Scottish thistle  French fleur-de-lis  Tudor rose  
THE SPEECH OF JOHN Earl of Tullibardine.  
His Majesty's High Commissioner to the Parliament of SCOTLAND, On Tuesday the Eight of September, 1696.  
My Lords and Gentlemen,  
WE Enjoy the Unvaluable Blessing of a King, who is not only of the same Religion with Us, but who daily Exposes himself to the greatest Dangers for its Defence and Our Safety; all good Men had a just Sense of this, on the happy Discovery of the late horrid Design of Assassination and Invasion, and I wish, We may Show Our Gratitude to God as we ought for that Delivery; and in the next place that you cheerfully embrace this Opportunity of giving new Marks of Your Duty to the King; Who if He should Require any thing from You for his own particular Uses, I am persuaded This Parliament would readily agree to it, but His Majesty Desires nothing from You, but that You take this occasion to do every thing, that's  for Your Own and the Kingdom's Safety, in Preserving all that's dear to Us from His and Our Enemies.  
I know You are so fully convinced of the Necessity there is of Supplies, for the Support of the Government and Maintenance of the Standing Forces, that I need not make Use of Arguments: Therefore I shall only mention what is  to be Provided, and is Expected from you by the King.  
The Fonds of the last Supplies are fallen so short, that the Troops are already much in Arear, and the late Designs against Us made it Remarkable, how ill. We were Provided of Arms and Ammunition, and that the Garrisons and Forts are much out of Repair.  
What was Appointed for Buying and Maintaining of Ships to Guard Our Coasts, is also come to much less than was Imagined.  
What You give for these Ends, the King does Expect will be as large as You can, and in the most Equal and Easy Manner for the Country, and when the Recruits are wanted for Our Troops Abroad, that You take Care they be ordered with as little Expense and Trouble as can be.  
It is Expected You will take the most Effectual Method for Putting the Kingdom in a Posture of Defence, which may be a Means for Discouraging Our Enemies from Forming Designs to Disturb Our present Quiet and Happiness.  
I am Instructed to Pass Acts for Suppressing of Profanity, and for Kerbing of Vice: And it is Expected, what you do in this, may be made Effectual for obtaining the Ends, and that they be afterwards Impartially put in Execution by those of the Government. And I must tell you my Lords and Gentlemen, That your Sincere Endeavours and Example in this, will very much Recommend you to Our King.  
I am Allowed by His Majesty to assure you, that He is Resolved to Maintain Presbyterian Government in the Church of Scotland; And that it will be very acceptable to Him, that Difference amongst Churchmen be Composed: And He particularly Recommends moderation in those Matters.  
I am Allowed to give encouragement to Universities and Schools, which Last, are wanting in too many Places, especially in the Highlands.  
I am also Impowered to Consent to such Laws, as shall be necessary for Securing your Rights and Properties.  
This Season of the Year, In which the Kings other Affairs hath Obliged Him to Call you, Does Require your Diligence in Putting an End to the Affairs before you, as soon as possible you can. And I am Glad to have Ground to Hope, you will manage them with that Unanimity and Concord, which the King hath so often Recommended to you.  
I shall not Trouble you with what Concerns myself, I am very Sensible of my Unfitness for the Weighty and Honourable Charge I bear: I can only say, That I Earnestly Desire, to be Instrumental in doing Service to my King and Country, and am very Confident of your Hearty Concurrence.   

THE SPEECH OF PATRICK Lord POLWARTH, Lord HIGH-CHANCELLOR of SCOTLAND.  
At the Opening of the sixth Session of the PARLIAMENT of SCOTLAND.  
On Tuesday the eighth of September, 1696.  
My Lords and Gentlemen,  
YOur being again Called together, while our Sovereign Lord the King, is Abroad beyond Sea, is a new Proof of His Majesty's great Confidence in you, which no doubt, will be a strong Obligation upon you, to Acquit yourselves as Dutifully as if His Majesty were present with you:  
This is our first Meeting, since it pleased the Almighty to give us a great Deliverance, by Discovering and Defeating the late Execrable and Hellish Plot, and Conspiracy, for Assassinating our King, and Invading his Kingdoms:  
That Signal Mercy of His Majesty's Preservation, cannot but Enlarge our Hearts, in Thankfulness to GOD, in Love to our King, and in Resolution and Vigilancy against His Enemies:  
It is an Inestimable Blessing, that GOD has set over us, and preserves unto us, a King not only Professing the Reformed Religion, but who also is so Pious in the Practice, and so Zealous in the Defence of it:  
A King, who has given to this Nation, many Convincing, Demonstrations of His Peculiar Favour towards it; And among others, that of Establishing Presbyterian Government in this Church, and giving us Assurance that He will Maintain it: Let our Prudence, Charity, and Moderation ever Encourage Him to do it:  
His Majesty and His Kingdoms, have very Powerful Enemies, who with Mighty Armies, do what they can to continue the War: While they are so Diligent, we are not to be Remiss nor Secure:  
'Tis true this War, the greatest that ever was in Europe, and wherein we are necessarily Engaged, is by the Blessing of GOD upon the Courage, and Conduct of our King, removed to such a Distance, as that we the Subjects, know little of it, but by the News we hear: We live at Home, free from the Calamities which Afflict the Seat of a War; but at the same time, our King, our Deliverer Travels, and Watches by Day and by Night, Traverses Sea and Land, Exposes His Precious Life to Dangers, that we may be in Safety, that we may be at Ease.  
We are then to Consider seriously what Stedable Service we can do to His Majesty, in a Sense of our Duty and Gratitude: and to set about it, with all Diligence and Unanimity.  
The Commissioner's Grace has very suitably to his Character of Fidelity to the King, and Love to His Country, in His Majesties Name Recommended to you Matters which highly concern the King's Service, and the countries' Interest, (the same thing in different Terms) so that I need to say little.  
But you know, there is a Necessity to Establish a Fund sufficient for paying the Forces kept in the Country, and for Maintaining the Forts and Castles in a fit Condition.  
And because, for sparing the Kingdom's Expense, His Majesty, does not keep so many Troops here, as might be Requisite, for our Defence, in case any considerable Attempt from Abroad were made upon the Land. It is as necessary, that the Country be put in some better Posture, and be better Provided of Arms and Ammunition.  
The Settling an Effectual Method for Recruiting the Troops of this Nation which are Abroad, is one good mean, to keep the War at the distance it is; and nothing can more Encourage our Men to go common Soldiers, than that a good course be laid down, whereby they who Return disabled from the Service, may be comfortably Maintained.  
The Trade of the Nation doth likeways Require your Care of Maintaining Frigates for Guarding your Coasts, and Convoying your Merchants.  
It is not to be Doubted, but you will gain time, every Consideration pressing you to it, and fall upon suitable Methods, to Answer His Majesty's Expectation in these things: for you see how willing His Majesty is to Assent to such Laws, as are needful for securing your Rights, and Properties; for Encouraging Piety and Virtue: for Suppressing Vice and Profanity, for Educating your Youth, in Knowledge and Learning: And indeed to do for you, whatever doth Tend to your Prosperity and Happiness.  
Be pleased to Turn your Thoughts to His Majesties other Kingdoms, in the same Bottom with this; and Consider the English, that Wise, Magnanimous, and Powerful Nation, how Liberally, and Courageously they have Acted, in Maintaining the common Cause, take an Encouragement of them, and let your Actings be of Encouragement to them.  
What you do, my Lords, and Gentlemen, in this your High Capacity, is usually Expressed by a very Becoming Name, it is Called the King's Service, while to Speak it plainly, you are Consulting, and Acting for yourselves; you Reap the Fruit; the Advantage is yours.  
How great a Happiness is it, that what we do for ourselves, has such a Vein of Love, and Fidelity to our King; incorporated with it, as makes it to Merit the Title of His Majesty's Service: And that our King as Father of the Country, is graciously pleased to Consider the Good we do for ourselves, as the best Service we can do to Him: May it ever be thus, let it never fail on our Part, that as our King has been a Blessing from Heaven to us, so his Majesty may have Reason to think, that His Loving and Dutiful Subjects, are the like to Him.