convention who were active in the Treasonable and pretended forfaulture of Our Royall Right, and those who Carried the offer of Our Crown to the Usurpers the Prince and Princesse of Orange. But that Our Mercy may be more complete, We declare that even these excepted shall have Our Gracious Pardon if they do any thing for our service to intitle them to it.
Provided always that all such persons who stand under sentence of forfaulture unrelaxed at our leaving our Kingdoms, especially the Murtherers of the late Archbishop of S. Andrews and all such others as are guilty of such horrid Crimes as are usually excepted from all Generall Pardons, shall have no benefitt of this Our Pardon and Indemnity.
And we do hereby command all Sheriffs, Magistrats and others, to publish this Our Declaration at the Market Crosses of all the head Brughs of the severall Shires and Crosses of the severall Brughs in our Realm of Scotland, That all our Loving subjects may have timely notice there of, and have opportunity to shew their zeal and Loyalty to US, by whose assistance with the blessing of Almighty God, we doubt not to recover our just Right and free them from the slavery they lye under, and restore them to their Peace and Tranquillity again. But if after this there shall be any who shall resist our Authority and draw their Native Kingdome into à Civill warr, As the ruine they will bring upon themselves will be unpittied, so the Innocent blood shed by their wickednesse will lye heavy on their guilty heads
Given at our Court at S. Germans the twentieth day of Aprill in the eight year of our Reigne.
GOD SAVE THE KING.