58 A Defence of the Scots 



lowing the King a {landing Force, for fear, as 

 they pretend, of lofing their Liberties ; but all 

 their Oppofition in that rcfpeS would fignify 

 little, if (in cafe of a Rupture)' our Nation 

 fhould take part with the Court, and bring in 

 22000 men, with 6 weeks Provifions and Pay, 

 as we are obli:^'d to do by AQ, of Parliannent, 

 for his Afliftance. This makes it evident that 

 it is not the intereft of England to flight an U- 

 nion with us fo much as ihey have don : for fo 

 long as we remain divided, any King that is (b 

 minded, may make ufe of ns to inflaveonc a- 

 nother ; and any envious Neighbour, whofe- 

 Intereft it is to keep this Ifland low, will be. 

 lure to blow the Goals. If they'd but turn the 

 Tables, and make our Cafe their own, they 

 would quickly befarisfiedof the truth of what 

 we advance. Suppofing that the Government 

 of Scotland fhould traverfe the Aftings of the 

 Government of EngUnd in relation to their 

 Trade, &c. as they have done ours; and fup- 

 pofing that a'^afliament of ScotUnd^ when 

 tlie King were there, fhould queftion him for 

 the Navigation Acl, and that for thelncourage- 

 ment of Trade in EngUndhy K.CharlesU. which 

 lays us under fuch hard Circumftances and Re^ 

 ftridions, the EngUfh would certainly very 

 much refent it, and Ipeedily tell us we meddled 

 with what did not belong to us : Then why 

 fliould they deny us the like liberty in reference 

 to their Proceedings againft us, feeing we are 

 a iicQ Nation as well as they ? 



They 



