A SPEECH OF THE Right Honourable the Earle of LOUDEN, Lord Chancellour of SCOTLAND.

THe occaſion of this meeting is to repre­ſent to the Honourable Houſes of the Parliament of this Kingdome, the con­dition of the affaires of Scotland, which at this time is verie ſad, in reſpect that thoſe bloodie Rebels who came from Ireland (whom this Kingdome by the large Treatie are obliged to repreſſe) and their treacherous Confederates and Malignants, who have conſpired againſt the Covenant and League betwixt the two Kingdomes; have ſo much prevailed in Miſchiefe, eſpecially in that un­happie late rancounter with our Forces at Kilſyth, where the Rebels being upon their march Southward, and (according to our beſt intelligence) to joyne with the King, whom they did expect in Scotland, or2 to breake through our borders into England, and to come with their Armie into this Kingdome, and our Armie being then very weake by reaſon of their for­mer loſſes and conflicts, wherein moſt part of our Forces were cut off, did rayſe ſome Countrie Forces, and brought them along with them, and (out of their zeale, to the good and ſafetie of both Kingdomes) did purſue them with more forwardneſſe and haſte then good ſpeed or ſucceſſe; for the Enemie having placed themſelves in a ground of advantage, betwixt ſleepe Mountaines on the one hand, and Woods and Bogs on the other, poſſeſſing the beſt ground, wherein a la­tent place they were all drawn up in battell; our For­ces advanced up to them, and the ground being very ſtrait, & the Enemie lurking in a place where they were not perceived till our Forces were cloſe at them, and none of ours being drawne up, nor put in order but onely the Regiment that marched in the Van, the Enemie did fall upon them with their whole Horſe & Foot, and after fighting with that firſt Regiment (who did fight verie valiantly till oppreſt with the multitude of the Enemies whole Forces) they were moſt part cut off, and the reſt broken: the few Horſe we had retreated diſorderly, breaking through their owne Foot, and all being in diſorder the Enemie pre­vailed, and routed our Forces with great execution, giving quarter to no•e.

After this ſad blow, we having no other Armie, not reſerve of Forces on the Fields, ſome Townes neere the Enemie, wherein there be many Malignants ready to welcome them, and others out of feare were glad to capitulate with the Enemie, and ſubmit themſelves to their mercie, upon ſuch conditions as they could obtaine.

3The deportment of the Enemie ſince, is by all craft and crueltie to ſtrengthen and recruit their Armie, wherein they leave no meanes uneſſayed that po­licie or violence can effect; they offer Peace and pro­tection, Immunitie from all Exciſe, Aſſeſſements, rayſed for the entertainment of our Armies in Scot­land, England, and Ireland, and the ratifying of the former Covenant of Scotland, to all that ſhall joyn with them or lye Neutrall; and (as they tearme it) returne to their loyaltie and obedience to the King, and ſhall renounce the mutuall League and Covenant with England; and ſuch as will not, are threatned with Fire and Sword, which in divers places they put to execution moſt cruelly: And Montroſſe, as the Kings Lieutenant-Generall, Iſſues forth Commiſſions to Popiſh and Malignant Lords, and other, to Array the Countrie for the King.

Papiſts & divers Malignants, who before were with them in their hearts, but durſt not appeare, are now a­vowdly joyn'd with them; others out of fear to preſerve themſelves, their wives & children from deſtruction of the Sword & Fire, are fled, & ſome take protections from them: the Enemie is roaring and tryumphing in the heart of the Kingdome, and is now poſſeſt of the Houſes, Lands, and Eſtates of many Noblemen, Gen­tlemen, and others of the beſt affected in the King­dome, to whom nothing is left but Families without maintenance, honour without means to ſupport it, & who are under all the grievous Calamities of Warre, and under the mercie of a moſt cruell and bloodie Enemie, not having (when I came from that King­dome) any Armie in the Fields to oppoſe them. And in the meane time the Angell of God is ſtriking our4 Cities, eſpecially Edenbrough, the chiefe Citie of that Kingdome, with the Plague of Peſtilence ſo fearefully, as there is no living there, nor any Commerce, Trade, nor exchange of Money, which encreaſes our difficul­ties to maintaine a Warre, & a Parliament is indicted by Montroſſe, to eſtabliſh all theſe iniquities by a Law.

In this our extremitie, we were forced to have our recourſe to our Armies in England and Ireland, to crave their aid; and for that end I am ſent hither to the Honourable Houſes of Parliament, to repreſent to them and this Honourable Meeting the neceſſitie of calling our Armie, for the reliefe and ſafetie of their Native Countrey, and that the partie who was neereſt them, under the conduct of Lieutenant Gene­rall David Leſly, might with all poſſible ſpeed march into Scotland, to whom the Committee did earneſtly write for that effect: this was the readieſt remedie which did fall within the compaſſe of their preſent conſideration; they deſire, and are confident, to finde the Honourable Houſes approbation thereof, there being no hope of aſſiſtance from our Armie in Ire­land.

Their next deſire to the Honourable Houſes is, that the Warres in Scotland againſt theſe bloudie Re­bels, may be carryed on by the joynt Counſels and aſſiſtance of both Kingdomes, againſt the common enemies of both Nations, and the Cauſe wherein wee are ſo deepely engaged, the Warre and our Enemies being ſtill the ſame, and the place of our Warre onely changed; and if the King or his forces breake into Scotland that proportionable forces from the Parlia­ment may cloſely follow them.

No man hath conſcience or honeſtie, but he will5 remember the ſolemne League and Covenant, the Treatie, and the Declarations of both Kingdomes, which are the ſtrongeſt bonds betwixt God and man, and betwixt man and man, and Nation and Nation, before the world: no man hath true zeale to Religion, that will ſhrinke for ſuch adverſitie and oppoſition, as hath beene ordinarie in the like worke, and hath beene obvious to us ſince our firſt undertaking, but hath been alwayes overcome by the aſſiſtance of God: no man hath prudence, will hope for a powerfull and proſperous Warre, or any firme or true peace, but in the conjunction of both Kingdomes.

How great then would the ſinne and ſhame be, if either Nation, againſt ſo manifold Obligations whereby we ſtand obliged before God and the world, ſhould deſert other in this Cauſe?

How great advantage would it be to our common Enemie, who ha's ſtill followed that Machiavilian Maxime, Divide & impera, to get us divided, and the greateſt favour either Nation could expect in the end is, but to be the laſt that ſhall be devoured?

As in the time of your greateſt diſtreſſe and loweſt ebbe, when Scotland enjoyed peace and quietneſſe, they did from their ſympathie of your ſufferings forſake their owne peace for your aid, apprehending alſo your mine and ſervitude might be a fore-runner of theirs; ſo if this Kingdome ſhall withdraw, or be wanting in their aſſiſtance to us, in the day of our diſtreſſe, brought upon us for imbarking with them, and wee periſh in it; will it not uſher in and haſten upon you that ſame ruine, intended from the beginning by our common enemie? And if the godly and honeſt partie in that Kingdome periſh for want of aſſiſtance, you6 may certainely expect as great an Armie from the•••for your deſtruction, as came formerly for your pre­ſervation; which God forbid.

But from our Brethren of England, and the Honorable Houſes of Parliament, who are the true Pilots, ſet at the Helme in ſo great a ſtorme, we expect better and greater things, that their whole authoritie, power and meanes will in this exigent be aiding to us: And it is the firme reſolution of that Kingdome, by Gods grace, never to forſake this, but againſt all oppoſition, with courage and conſtancie to live and die with you in this Cauſe; and although all the world ſhould for­ſake us, ſo long as there is one drop of bloud in our veines, we reſolve never to relinquiſh this Worke, but to put our confidence in the juſtneſſe of the Cauſe, and in the invincible power of God, whoſe Cauſe it is, till it pleaſe him by a proſperous Warre, or happy Peace (which we ſtill deſire may by all good meanes be ſought after) to put an end to our troubles, truſt­ing he will ſtrengthen us and ſend deliverance to his people: But if either Nation draw back their hand, or deale trecherouſly in it, their judgement and doome will be harder then I deſire to pronounce.