r begynningis, or ellis our libertieis heirefter
sall be deirar bocht. [SN: ANE PROVERB.] Lett us surelie[934] be
perswaidit, 'Quhan our nychtbouris house be on fyre, that we duell
nott without daingear.'[935] Lett na man withdraw himself heirfra:
and gif any will be sa unhappy and myschevous, (as we suppone nane
to be,) let us altogidder reput, hald, and use him, (as he is
indeid,) for ane ennemy to us, and to him self, and to his
commun-weill. The eternall and omnipotent God, the trew and onlie
revengear of the oppressit, be oure confort and oure protectour
against the fury and raige of the tyrantis of this warld; and
especiallie frome the insaciabill covetousnes of the
Guisianeis[936] generatioun. AMEN."

Besydis this, our publict letter, sum men answerit certane heidis of hir
proclamatioun on this maner:--

"Gyff it be seditious to speik the treuth in all sobrietie, and to
complayne quhan thay ar woundit, or to call for help against unjust
tyrannie befoir that thair throttis be cutt, than can we not deny,
bot we ar criminall and giltie of tumult and seditioun. For we have
said that our commun-wealth is oppressit, that we and our brethren
ar hurt be the tyrrannie of strangearis, and that we feir bondage
and slaverie, seing that multitudeis of cruell murtheraris ar
daylie brocht in our cuntrey, without our counsall, or knawlege and
consent. We dispuit not sa mekill quhidder the bringing in of ma
Frensche men be violating of the Appointment, (quhilk the Quene nor
hir factioun can not deny to be manifestlie brokin be thame, in ma
caisses than ane,) as that we wald knaw, gif the heipping of
strangearis upoun strangearis above us, without our counsall or
consent, be ane thing that may stand with the libertie of our
realme, and with the proffitt of our commun wealth. It is not
unknawin to all men of jugement, that the fruitis of our cuntrey,
in the maist commun yeiris, be na mair than sufficient reassonabill
to nureis the borne inhabitantis of the same. Bot now, seing that
we have bene vexit with weiris, taikin upoun us at the plesour of
France, by the quhilk the maist fruttfull portioun of our cuntrey
in corneis hes bene waistit; quhatt man is sa blynd bot that he may
see, that sic bandis of ungodlie and idill suldiouris can be na
thing ellis bot ane occ