The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

If it be sedition to speak the trueth in all sobriety, and to complain, when they are wounded, or to call for help against unjust tyranny before that their throats be cut, then can we not deny, but we are criminal and guilty of tumult and sedition. For we have said, That our Common-weal is oppressed, that we and our brethren are hurt by the tyranny of strangers, and that we fear bondage and slavery, seeing that multitudes of cruel murderers are daily brought into our Country without our counsel, knowledge, and consent. We dispute not so much whether the bringing in of moe French-men be violating of the appointment (which the Queen and her faction cannot deny to be manifestly broken by them in moe causes then one) as that we would know, if that the heaping of strangers upon strangers, above us, without our counsel or consent, be a thing that may stand with the Liberty of our Realm, and with the profit of our Common-wealth. It is not unknown to all men of judgement, That the fruits of our Country, in the most common years, be no more then sufficient reasonable to nourish the born inhabitants of the same. But now seeing we have been vexed with wars, taken upon us at the pleasure of France, by the which the most fruitful portion of our Country in Corn hath been wasted. What man is so blind, but that he may see, That such bands of ungodly and idle Soldiers can be nothing else but an occasion to famish our poor brethren. And in this point we refuse not (which is the chief) the judgement of all natural Scottish-men. The Queen Regent alleged, That although there was an hundred French-men for one that is in Scotland, yet she is not minded to trouble ⟨p. 179⟩any unjust possession. Whereto we answer, That we dispute not what she intended (which nevertheless by probable conjectures it is to be suspected) but always we affirm, that such a multitude of French-men is a burden not only unprofitable, but also intolerable to this poor Realm; especially being treated as they are by her and Monsieur Dosell: For if their wages be paid out of France, then are they both (the Queen, we say, and Monsieur Dosell) traitors to the King and Council;¹ for the poor Commons of this Realm have sustained them with the sweat of their brows, since the contracting of the Peace, and somewhat before.

If it be sedition to speak the trueth in all sobriety, and to complaine, when they are wounded, or to call for help against unjust tyrannie before that their throats be cut, then can we not denie, but we are criminall and guilty of tumult and sedition. For we have said, That our Common-weale is oppressed, that we and our brethren are hurt by the tyrannie of strangers, and that we fear bondage and slaverie, seeing that multitudes of cruell murtherers are daily brought into our Countrey without our counsell, knowledge, and consent. We dispute not so much whether the bringing in of moe French-men be violating of the appointment (which the Queen and her faction cannot deny to be manifestly broken by them in moe causes then one) as that we would know, if that the heaping of strangers upon strangers, above us, without our counsell or consent, be a thing that may stand with the Liberty of our Realme, and with the profit of our Common-wealth. It is not unknown to all men of judgement, That the fruits of our Countrey, in the most common yeers, be no more then sufficient reasonable to nourish the born inhabitants of the same. But now seeing we have been vexed with wars, taken upon us at the pleasure of France, by the which the most fruitfull portion of our Countrey in Corne hath been wasted. What man is so blinde, but that he may see, That such bands of ungodly and idle Souldiers can be nothing else but an occasion to famish our poore brethren. And in this point we refuse not (which is the chiefe) the judgement of all naturall Scottish-men. The Queen Regent alleadged, That although there was an hundred French-men for one that is in Scotland, yet she is not minded to trouble