Scottish Address to the Prince of Orange, January 10, 1689

The following address was subscribed by some thirty lords and about eighty gentlemen. It was presented to the Prince of Orange at St. James's by the Duke of Hamilton.

A printed version of the text can be found on page 445 of State Tracts (London: Richard Baldwin, 1692; reprinted by Scholarly Resources, 1973).

We, the Lords and gentlemen of the Kingdom of Scotland assembled at Your Highness's desire in this extraordinary conjuncture, do give Your Highness our humble and hearty thanks for your pious and generous undertaking, for preserving of the Protestant Religion, and restoring the laws and liberties of these kingdoms.

In order to the attaining these ends, our humble advice and desire is that Your Higness take upon you the administration of all affairs both civil and military, the disposal of the public revenues and fortresses of the Kingdom of Scotland, and the doing everything that is necessary for the preservation of the peace of the kingdom, until a general meeting of the States of the nation, which we humbly desire Your Highness to call, to be holden at Edinburgh the fourteenth day of March next, by your letters or proclamation to be published at the Market-cross of Edinburgh and other head boroughs of the seveal shires and stewartries, as sufficient intimation to all concerned and according to the custom of the kingdom. And that the publication of these your letters or proclamation, be by the sheriffs or stewart-clerks, for the free-holders who have the value of lands holden according to law, for making elections, and by the town-clerks of the several boroughs, for the meeting of the whole burgesses of the respective royal boroughs, to make their elections at least fifteen days before the meeting of the Estates at Edinburgh; and the respective clerks to make intimation thereof at least ten days before the meetings for elections. And that the whole electors and members of the said meeting at Edinburgh, qualified as above expressed, be Protestants, without any other exception or limitation whatsoever; to deliberate and resolve what is to be done for securing the Protestant Religion and restoring the laws and liberties of the kingdom according to Your Highness's Declaration.

Dated at the Council-Chamber in Whitehall, the tenth day of January, 1689.