I ⁷ R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
HIS MAJESTY'S Most Gracious Letter TO THE PARLIAMENT OF SCOTLAND.  
Published by His Majesty's Command.  
JAMES R. 
 My Lords and Gentlemen,  
THE great Testimonies We had of your Loyalty and Affection to Our Royal Person and Government at your last Session, (in which you not only made an humble Offer of your Duty in ample manner, and shown your Abhorrence of the Rebellion then raised against Us, and your Readiness on that, and all other Occasions to stand by Us with your Lives and Fortunes, but (wisely considering how much the Forces which former Parliaments had given Us Supplies to maintain, supported by your Assistance, and blessed by God, were instrumental in ending that unnatural Rebellion) you gave Us the occasion by Augmenting your Supplies to add to Our Forces, (and consequently to your own Security) for all which as We then returned you Our most Hearty and Royal Thanks, and considered you the Examples to Our other Subjects of Loyalty, Duty and Affection to Us, (as you had been in Our former Difficulties) so it stirred up in Us an Ardent Desire of making such Returns unto you, as might every way make you find the Advantage of your Faithfulness and Duty to Us.  
It is for this End that We have again desired to meet you in this Session.  
We have considered your Interest as much as Our Distance from you could bring into Our Prospect, and those things which We found proper for it, whether in Relation to Trade and Commerce, or Easing some things Uneasy to you amongst yourselves, We have fully Instructed Our Commissioner (with your Advice and Consent) to conclude so, as may be most for the General Good of that Our Ancient Kingdom.  
We have made the Opening of a Free Trade with England Our Particular Care, and are Proceeding in it with all Imaginable Application, and are Hopeful in a short time to have Considerable Advances made in it. We have considered the Trouble that many are put to Daily by Prosecutions before Our Judges, or the hazard that they lie under for their Accession to the late Rebellions: And to show the World (even Our greatest Enemies themselves) that Mercy is Our Inclination, and Severity what is by their Wickedness Extorted from Us, We have sent down to be Past in your Presence Our Full and Ample Indemnity for all Crimes Committed against Our Royal Person or Authority. And whilst We show these Acts of Mercy to the Enemies to Our Person, Crown and Royal Dignity, We cannot be Unmindful of Others Our Innocent Subjects, those of the Roman Catholic Religion, who have with the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes been always Assistant to the Crown in the worst of Rebellions and Usurpations, though they lay under Discouragements hardly to be Named. Them We do hearty Recommend to your Care, to the end that as they have given Good Experience of their True Loyalty and Peaceable Behaviour, so by your Assistance they may have the Protection of Our Laws, and that Security under Our Government, which others of Our Subjects have, not suffering them to lie under Obligations which their Religion cannot admit of. By doing whereof you will give a Demonstration of the Duty and Affection you have for Us, and do Us most acceptable Service.  
This Love We expect you will show to your Brethren, as you see We are an Indulgent Father to you all.  
For these, and such other Matters as We conceive for Our Service, and the Universal Good of the Nation, We have sent Our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Cousin and Counsellor, Alexander Earl of Morray, Secretary of State for that Our Ancient Kingdom, Our Commissioner to you, believing that none will be more acceptable than one so immediately Employed and Trusted about Our Person, of whose Long and Faithful Services We have full Experience in every one of the several Employments he has been in, and of whose Loyalty and Affection to Our Person and Service We are fully convinced. To him We desire you to give entire Credit, as One fully Instructed and Trusted by Us, from whose Experience and Faithful Endeavours, with your Loyalty, Love and Duty to Us, We have good Reason to expect a happy Conclusion to this Session: And you may assure yourselves in general, and every one of you in particular, That We shall have both the general-Concern of the Nation and yours into Our most particular Regard, which We shall express by Our Royal Favour upon all suitable Occasions. So not only expecting your Compliance with Us, but that by the Manner of it you will show the World your readiness to meet Our Inclinations, We bid you most hearty Farewell.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the 12th Day of April, 1686. and of Our Reign the Second Year. By His Majesty's Command. MELFORT.   

The Parliament of Scotland's Dutiful Answer to His Majesty's Letter.  
May it please Your Sacred Majesty,  
WE do return Your Majesty our most humble and hearty Thanks, for the frequent Marks of Your Royal Favour expressed to this Your Majesty's Ancient Kingdom upon all Occasions; And particularly, in Your Majesty's Gracious Letter dated the 12th of April last: And Your Majesty may with full Assurance expect, That Your Gracious Acceptance of those Services we did You in the last Session of this Parliament, will encourage us to continue our Zeal and Firmness in this, for Your Majesty's Service, and the Royal Interest, upon which, under God, we acknowledge our Happiness and Preservation do entirely depend.  
Your Majesty's Care of the Trade of this Kingdom (which is, at present, exceedingly Decayed) and particularly, Your Royal Endeavours to procure us a Free Trade with Your Kingdom of England, will very much enable us to make these Supplies effectual, which we have so hearty and willingly undertaken for the Security of the Crown, and Safety of the Kingdom; Nor shall the Advantages that can arise thereby, be more acceptable to us upon any other Account, than so far, as they may be a Testimony of Your Majesty's Kindness, and conduce to those great Ends.  
Your Majesty's Clemency, testified in the Offer of an Indemnity to these desperate Rebels, who could have expected Pardon from no Monarch on Earth but Your Sacred Majesty; And the greatest Aggravation of whose Crimes, lies in opposing such Gracious and Merciful Princes, will (we hope) not only convince your other Subjects how happy they are under Your Government, but reclaim them from bearing any further Enmity to it; And to let them see how Extravagant, as well as Undutiful, their Endeavours will be, in opposing Your Majesty, and Your Royal Successors, We do again most Sincerely and Hearty offer You our Lives and Fortunes for suppressing all such, as shall upon any Account or Pretence whatsoever, attempt, either by private Contrivances, or open Rebellions, to disquiet Your Glorious Reign.  
As to that part of Your Majesty's Letter relating to Your Subjects of the Roman Catholic Religion. We shall, in Obedience to Your Majesty's Commands, and with Tenderness to their Persons, take the same into our serious and dutiful Consideration, and go as great Lengths therein, as our Conscience will allow; Not doubting that Your Majesty will be careful to secure the Protestant Religion established by Law.  
Your Majesty's Commissioner has, to our very great Satisfaction, signified to us, That he is fully instructed by Your Majesty, to promote every thing which may tend to the Improvement of the Wealth and Prosperity of this Your Ancient Kingdom; And we hope, that by his wise Care and Conduct, this Session of Parliament may be brought to a happy Conclusion; And to Him, seeing Your Majesty has well judged that none could be more acceptable, We shall give that entire Credit and Concurrence, and pay that Respect which is due to the eminent Character which Your Majesty has been pleased to give Him; And to that constant Loyalty and Fidelity with which He has acquitted Himself in all the former Trusts and Employments which He has born under Your Majesty's Royal Brother, and Yourself; Hoping that we shall give Him just Reason to report at his Return to Your Majesty, with how much Zeal, Duty and Affection, we endeavour to deserve the being Considered, by Your Majesty, as  
(May it please Your Sacred Majesty) Your Majesty's most Humble, most Faithful, And most Obedient Subjects and Servants. PERTH CANC. I. P. D. Parl. Edinburgh, May 6. 1686.