The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Which whatsoever she alleged, she is not able to prove that we have violated in any chief point, before that her new throat-cutters arrived, yea, before that they began to fortify Leith, a place, saith she, most convenient for her purpose; as indeed it is, for the receiving of strangers at her pleasure: for if she had feared the pursuit of her body, she had Inch, Colme, Dumbar, and Blackness, Forts and Strengths already made; yet all these could not so well serve her turn as Leith, because it was her daughters property, and none other could have title unto it, and because it had been fortified oft before. That all men may know the just title her daughter and she had to the Town of Leith, ¹we shall in few words declare. It is not unknown to the most part of this Realm, that there hath been an old hatred and contention betwixt Edinburgh and Leith; Edinburgh continually seeking constantly to possess the liberty of Leith which by donation of ancient Kings they have long enjoyed: And Leith, by the contrary aspiring to a liberty and freedom in prejudice of Edinburgh. The Queen Regent, a woman that could make her profit at all hands, was not ignorant how to compass her own business, and therefore secretly she gave advertisement to some of Leith, that she would make their Town free, if that she might do it with any colour of Justice.² By which promises the principal men of them did travel with the Laird of Lestarrig, a man neither prudent nor fortunate, to whom the superiority of Leith appertained, That he should fell his whole Title and Right to our Sovereign for a certain sum of Money, which the inhabitants of Leith paid, with a large Taxation more, to the Queen Regent, in hope to be made free, in despite and defraud of Edinburgh: Which Right and Superiority when she had gotten, and when the Money was paid, the first fruits of their liberty they now eat with bitterness, is, That strangers shall possess their Town: This is the just Title which her daughter and she might claim to that Town. And where she alleged, That it was fortified before; we ask, If that was done without the consent of the Nobility and Estates of the Realm, as now she and her crafty counsellors do, in despite and high contempt of us the lawful and borne Counsellors of this Realm.

Which whatsoever she alleadged, she is not able to prove that we have violated in any chiefe point, before that her new throat-cutters arrived, yea, before that they began to fortifie Leith, a place, saith she, most convenient for her purpose; as indeed it is, for the receiving of strangers at her pleasure: for if she had feared the pursuit of her bodie, she had Inche, Colme, Dumbar, and Blacknesse, Forts and Strengths already made; yet all these could not so well serve her turne as Leith, because it was her daughters property, and none other could have title unto it, and because it had been fortified oft before. That all men may know the just title her daughter and she had to the Town of Leith,