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the king, with scarcely 1000. The personal enemies, to whom he 

 alludes, were those, who attempted to supplant him, on account of 

 his partiality to an alliance with England, his hostility to popery, 

 his promoting a good understanding between the court and the 

 church, and his opposition to the king's marriage. As to the 

 church, however, the king, notwithstanding his antipathy to its con- 

 stitution and the conduct of its ministers, shewed, on one occasion, a 

 greater regard to its true interest than the chancellor. When he 

 advised the king, to " leave the ministers to their own courses, 

 saying, that, in a short time, they would become so intolerable, that 

 the people would chase them out of the country :" " True," answered 

 the king, " if I were purposed to undo the church and religion, 1 

 should think your counsel not ill : but my mind is to maintain both ; 

 therefore I cannot suffer them to run into these disorders, that will 

 make religion to be despised." 



Agreeably to the directions in this letter. Colonel William Stuart 

 and Patrick Galloway were despatched with six ships to escort the 

 king and queen. " The towns of Leith, Edinburgh and Canon- 

 gate," (which was then a separate borough) " were under arms to 

 receive them. On the 1st of May they landed, and on the 17th the 

 queen was crowned. Some ministers were appointed to attend, and 

 Robert Bruce anointed her and placed the crown upon her head, in 

 the abbey church of Holyrood-house. The ministers objected strong- 

 ly to the ceremony of unction ; but the king insisted on it, and 

 Bruce complied, though his brethren threatened him with church 

 censures. Andrew Melvill separated from the rest, and it was 

 then carried by a plurality of votes. Robert himself was married in 

 the following month to a daughter of James Douglas of Parkhead, 

 who had killed the Earl of Arran. 

 The familiar note in his majesty's hand (No. V.), was probably 



