The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

Apud Edinburgh Octob. 17. 1637.

FOrasmuch as the Kings Majesty is credibly inform∣ed, that there is a certain Book, intituled, A Di∣spute against the English Popish Ceremonies, ob∣truded upon the Kirk of Scotland, and hath been sent abroad and dispersed in this Kingdom, purposely to stir the hearts and affections of the Subjects from their due obedience and allegiance: And therefore it hath pleased his Majesty to give order and direction to his Council, that diligent inquiry and search be made for the said Book; And for this effect the said Lords ordains Let∣ters to be directed to make intimation and publication to all his Majesties Subjects, that such of them as have any of the said Books, bring in the same to the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council betwixt the date of this Procla∣mation and the day of And the said Books being brought in, that the same be publickly burnt, certifying all his Majesties Subjects, if any of these Books shall be found or known to have been with a∣ny of them after the time aforesaid, that they shall incur the like censure and punishment as the Author may be found to deserve for any thing contained in that Book.

But what effect had these Edicts? Truly no other than an open Insurrection, which happened the day after the date of the last Proclamation, which was in this manner as we see.

On the eighteenth of October 1637. the Bishop of Galloway, and Sir William Elfinston, Lord Chief Justice of that our Kingdom, being appointed by the Lords of our Council to examine Witnesses in a Cause depending before them, between Francis Stuart, Son to the late Earl of Bothwell, and divers others, the Bishop was peaceably passing along the Street towards the Council-house where the Exa∣minations were to be taken: But suddenly an in∣raged Multitude surrounded him, and followed him with fearful cursings and exclamations close to the Council-house door, where he was again in∣countred afresh with a new troop, who watched, and lay in wait for his coming thither, and whose fury exceeded words; for in all proba••ility the Bishop had been pulled in pieces by them, if by Di∣vine Providence he had not been defended by the said Francis Stuart, who with much a••o got the Bi∣shop within the doors of the Council-house, where our Lord Chief Justice stayed for him: But when he was there, that place of highest Reverence within that our Kingdom, was no Sanctuary for him; for they continued demanding his person, and threatning him with death. The report here∣of, and the danger of their Lords life, was brought by some of the Bishop's Servants presently to the Earl of Traquair, our Lord Treasurer, and the Earl of Wigton, one of the Lords of our Council, who were then at a Lodging not far from thence: They came presently with their followers to the relief of the Bishop, but very hardly, for the croud of the Mutineers, could approach the Council-house where he was; at last, when with much ado they got entrance, they found themselves in no better case than the Bishop was, for the Peoples fury meeting with no proportionable resistance, increa∣sed the more. The Lords thus beset in our Coun∣cil-house, sent privately to the Lord ••rovost, Pai∣liffs, and Council of Edinburgh, who were then as∣sembled in their own Council-house, requiring them to come to their res••ne, and to take some present order for their safety: They, by one Sir Thomas Thompson, who indeed was an Eye-witness of the truth of it, returned this answer; That they were in the same, if not a worse case them∣selves, if the Lords without did not presently pa∣cific the inraged Multitude; that the whole Streets were pestred with disorderly People; that their Council-house was beset without, and thronged within, with their own threatning Citizens, who had vowed to kill all within their House, unless they did presently subscribe to a Paper presented to them, which for fear of their lives they were forced to do: Which Paper contained these three particulars; First, That they should joyn with them in opposition to the Service-Book, and in petitioning Us for that purpose. Secondly, That by their Authority they should presently restore unto their Pulpits and Places Master Ramsey and Rollock, their two silenced Ministers. Thirdly, That they should restore unto his place one Hen∣derson a silenced Reader: No doubt three most im∣portant grounds for such a fearful Sedition. No better answer being returned, the Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Wigton, with their Followers, re∣solved to go up to the Town Council-house, and to use the uttermost of their Authority, or (if that found no respect) their best perswasions for se••ling the present Sedition: When they came thither, they

found the Magistrates were much discomposed, and greatly perplexed, as much doubting whether they should ever escape from the place with their lives; yet they presently entred into Consultation with them about what was fittest to be done in such an exigent; and finding now that the publick di∣vulging of that Paper which the Magistrates and Council of the City had subscribed, and that the open Proclamation of it throughout all their tur∣bulent Troops, and at the Cross, had a little as∣swaged their furious rage, the Lords begun to ad∣vise with the Magistrates what was best to be done for the safety of the Bishop of Galloway, whom they had left besieged in the Council-house: It was thought fit by all, that the Lords should return to Our Council-house, and contain themselves there∣in, till the Magistrates might try what they could do for calming the Commotion in the Streets: But no sooner had th•• Lords presented themselves to the Streets, but they were received with such vio∣lence as they were forced to retire, until such time as two of the Bailiffs, with their Serjeants and Of∣ficers, and such others as they got to attend them, accompanying the Lords, and repeating to the Multitude what had been yielded to in the Paper exhibited to them, a little way was made at first; But presently when they entred upon the great Street, the barbarous Multitude run most inra∣gedly upon them: Their out-cries were horrible and confused, but were (as much as in such a con∣fusion could be distinguished,) God defend all those who will defend God's Cause; and God confound the Ser∣vice-Book, and all the Maintainers of it. The Lords being in present and imminent danger, assured the People that they would represent their Grievances to Us; And when they perceived that the People refused to obey any Commandment which was laid upon them in Our Name, and that they sleighted their requiring of them to retire unto their own Houses, and to behave themselves as quiet and good Subjects, under pain of Our highest displea∣sure, they were glad then to betake themselves to intreaties and plausible perswasions; but all in vain: For the People still increased their fury, and that to such a height, as that the L. Treasurer was thrown down, his Hat, Cloak, & white Staff pulled from him, so that if by the strength of some about him, he had not been presently pulled up again up∣on his feet, he had undoubtedly been trode to death, and in that posture, without Hat or Cloak, like a notorious Malefactor, was he carried by the Croud to our Council-house door, where the Bi∣shop of Galloway▪ and others of our Council were imprisoned, in great fear, and expecting the Lords return for their relief. Not long after the Provost and Bailiffs came thither to them, told them they had used their uttermost power and perswasions with the best, ablest, and of the prime esteem of all their Citizens, for the appeasing of the pre∣sent Tumult, and securing their Lordships persons, but could find no concurrence nor obedience: Whereupon the Lords resolved to send for some of the Noblemen, and Gentry, and others who were now frequently assembled for assisting the Petition against the Service-Book, to try what help they would or could contribute for quieting the inraged People, and what assistance they might ex∣pect from them in freeing them from the present danger: They, being sent for, came to the Lords and declared unto them how much they were unsa∣tisfied with the present Mutiny, offered their Per∣sons and Power for securing them from all vio∣lence; which the Lords in our Council-house ac∣cepting of, with much ado (being guarded by them whom the People would not offend) the Lord Treasurer got to our Palace at Haly-rud-house, and the Bishop of Galloway to his Lodging: But the Lord Provost was again set upon as he was entring his own House, and was so pressed upon by the Multitude, that they crouded with him into his own Yard, railing upon him, and throwing Stones at his Windows, until some of his Servants discharging a Peece which had nothing but Pow∣der in it, they retired for fear. In this Tumult none were more forward and inexorable, than two who were Bailiffs the Year before, and who had subscribed the two Letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Tumult being a little appeased, the Coun∣cil met at Haly-rud-house, and command the Pro∣clamation following to be made at the Market-Cross of Edinburgh, in haec verba.