that Christian Maxim, That it is the Duty of the 'people to pray for Magistrates, to honour their Per6 sons, pay them Tribute, obey their lawful Commands, to be subject to their Authority for Conscience sake; ' and that Infidelity and Difference in Religion dot ⚫ not make void the Magistrates just and legal Right, nor free the People from due Obedience to them.' So that their Actions, during this Reign, when turbulent Factions were bandying one another, show'd a venerable Decorum. And the Queen was sensible of their Loyalty, as is evident from the Preamble of a Charter granted by her, and Henry her Husband, under her Great-Seal, to the Provost, Council, and Communities of the said Burgh, and their Successors, Of all and haill the Superiority of the Village of Leith, ' with the Pertinents and Superiority of the Inhabitants and Indwellers of the samen, as of the Houses, Tenements, Annualrents, Links, Orchards, Profits, Duties, Services, Tenants, Tenandries, Services of Free-Tenants, &c.' As is at more Length exprest in the said Infeftment, dated the 4th Day of October 1565, and the 1st and 23d Years of their Reign. Which Superiority of Leith, the Magistrates of Edinburgh, by a Letter of Reversion, dispon'd back to the said Queen Mary, under Reversion of 10000 Merks usual Money of Scotland. This Superiority of Leith was thereafter, by her Son and Successor King James VI. assigned to his beloved Counsellor Sir John Maitland of Thirleston, his Chancellor and Secretary, his Heirs and Assignies, dated the 7th of July 1587, ratified and approven by the States of Parliament the 29th Day of the Month and Year foresaid; which Re

$ Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap. 23. Sect. 4.

version, is renounc'd by John Lord Thirleston, Son and Heir to the said Sir John Maitland, with Advice and Consent of Sir John Cockburn of Clairingtoun his Tutor-Testamentor, in Favours of the Provost, Baillies, Council, Deacons of Crafts, and Community of the said Burgh of Edinburgh, as is at length contain’d in the saids Letters of Renunciation of the Date the 28th of December 1607, and ratified by the said John Lord Thirleston, to the saids Provost, Baillies, Council, Deacons of Crafts, and Community of the said Burgh, the 24th of November 1614.

The loyal Crafts of Edinburgh gave surprising Evidences of their Loyalty to their King, and Gratitude for the Privileges of the Blue Blanket, during the long and peaceful Reign of the first Protestant King of Scotland, (who with Learning and Eloquence defended the Reformation against Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, one of the stoutest Pillars of the Romish Hierarchy, and show'd how well he merited the Royal Title, Defender of the Faith).

But before I proceed to this Reign, I must relate two remarkable Passages relating to the Crafts, which I had almost omitted.

When Faction and Tumult possessed an absolute and unlimited Sway, during this Queen's Reign, the Loyalty of the Crafts was not at all diminish'd: For when the Queen had Recourse to Arms, to oppose the Earl of Murray and his Associates, who, under Pretence of bringing the Earl of Bothwel, her husband, to a fair Trial, as accessory to the late King Henry's Murder, had, Anno 1567, raised an Army against her, and made her Prisoner at Carberry Hill; she was brought to Edinburgh, where, in stead of allowing her the Use of her Palace, she was shut up in the Provost's

House. As she enter'd the City, cover'd with Tears and Dust, and in a Garb far below her Birth and Merit, and insulted by the Mob, who cried, "Burn the "Whore, Burn the Parricide t" This she bore with Fortitude of Mind, becoming a Christian and a Queen; but next Morning, when she open'd the Windows, and beheld not only strong Guards plac'd before the Entry to the House, but a Banner display'd on the Street, on which was painted her dead Husband, King Henry, beneath the shade of a Tree, with the young Prince by his side, and the Motto, Judge and revenge my Cause, O LORD," she burst into Tears, and complain'd against the Affronts she received, begging the People to compassionate her, now become a Captive. The honest Crafts, join'd with other loyal Citizens, pierc'd with Pity to see their Sovereign thus us'd, and their Ensign display'd, where the Ensign of the Blue Blanket us'd to be erected in the Cause of Loyalty, crowded to the Place, and compell'd the Conspirators to restore her to the Palace of Holy Rood-house.

66

I must indeed, as a faithful Historiographer, relate, that Anno 1571, when the Associators against the Queen held a Parliament in the Canongate, the City of Edinburgh being possess'd by the Loyalists Troops, the Crafts, who believ'd their Religion to be in eminent danger, display'd the Blue Blanket, (which, in ancient Times, they were in Use to do, for Defence of Religion) at the Town of Leith, as Mr Crawford, Historiographer to Queen Anne, relates it in his Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland, during the Reign of Queen

* Crawford's Memoirs, p. 38. and Melvill's Memoirs, p. 84.

Mary, P. 210. The Citizens, who either lik'd not the Queen, or the new Magistrates, went off in an intire Body to Leith, and set up their own Standard, which was written in Golden Letters, "For GOD and the King," and vanquished the Loyalists.'

upon

I now proceed to the Reign of King JAMES VI. of Scotland, and I. of England.

The City of Edinburgh gave the highest Testimo nies of their Love and Loyalty to their Infant Sovereign that they were capable of, and oppos'd the Earl of Morton, Regent, who rul'd the Roast, and overaw'd the young King's Inclinations to Mercy. Morton, to gain the Affections of the Citizens of Edinburgh, Anno 1579, caus'd summon a Parliament to meet at Edinburgh, and the King to leave Stirling, where formerly Parliaments were held. When his Majesty, upon his Journey to the Capital City, came near the West-Port, he alighted from his Horse, and a stately Canopy of Purple coloured Velvet being held over his Head, he received the Magistrates of the City, who came Bare-headed all the Way without the Gate; within the Gate stood Solomon, with a numerous Train in Jewish Habits, with the two Women contending for the Child, as is recorded, 1 Kings iii.

As his Majesty ascended the West Bow, there hung down from the Arch of the old Port, a large Globe of polish'd Brass, out of which a little Boy, cloathed like a Cupid, descended in a Machine, and presented him with the Keys of the City, all made of massy Silver, and very artificially wrought, an excellent Consort of Musick all the while accompanying the Action.

When he came down the High Street as far as the

Tolbooth, Peace, Plenty, and Justice, met him, and Harangu'd him in the Greek, Latin, and Scottish Languages. Opposite to the Great Church stood Religion, who address'd him in the Hebrew Tongue: Upon which he was pleas'd to enter the Church, where Mr Lawson, a Presbyterian Divine, made a Learn'd Discourse in behalf of these of the Reformed Religion.

When his Majesty came out, Bacchus sat mounted on a gilded Hogshead at the Market-Cross, distributing Wine in large Bumpers, the Trumpets all the while sounding, and the People crying, "GOD save the King." At the East Gate was erected his Majesty's Nativity, and above that the Genealogies of all the Scots Kings from Fergus I. All the Windows were hung with Pictures and rich Tapestry, the Streets strowed with Flowers, and the Cannon firing from the Castle, till his Majesty reached his Palace.

Notwithstanding all this Pomp and Ceremony, which exprest the Love and Reverence both clergy and Laity bore to his sacred Majesty, there was a sudden Change of Affairs. For,

Presbyterian Government being establish'd in the Church of Scotland, Anno 1592", which, 'tis probable, the wise King would not have altered, had not the English Clergy influenced him to admit Thoughts of restoring Episcopacy, which the Scots Clergy perceiving, strove to oppose his Purpose, and strengthen their own Interest. New Debates arising grew to that Height, that in the Year 1596, some Noblemen, Barons, and Ministers, being assembled at Edinburgh, and perceiving that the Process laid against Mr Da

u Bishop Guthry's Memoirs.