The manifold PRACTICES And Attempts of the hamilton's, And particularly of the present Duke of Hamilton Now General of the Scottish Army To get the Crown of SCOTLAND.  
Discovered in an intercepted LETTER WRITTEN From a Malignant here in London to his friend in SCOTLAND.  
The Letter is directed thus on the back, For the much Honoured, 21. 53. 7. 10. 19 72. 67. 40.  
Printed at LONDON, in the year 1648.   

The Practices and Attempts of the hamilton's, particularly of Duke Hamilton now General of the Scottish Army.  
SIR,  
THe news of suppressing those Covenanters, which were the first movers, and chief Authors of all our troubles these ten years past, the taking of Barwick and Carlisle, the forward proceed of your Parliament, and the readiness of an Army to advance into England for the King's service, give great encouragement to all our friends here; But the report of Duke hamilton's being made General, is like water to our wine, and afflicts us with fears. It is a wonder how the King's friends have been induced to consent unto it, or what necessity could drive them to make use of so desperate a remedy, which for my own part I fear, will prove a means to increase the disease, and (if God prevent not) fatal to the King and his posterity. For now the hamilton's have not only the pen and the purse of Scotland, (the Duke's brother Lanerick being Secretary, and his brother in law, Treasurer) both which have great influence upon the Subject; But they have the sword settled in their hands by authority, and so whom favour will not draw power will force to go along with their designs, for obtaining the Crown and Government of that Kingdom, which they have aimed at for one hundreth and twenty years and upward, as may be clearly instanced in many particulars, sufficiently known to all such as are acquainted with the State of affairs of Scotland in latter times. I shall briefly put you in mind of some, and leave the rest to your own observation.  
After the death of King james the fourth, john Duke of Albany being chosen to govern the King in his minority. The hamilton's made a conspiracy to thrust the Duke out of authority, and to take the custody of the King, and Government of the Kingdom into their own hands, the better to accomplish their ends: In pursuance whereof they took the Castle of Glasgow, and made an Assembly of their faction. But the Duke of Albanies speedy coming with an Army, surprised them, dissolved that Assembly, and made the Earl of Arran, chief of that design, to flee away. But here they rested not.  
For Sir james Hamilton, bastard son to the Earl of Arran, conspired the death of the King in his own house at Holyrude House; For which and other crimes after mentioned, divers years after, when the Plot was revealed, he was executed.  
When this failed, they used their endeavours that the King should not marry, that so he wanting issue, Hamilton might succeed to the Crown. They hindered the King's meeting with his Uncle the King of England, who was willing to have married his only daughter to him, and made him King of England as well as Scotland after his death.  
The King going by sea to France, Sir james Hamilton went with him to hinder his marriage; and the King being asleep in the ship, Sir james without any necessity from wind or weather, caused the mariners to turn sail from the West Coast of England, and to land in Galloway; which gave the King such cause of discontent, against Sir james, as he began to understand his unfaithful dealing, and at last he was executed for Treason.  
These practices discovered, made the King more hasty to marry, that his succession might put the hamilton's out of hope, and himself out of danger of their further plots.  
The King dying, and leaving issue, only one daughter of six days old, The hamilton's thought all their own; For they got the Earl of Arran to be named Governor by a private faction: But the Estates soon weary of his Government, discharged him of his office; wherefore his design, to marry his son upon the Queen (whom he keeped rather like a prisoner, than a Princess) was disappointed, though in the opinion of divers, it was once fare advanced; the Duke of Lenox and Earl of Angus, his principal opposer, one of them being by him banished, and the other imprisoned.  
After the Queen and her mother were rescued out of his hands, in hopes to gain their favour, and so his ends he abjured his religion in Sterling, but without success. When neither he could get the Queen out of the way, nor married as he desired, he consented to expose her to the storms of the sea, and danger of enemies, and sold her to France, for which he was made Duke of Chastle-rault.  
Having in manner thus sold their pretence to the Title of the Crown, yet the hamilton's were not quiet, but used many means, during the Queen's being in France, and after her return to get the Crown. In order whereunto they conspired with the Earl of Bothuel, to kill the Earl of Murray, and when the Queen married to the house of Lennox, which to this day, they esteemed always as their great enemy, they conspired with the Earl of Bothuel to murder the King, wherein particularly Bishop Hamilton Duke Hamilton of Chastle-rault brother was very instrumental. When the King was thus removed, and so the Crown brought a degree nearer to the house of Hamilton, it seemed to them very probable (as it was indeed) that Bothuel should destroy the young King, and not suffer him to live to revenge his father's death, and prejudge the children of Bothuel with the Queen in the succession to the Crown, and if the King were destroyed, they hoped that the Queen and Bothuel would be so hateful to the people, for the murder of her husband and her son, that they would have easy access to the Crown, or otherwise then that they might kill Bothuel; in which case they were in hope the Queen should marry, John Hamilton the Duke's son, whom she entertained, often with merry looks and cheerful countenance. But the King being preserved and the Queen keeped in Loch-herm by command of the Parliament, the hamilton's took another course, which was to relieve the Queen, and employ all their power, to suppress the King, and the nobility that adhered to him  
I might here make a large discourse of their base murdering the Regent the Earl of Murray, their joining in conspiracy with the Duke of Norfolk, and others in England against Queen Elizabeth, their pretending to have the Queen brought out of England, when they knew it was impossible, without the Queen of England's favour which they never sought but rejected, to the end they might in the mean time have the better opportunity, to follow out their designs against the King, and hinder him from being settled in the Government (as now they pretend the rescuing of the King out of the Isle of Wight, and yet by their actions I am afraid shall render it impossible,) But I leave these and other remarkable passages, that I may come nearer our own times to speak of the designs of this marquis, whom cunning policy and juggling carriage (seconded with the Craft and Courage of his brother Lanerick) seems to have fitted for such an enterprise, and who began very early to insist in the steps of his predecessors, encouraged perhaps with that old Scotch Prophecy.  

When Kaidyow shall be King.  
Meikle woeshall be bring.   
His first Plot to get power into his hands was under pretext of that levy for Germany about seventeen or eighteen years ago; whereof that you may have a true narration, I shall give you the chief heads of the depositions of the Lord Reay, Lord Ochilcree and others, as their examinations were taken by the Lord Coventry then keeper of this kingdom; treasurer Weston, the Earls of Morton and Carlisle, by the King's direction.  
In anno 1630 three or four considerable persons of the name of Hamilton of near relation to the marquis of Hamilton, not having served the King of Sweden one year, cashiered themselves from service, without any known cause to such as were their fellow soldiers; the Lord Reay being in Stockholme at the same time, was informed by his Lieutenant Colonel, one Lindsey, who lodged in the same house with Sir James Hamilton that the reason was, their chief the marquis of Hamilton intended to be a soldier, and they resolved to take a share of his fortune whatsoever it should be, and that they had assigned their estates to others before their engagement, that they had offered him the said Lindsey a Regiment whereof he did accept, and that they shortly expected David Ramsey from England, who accordingly not many days after came to Sweden.  
In company one night, as the Lord Reay Colonel Alexander Hamilton, Sir James Hamilton and David Ramsey, were drinking, they did drink the marquis of Hamiltons' health by the name of James by the grace of God King of Scotland, and in discourse David Ramsey complained to him of the great abuses in the Court, and that Popery and Arminianism exceedingly prevailed to which the Lord Reay replying, that there was no remedy but patience, nay says David Ramsey (with a great oath) to use your own words my Lord, We must help God to amend it. Further said, that the marquis was a good Protestant, and before it were long, he would let the world see his design was for the defence of his Religion, the Lord Reay answered that it would be small advantage to us to procure a free passage of the Gospel in Germany, if we lost it at home, to which David Ramsey said, there were many honest men at home, and that the marquis would make use of his Army to protect them, and that this was his only aim. Whereupon the Lord Reay offered his service in that quarrel: David Ramsey said it was not needful to impart any more to him of the business, he must keep his masters secret; but if there was any thing the Lord Reay desired to be done for him in England, he could do his Lordship service; Colonel Hamilton and Sir James being to go for England, the Lord Reay desired to have the reversion of Orkney, saying it were for the advantage of the marquis his ends to have a friend in that place; and on the morrow Colonel Alexander Hamilton and David Ramsey having given him great assurance of true friendship from their master the marquis, if he would continue constant in resolution, they desired him to write a general Letter to the marquis with the two Colonels; which he did, and so they parted.  
In the Month of July, Master Robert Meldrum being come from the marquis in pursuance of that same design, the Lord Reay met with him in Pomerland, and asked news from England, to which Master Meldrum answered that matters became worse and worse, and the King did give greater way to Papists and Arminians then before; then he asked the Lord Reay where his Cousin David Ramsey was, and what he had done; and the Lord Reay told him that he was gone for Holland, and all things were done according to his mind, and particularly that he had taken care for Arms and Ammunition to be sent to the marquis from Sweden; at which news Master Meldrum did throw his cap to the ground and jumped up, calling aloud, good news, good news, I am a happy man, I am happy and made up for ever, I thank God my five year's pains are not lost; my good Lord Reay, is this true? To which the Lord Reay replying that it was true, and that he had a duplicat of the contract, and was engaged in the business to David Ramsey, and the two Colonels and to the marquis by Writ. Master Meldrum said, O my Lord, that was the work of God, and not man, to inspire your Lordship to join with us.  
Further Master Meldrum told to Lindsay my Lord Reays Lieutenant Colonel, that six thousand trained soldiers with their own Faction in the Country would be able to do the business.  
The day following at Colonel Leslies Tent, Master Meldrum told the Lord Reay that King Charles was created for nothing but for desolation and undoing of kingdoms, Religion and people, and there was no way left, but to take him and immure him within a wall or Dungeon for ever. The Lord Reay demanded how that could be got done; Master Meldrum answered, that the way was easy; for after the men were levied in Scotland they might take one month to train them at Leith without any suspicion, than they might seize on the Castles of Edinburgh Sterling and Dumbartan and the Town of Barwick in one night, and having fortified Leith, then to enter England by open force.  
Further, he told that the Lord Reay that he was writing a Declaration concerning the marquis his just and clear title to the Crown, and touching the tyrannical usage and sufferings of the Church under King James in his last days, and now worse, groaning under his Son.  
Within a few days there came news of the birth of the Prince, and the Lord Reay asked M. Meldrum whether this would cool the Marquis his intentions, to which master Meldrum sighing, said, not, If the King and Queen of Bohemia would give their daughter to the marquis, as they had promised; making no question or difficulty about the marquis his divorcing from his present wife, which (as David Ramsey had affirmed) was a very beast, and the King had forced him to marry her.  
Also Master Meldrum being in company drinking with Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay and on Henry Muschamp an English Gentleman, he did discover so much of that business, as the morrow after the Lieutenant Colonel told the Lord Reay he thought Master Meldrum the worst Secretary in the world.  
Master Meldrum in discourse one day with the King of sweden Secretary said, it were greatly for the advantage of the King of Sweden whose ambition was without limits, that the marquis did raise war in Britain; for if the King of sweden had a design on Denmark, the King of Britain should not be able to help his Uncle; Whereunto the Secretary replied, that they feared not the King of Britain; for he that would not help his own Sister, would never help his Uncle.  
The Lord Reay asked Master Meldrum what they intended to do with the Queen and Prince, he answered, that they would shut up the child with his father, and send the Queen to her Mother, to be put into a Monastery.  
Mr. Meldrum further acquainted the Lord Reay, that the marquis would take pledges of all in Scotland who would not join with him, or make them prisoners, and that he the said Master Meldrum was to be Secretary of State.  
When the Lord Reay came to Holland in March 1631 he met with David Ramsey, who delivered him a Letter from the marquis, of compliment and thanks, and told him that all went right with the marquis, that he had gotten from the King ten thousand pounds in England, and the Wine customs in Scotland for divers years, which he would sell, and that all things proceeded without obstacle, only the stay was for Arms and Ammunition; afterwards he said he had ill news to tell the Lord Reay, which was, that the marquis his wife was brought to bed of a child; but for the business of Orkney, that the Lord Reay might have it cheaper than to pay the duties of it, and that when the Lord Reay met with the marquis, he would infuse that into him which he the said David Ramsey durst not.  
He said further, that the King had made a Peace with Spain very prejudicial to Holland, and that the Treasurer Cottington and others had muffled the King to bar the Hollanders from the fishing, which might fall out happily for them.  
When the Lord Reay came to England, the Lord Hamilton did give him many thanks, assuring him he would not want him, that he should have what conditions he desired, and that he had written to the king of Sweden with Elphingstonn and Meldrum that he would detain him, and if he would hazard with him the said marquis in this business, that it should be a tye for ever upon him and his posterity.  
In the beginning of May 1631, the Lord Reay, meeting with the Lord Ochiltry at the Bear of the Bridge-foot, he said to the Lord Ochiltry, your Lordship is better acquainted with the Laws of the Land than I, who am a soldier and have lived abroad; I do therefore desire to know, what danger it is if a man should hear abroad any Plot against the king and state, and not reveal it; The Lord Ochiltry answered that it was the loss of life and estate; and within eight or ten days after, upon promise of secrecy not to divulge it without his advice and direction, the Lord Reay communicated the whole business to the Lord Ochiltry. After revealing of it, they resolved first to acquaint the Lord Treasurer of England therewith, that he might impart it to the king, and accordingly the Lord Ochiltry did acquaint the Lord Treasurer with it, and afterward upon the 18 of May, the Lord Reay delivered in a relation of all the particulars before mentioned, under his hand, which he offered likewise to seal with his blood.  
The marquis of Hamilton being then in Scotland upon secret advertisement from a friend at Court, came speedily to the king, who at first entertained him not with that familiarity he was wont; but by his cunning policy, and subtle insinuations he prevailed over the king's good nature, persuading him to believe that all was done out of malice, and that these were aspersions and calumnies invented by the Lord Ochiltry, whom he caused the King to send to Scotland to be there tried and censured, well knowing, that at such a distance from the King he could order the matter as he pleased.  
It is to be observed that the Lord Ochiltry, conferring with the Treasurer of England, who was desirous to be informed of the marquis of Hamiltons' power and strength in Scotland, with more forwardness and affection, then due consideration, did give in a list of the names of the friends of the marquis, whom he apprehended would be most ready to join with the marquis, and that when the marquis returned from Scotland to Court, he suggested to the King that there might be present danger to his person, by suffering the marquis, who was the prime Agent to come near him. In these particulars it is true, that the Lord Ochiltry had no warrant from the Lord Reay, to deliver in a list of names to the Treasurer, nor to say to the King, that he was in present danger by the return of the marquis from Scotland; But all the rest of the particulars the Lord Reay did acknowledge, and deliver in subscribed with his hand: yet the Lord Reay was not at all challenged for any information he had given, nor the Lord Ochiltry, for any thing he had said by warrant from the Lord Reay, but such was the power of the marquis, as the Lord Ochiltry was arraigned for delivering in that list of names, and suggesting to the king his fears of his Majesty's danger, upon the marquis his return; and his friends perceiving, after Ochiltry had pleaded for his own innocency, that the matter relished otherwise then was expected, found ways to put off further Trial, and to imprison him, first in Edinburgh, there after in the blackness that he might be out of the way, and at further distance from the King, who was then coming to Scotland; in which prison he lieth still, the matter never yet being put to any legal trial, nor he declared guilty or not guilty, notwithstanding his frequent petitions for the same. The Lord Reay in the mean time who was the chief informer, not at all to this day troubled or accused, which no question if the marquis had not been conscious to his own guiltiness, could not have come to pass; however it is well known to some at Court, what power David Ramsey had over the marquis all his life; and that when he was reduced to any straight or want, if the marquis furnished him not readily, or obtained such suits from the King as he desired, he would vow and swear to discover that the marquis was a Traitor, after which he hath been secretly brought into the marquis his lodging, his desires granted, and they reconciled. And it is likewise well known, that Master Meldrum hath a pension from the marquis yearly.  
I might here add the examinations, touching Master Meldrum, and others about this business; but because I promised to be brief, I shall only add the Deposition of one Master l. Borthwick, which he delivered to the King signed with his hand, that you may understand what sort of people these be; the words which he deposeth Meldrum to have said are these.  

1. Domum Regis esse profluvium iniquitatis & foetidum lupanar.  
2. Reginam esse omnium mulierum salacissimam.  
3. Flagellum dei inhaerere universae familiae & stirpi Jacobi Regis.   
The next attempt of the marquis to get power into his hands was in the beginning of the troubles of Scotland, upon occasion whereof he procured to himself to go to that Kingdom, to settle all differences there; but if we may judge of his intentions by his actions and the issue, that was not his errand to Scotland, but to increase the differences; for when after many juggle between King and subject, he put all over to the determination of the Nationall Synod at Glasgow, then within seven or eight days dissolved it, and returned to the King, whom he incensed against his Subjects of Scotland, as he had done them against their King, hoping to fish in muddy waters. A war followed, and the marquis purchased to himself the command of the Navy, that whatsoever danger the King should be in, the marquis himself might be in safety, and look on as a spectator. When he came to the firth of Scotland, he acted his part at sea, as he had done in the land; None could discern whether he was for the King or the Country; he did wear the King's colours; but was very sparing of his men and ammunition, neither indeed was it safe for him to do otherwise; for the Covenanters sent some into the ships to him, to let him know that if he did any harm, they would discover and make good all the business, of which he was accused by the Lord Reay and Ochiltry; which no question they could very well have done, Master Meldrum being then a forward Covenanter.  
When a pacification was made betwixt the King and his subjects of Scotland, and the Scots entered this Kingdom the year following, the marquis still kept correspondence with the chief Covenanters: and if some of the Scots Commissioners had not for Court ends stood his friends, in the beginning of this Parliament, he had suffered, for his abusing both King and people; for some Articles were once in preparation by the House of Commons for his counselling the King to the breach of pacification, for betraying the Kingdom to the Scots, for the multitude of his Monopolies, his advising the King to wrack Master Trew a member of the House of Commons, after the dissolution of the former Parliament, and divers other things; But that accusation was laid aside, upou promise to persuade the King to pass an act for a triennial Parliament, and not to dissolve this present Parliament without their own consent, and the like good services to be done to the House of Commons.  
When the King went to Scotland, in Anno 1641. the marquis to ingratiate himself with the Country, joined with the Earl of Argile and that faction, and upon pretence of a Plot against him by some Courtiers and soldiers, went from the Parliament of Edinburgh to the Country with Argile, at which time the King declared publicly in Parliament, that however now he seemed to comply with them, he was the only man that incensed him against that Kingdom; and upon the other part, it is well known that Hamilt on even when he was his Majesty's Commissioner, often said in private to the chief Covenanters, that nothing would prevail with the King but force and necessity.  
In the year 1643. when the King had very near subdued all his opposers in England, and reduced the whole Kingdom to his obedience, except London and three or four Garrisons, and there was no probable means left for those few members, who styled themselves a Parliament, whereby to preserve themselves, or to oppose the King, but the calling in of the Sects, and when it was not possible, at the least very difficult for the Covenanters to afford any considerable assistance to their Confederates in England, if those who professed themselves to be the King's friends in Scotland, had faithfully acted their parts, than Hamilton thought it time for him to pass over from the Covenanters and pretend for the King, that by having access to his Counsels, he might betray them, and disappoint his designs. The King's friends finding him thus inclined, procured great offers to be made to him from the King as to make him Duke, and give him in marriage the Prince Electors sister, the King's Niece, which he cheerfully embraceth, and promiseth to do great services to the King.  
No sooner doth he hear that the Queen is landed at Berlington, but with all expedition he repairs to her Majesty, to congratulate her safe return. The Noble marquis of Montrosse had before his coming acquainted her Majesty what dangers were to be feared, from the Covenanters in Scotland, and that there was no way to prevent them, but that by authority from his Majesty, all the King's friends should rise in Arms to oppose them. But Hamilton condemns this as a very rash counsel, and undertakes by fair means to hinder the raising an Army in Scotland, if the King would trust him with the managing of that business; and to make it the more plausible, he promised to do it without any trouble or expense to the King; whereupon a good King easily cozened with the fair pretences of one so near in blood, and so much obliged unto him, gives him absolute trust.  
When he returns to Scotland, he makes as great professions at home, as he had done abroad, & would gladly have seemed to be the most zealous man living for the King in●erest; yet in all his actions crossed the advice and Resolution of the King's friends. For the King being advertised, that the Covenanters had indicted a Convention of Estates without his knowledge, wrote a letter to the Duke, and those of the council, to discharge the Convention: but he concealing the letter, desired the Earl of Callendor, to speak with the Earl of Broxburgh, and some other Noble men best affected to his Majesty, and to crave their advice; they all in one voice answered, that it was their judgement the King should disclaim the Convention, and declare it illegal; but the Duke sends them word by the Earl of Callendor, that it was the King's mind to approve the Convention with some limitations; which though it made them to alter their advice, yet as it was related by the Duke, it was most false, the King never having had any such things in his thoughts, until it was suggested to him by Hamilton, as the advice of his friends in Scotland, and that there were hopes to carry matters in the Convention for the king's advantage, or at least to hinder any assistance to be sent to England against him: thus the king and his faithful servants in Scotland were deluded, and by Hamiltons' policy, induced to countenance the Convention to the great prejudice of the king's affairs; but when they came there, yet the Duke and his brother Lanerks carriage in that convention, and after it, was no ways according to what was promised in the conference with the Noble men that were affected to the king, of the truth whereof the Earl of Callendor and Mr. Murrey can particularly inform you, and how he would neither join with the king's friends, in a course of opposition, nor give his approbation, that they should do it themselves, without his personal appearance in the business, but on the contrary discouraged those, who were willing and ready to take their lives in their hands, and to adventure all that was dearest unto them for his Majesty.  
When he had thus disappointed the king's service, than he and his brother Lanerk wrote letters to the king to advertise him, that very speedily an Army was to come into England, and according to their promise, they had hindered them all summer, but could not hinder them any longer; shortly after these letters, the two brethren began their Journey to Court, where they found their Juggle discovered to the King, and a process drawn against the Duke, wherein it was offered to be proved, that he was the occasion of all the troubles and evils that have befallen these Kingdoms; in particular, that he enticed the king to begin the War against Scotland, and in an underhand way, stirred up the people against the king, by advising them not to yield, and bidding them insist, and they would get their will, for he was a very coward, and that if he got his will, he would prove a greater Tyrant than N●ro; that he had managed all businesses wherewith the king had trusted him, to his Majesty's disservice; particularly that he had given way to the present raising of an Army in Scotland against the king. There are divers other articles in that charge, some of them are coincident with what I have already written, though more largely expressed, and therefore I trust you will excuse me, that I have not sent you a Copy thereof.  
The king upon consideration of so heinous crimes, and treasonable practices, committed the Duke Prisoner to Pendennis, and shortly after his brother Lanerk escaped away from Oxford to London, where he was welcomed by the Scots Commissioners, and dispatched away to their Army by sea with letters of Recommendation, and from the Army to Scotland, where he was instantly received to their Covenant, and admitted to their Counsels, and likewise to the Command of forces.  
The Duke being prisoner, was not able, though willing enough, to practise more against his Majesty; yet Lanerk was not discouraged from prosecuting the old design; for I do very well remember, that when the king was at Newcastle, he was credibly informed, that upon a serious Consultation amongst the Covenanters, what instructions to send to the Scots Commissioners at London, concerning the king, who (as they said) had been the Author of so much bloodshed in both kingdoms, the Earl of Lanerick dropped these words, We can never have peace as long as this king, or any of his race remains; and upon another occasion, we can have no difference about Monarchical Government; all the difference will be who shall be king. It may be he expects the accomplishment of his horoscope, whereof (as himself since related) he had so great confidence, when he was thought to be in danger, before his escaping from Oxford, saying that he was sure he was not near his death; for it was promised of him, that before he died, he should be a greater man, than it was safe for him to mention. When the Duke was relieved from his imprisonment, and come to London, as I am informed, he had some expressions, which discovered his resenting his imprisonment; one expression so far as I remember, was to this purpose, wherefore should he go to the king, (then at Newcastle:) for how could he ever trust that man, who when he was in power imprisoned him?  
When he came to Newcastle, he and Lanerick did undertake to the king to bring him to Scotland, which if they had done, it had been an easy matter for the king to have engaged this kingdom and their Army, for restoring his Majesty to his just rights in England; but it stood not with their designs▪ to have his Majesty personally present in Scotland; that would too much eclipse their greatness, and disappoint their ends, and therefore they kept of the king with fair pretences from coming to Scotland, and all other resolutions till a strict Guard was put about him; And within a few days he was delivered over to the Parliaments Commissioners. I cannot forget also to mention, how in the Parliament of Scotland, they made a fair show in reasoning for the king; but when it came to the Vote concerning his delivery, the two brethren were in the negative themselves, but all their nearest friends and dependers, whose voice they use to command as much as their own, were in the affirmative.  
It may be remembered likewise how they kept correspondence with the Sectaries; for little good to his Majesty (I suppose) if all the truth were known.  
However I perceive, that they have juggled so betwixt the king and his people, as they have got into their hands the Government of one Kingdom, though they dare not take off the mask; you will see that they will manage both peace and war, so as to keep power in their own hands; they will agree with any party to obtain their ends, and let them pretend what they will for restoring the king, they will really obstruct it: For let any rational man judge, whether he that durst take the boldness in the days of his Majesty's prosperity to aspire to the Crown, will not in his Majesty's low condition, be ready to take the opportunity to prosecute the same design. In the late declaration which you say is drawn by Lanerk, I see they pretend as fair for the Presbyterian Religion as for the king, when in reality, they are no further friends or enemies to any Religion, then may serve for their ends and strengthen their interest against the king and his posterity, whereof there is no mention in that declaration; and let the Presbyterians think of them what they will, I make no question, but if the Duke could be king of Scotland, his tender conscience might without the help of Divines, be persuaded to digest with a moderate Episcopacy, though we love not to buy it at that rate. How Absalon like do they court the people with pretences for the good of Religion, king and Kingdoms; as if they intended nothing, but to perform their vows in Hebron?  
I conjure you by the duty you own to God, and the love you bear to the king and his posterity, that you carefully take heed to their serpentine ways, and give no belief even to their sacrest professions or greatest oaths; for than least of all are they to be trusted, as I could easily clear unto you from experience of their former deal. But I will not further weary you, and those doubting friends, to whom you are to communicate this letter, for whose cause I have been much larger, than I intended when I put pen to paper yesternight. Touching the State of affairs here, and what course shall be taken in relation to Hamilton and his party, so as the king's affairs may suffer least prejudice, I refer you to a letter from 123. and another from 271. And so rest.  
Your Faithful Servant, London May 23. 1648.  
Postscript.  
I forgot to mention that one of Hamiltons' predecessors in king james the sixth his time, was forfeited by act of Parliament, for his aspiring to the Crown.  
FINIS.