THE SPEECH OF PATRICK Earl of March-mount, etc. His Majesty's High Commissioner to the Parliament of SCOTLAND.  
On Tuesday the Nineteenth of July. 1698. My Lords and Gentlemen,  
AS His Majesty's gracious Letter to you now read in your hearing, carries very plain and full Expressions of His Esteem, and Acceptance of the many Proofs you have given of your Loyalty and good Affection to His Person and Government. So His calling you together at this time when the Condition of Affairs is so much Changed, tho' He cannot be present with you, is a clear evidence of the entire Trust and Confidence He has in you.  
His Majesty did intent to have held this Session of Parliament in Person, but the present Circumstances of Affairs having hindered His coming; It has pleased Him to appoint me to be His Commissioner in it. And I will earnestly endeavour, to manifest that Fidelity and Zeal for His Majesty's Service, and the good of this Kingdom, which His Majesty doth expect: and I confidently hope, that your Wisdom and Abilities will not only bear with, but also sustain me under the weaknesses which I may justly acknowledge: So as the public Interest may thereby be at no prejudice.  
His Majesty has graciously given you full Assurance, that He is firmly resolved, to make it his principal Care to maintain your Religion, Laws and Liberties, and Presbyterian Government in this Church; And I am commanded to let you know, that He is fully resolved to continue the same: And as his Majesty has told you, that he will give all due encouragement for promoting your Trade: So I am commanded in His Name to assure you, that His Majesty is firmly resolved to maintain the Privileges of the Trade of this Kingdom, and particularly these established by Treaties, Laws or Customs with other Nations.  
I am both fully instructed in what His Majesty judgeth to be necessary for the supp●●● of His Government, and the Safety of this Kingdom; and have full power for passing such Laws for the good of His People, as appear to be most needful at present.  
It is not to be doubted, but that as His Majesty thinks, that the fullest Information he could have what Laws are fit to be made, would be His hearing Free-reasonings in Parliament upon them by you who are so much interested, and have your Minds so much taken up about them; So you will think, that His Majesty is best capable to Discover and Discern upon the whole Matter, in the Bulk and Sum, what is fit and necessary to be done at this Time for the common Interest, as having a clearer View of the bad Designs of our Enemies, and of the many Pieces joined together in that wise Contrivance, which (by the blessing of GOD) has been the support of Affairs, than we can have.  
You may very justly be persuaded, that His Majesty's Judgement of these Matters, is solidly founded, and much to be relied on; Not only because he is highly concerned, both upon account of Honour and Interest, but likewise, because he is a Prince of deep Understanding and perpetual Application to Business: And has turned up all the Sides of these Grounds of Judgement which he sees in a truer Light, and at a nearer Distance than we do.  
I am commanded to represent to you, that the continuing the Troops upon the present establishment, is, What His Majesty judgeth to be absolutely necessary, for the Support of His Government, the Safety of the Country, and your Preservation; And that His Majesty is no ways doubtful, but you will be convinced of it, and will provide suitable Supplies for mentaining them: And it's certainly most fit, that this be the first thing you take under your Consideration, as what concerns the All: And then you can proceed to other things recommended to you by his Majesty, or which may be proposed.  

My Lords and Gentlemen,  
Tho I am unwilling to take up much of your time, and to detain you from your Business, yet I cannot omit to invite you, to consider seriously one thing which I am persuaded cannot easily escape the particular nottice of any here, that is, in what your gracious and kind Sovereign places the chief Satisfaction he has in bringing the great and dangerous War, wherein he has been engaged to an End by an honourable Peace: Even the Prospect he has of the Prosperity and Happiness of His good Subjects.  
His Majesty undertook an enterprise almost desperate in the Opinion of all Europe, he has followed it out and maintained it with imparralelled Courage and Constancy; He has exposed his precious Life and Person in passing the Seas many times, in faceing and fight his Enemies in many Battles: The secret Conspiracies against Him have been many, yet (thanks to the Eternal GOD) he has been wonderfully supported and preserved, and certainly His Majesty has a very grateful Sense of, and a great Satisfaction in it. But His greatest Satisfaction is the Prospect which he has of the Prosperity and Happiness of his good Subjects; This cannot be too often repeated, and is never to be forgot: Nay I am sure it leaves such an Impression upon your worthy Spirits and Minds as is becoming for these, at whose instance and for whose behoof so great things have been undertaken and performed, and I am als sure there is no Scots man (that has a good effection to His Majesty, and to the happy Revolution, and the Work of God amongst us, and a good understanding to discern what is necessary upon this Occasion, which I hope all here have, 〈◊〉 but who will honestly, cheerfully and readily give such proofs of Gratitude to, and trust in His Majesty, as small more and more endear to him this his Ancient Kingdom, And honest hearted People.    

THE SPEECH OF JAMES Viscount of Seafield, Principal Secretary of State, and Precedent to the PARLIAMENT OF SCOTLAND.  
On Tuesday the Nineteenth of July 1698. My Lords and Gentlemen,  
YOu have given many Evidences of your great Zeal, Duty and Affection to His Majesty's Royal Person and Government, and His Majesty has entire Trust and Confidence in you, as is fully expressed in his most gracious Letter, and by my Lord Commissioner His Grace in His Name.  
His Majesty is very sensible that you did cheerfully provide suitable Supplies for maintaining those Troops that were thought needful for your Defence at Home, whereby you secured Peace and Quiet within this Kingdom during the War.  
You also Raised and Recruited the Regiments of this Kingdom, that were employed in His Majesty's Service Abroad, for the Support and Defence of the Common Interest of Europe, as well as the Security of His Majesty's Dominions.  
The vigorous Prosecution of the War, and the Blessing of God Almighty upon His Majesty's Endeavours, has procured us an Honourable Peace; And therefore His Majesty has upon this Occasion called you together, that you may provide for your own Safety and better Establishment.  
You will easily be convinced, that we have many Enemies both at Home and Abroad, ready to lay hold of any Opportunity to disturb our present Peace and Tranquillity.  
The King knows our Circumstances and Dangers better than we do ourselves, and is certainly the best Judge of what is needful, and he has told you plainly, that the Troops which He has Established, are indispensibly necessary for your Preservation.  
His Majesty does therefore expect, that you will proceed in this Matter with Cheerfulness and Unanimity, to the Discouragement of His and your Enemies; And as the Subsidies that are demanded of you, are to be employed for your own Safety, so they will again circulat amongst you, and cannot diminish the wealth, nor prejudge the Interest of the Nation.  
His Majesty has alwise judged his Interest to be inseparable from yours; He has been the powerful Instrument of God Almighty in rescueing you from Popery and Arbitrary Government: He has exposed His Royal Person to the greatest Dangers for the common Safety, and all that have the Occasion to know his Measures must be convinced, that the Happiness and Prosperity of his Subjects is His chief care and concern.  
In His Reign you have the full enjoyment of your Religion, Laws and Liberties, you have also Presbyterian Government established in this Church which His Majesty has declared he will maintain, and you have many good Laws and Constitutions granted for the Ease and Satisfaction of the Nation.  
Seeing then, that by him you enjoy all these and many other Blessings, you will certainly judge it your interest and Duty to comply with what is now only proposed as necessary to render you Secure, against the Designs of His and your Enemies  
His Majesty was resolved to have been present with you in this Session of Parliament, that he might have more perfectly understood what Laws were fit for the welfare and Satisfaction of his Subjects; But the great Affairs in which he is necessarily engaged, not allowing us that happiness, he has fully instructed my Lord Commissioner his Grace, to pass such Acts as appear to His Majesty most proper for the Benefit and interest of this Kingdom; And He has given full Assurances, that he will give all Encouragement for promoting Trade, and particularly, that he will protect the Privileges of the Tread of this Kingdom established by Laws, Treaties, and Customs with other Nations.  

My Lords and Gentlemen,  
I am very sensible of my own unfitness for the Station in which it has pleased his Majesty to employ me; But your ready Compliance with what has been proposed by his Majesty on other Occasions, did chief encourage me to accept, and to hope for an happy Conclusion to this Session: To the Satisfaction of the King, the Honour of the Government, and the Security of the Nation.    

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, Anno Domini 1698.