I R  
DIEV ET MON DROIT   royal blazon or coat of arms  
A DECLARATION, And Offer of Duty by the Kingdom of Scotland, with an Annexation of the Excise to the CROWN.  
Edinburgh, April 28. 1685.  
THE ESTATES of PARLIAMENT, now convened by His Majesty's Sovereign Authority, Taking in to their Consideration, How this Nation hath now continued upwards of Two thousand Years in the unaltered Form of Our Monarchical Government, Under the uninterrupted Line of One Hundred and Eleven Kings, whose Sacred Authority and Power hath been upon all signal occasions, so owned and assisted by Almighty God, That Our Kingdom hath been protected from Conquest, our Possessions Defended from Strang●●●, Our Civil Commotions brought into wished Events, Our Laws vigorously Executed, Our Propertie● legally fixed, and Our Lives securely preserved; So that We and our Ancestors have enjoyed those Securities and Tranquillities, which the greater and more flourishing Kingdoms have frequently wanted. Those great Blessings we own in the first place to Divine Mercy; And in Dependence on that, To the Sacred Race of our glorious Kings, and to the solid, absolute Authority wherewith they were Invested by the first and fundamental Law of Our Monarchy; Nor can either our Records, or our Experience instance our being deprived of those happy Effects, but when a Rebellious Party did by Commotions and Seditions, Invade the King's Sovereign Authority, which was the Cause of our Prosperity; Yet so far hath our primitive Constitution, and fundamental Laws prevailed against the Innovations and Seditions of Turbulent Men, as that these Interruptions never terminated, but either in the Ruin, or at least the Suppression of these who at any time did Rebel, or Rise in oppo●tion to Our Government. And since so many Ages hath assured to Us the great Advantages, which flow down to all Ranks of People from ●he happy Constitution of Our Monarchy, and that all Our Calamities have ever arisen from Seditious Invasions, upon those Sacred Rights 〈◊〉 Therefore the Estates of Parliament for Themselves, and in Name of the whole Kingdom, Judge themselves obliged to Declare, And they Do Declare to the World, That they Abhor and Detest, not only the Authors and Actors of all preceding Rebellions against the Sovereign, ●ut likewise all Principles and Positions which are contrair●, or Derogatory to the King's Sacred, Supreme Sovereign, absolute Power and Authority, which none, whether Persons, or Collective Bodies can participate of, any manner of way, or upon any pretext, but in Dependence 〈◊〉 him, and by Commission from him. And as their Duty formerly did bind them to own, and assert the just and legal Succession of the Sacred ●ine, as unalterable by any humane Jurisdiction; So now on this occasion, They for Themselves and the whole Nation Represented by Them, in most Humble and Dutiful manner, Do Renew the hearty and sincere ofter of their Lives and Fortunes, To Assert, Support, Defend ●nd Maintain King JAMES the Seventh, their present Glorious Monarch, and his Heirs and Lawful Successors in the Possession of their Crowns, Sovereignty, Prerogatives, Authority, Dignity, Rights and Possessions against all Mortals, and therewithal to assure all his Enemies, who shall adventure on the Disloyalty of Disobeying his Laws, or on the Impiety of Invading his Rights, That these shall sooner weary of their Wickedness, than they of their Duty, and that they firmly resolve to give their entire Obedience to his Majesty without reserve, against ●ll His Enemies, Foreign or Intestine; And they Solemnly Declare, That as they are bound by Law, so they are voluntarly and firmly Resolved, That all of this Nation, betwixt sixty and sixteen. Armed and Provided, according to their Abilities, shall be in readiness for His Majesty's Service, where, and as oft as it shall be His Royal Pleasure to require them.  
And since the Excise of Inland, and Foreign Commodities granted to King CHARLES the Second of ever Blessed Memory, by the 14. Act of the Parliament 1661. during all the Days of His Life-time, and Prorogat by the 8. Act of the Parliament 1681. For five Years thereafter, will shortly terminat; And the Estates of Parliament Considering the usefulness of this Grant, to Support the Interest of the Crown; Do, as the first Evidence of their Sincerity, in the foresaid Tender of their Duty, humbly, and unanimously, Offer to His most Sacred Majesty, King JAMES the Seventh, their present Monarch, and to His Lawful Heirs and Successors, in the Imperial Crown of Scotland, The ●aid Excise of Inland and Foreign Commodities, expressed in the said 14 Act of Parliament 1661. To be Collected in the manner prescrived by ●he said 8. Act of the Parliament 1681. FOR EVER, And His Majesty and Estates of Parliament, by force of this Act, Have United, Annexed, ●nd Incorporated, and Units, Annexes and Incorporates the same to the Crown of this Realm, to remain therewith in annexed Property, in all ●●me coming: And in respect that the alteration in the Method of Collecting the Inland Excise, from what it was by the Act 1661. To that pre●●●ived by the 8. Act, Parliament 1681. will require some time to Establish it in Collection, Therefore His Majesty, with Consent of the estates, Continues the Collection prescrived by the 14 Act Parliament 1661. of the Inland Excise, for three Months, from the first of May next plenarly.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1685.