cōstant y{r} foir in doctrine that anis publictlie ze have professit, lat nocht sclandrous dayis draw zow away fra Jesus Christ, nayir lat the prosperitie of the wickit move zow to follow it nor yame. ffor howsoeuer it be yat God appeiris to neglect his awin for ane seasoun, zit he remanis ane Just Juge quha nathir can nor will justifie the wickit. I am nocht ignorant yat mony wald that I suld enter in particulare determinatioun of thir ꝓn̄t trubles, to quhome I planelie and simplie āswer yat as I neuir excedit ye boundis of Goddis scriptures, sua will I nocht do in yis pairt by Godis grace. Bot heirof I am assurit be him quha nathair can dissave nor be dissavit yat the castell of Edinbur{t}, in the qlk all the murthour all the truble & the haill destructioun of yis puir commounweill was Inventit, as our awin eis may witness, by yaim & by yair mātenaris was put in executioun, sall cum to destructioun mantene it quhasa list, The destructioun I say of body & saull, except yai repent. I luik not to the momētary prosperitie of ye wicked, ze not althot yai suld remane conquerors to the cūing of o{r} lord Jesus, bot I luik to this sentence, that quhasaeuir scheddis Innocent bluid defyles the land and provoikis Godis wrath aganis {415} himself & the land, vntill his bluid be sched agane be ordor of law to satisfie gods anger. This is nocht the first tyme that ze haif hard this sentence. althot yat mony at all tymes sturrit at sik severitie I zit afferme the same being reddy to entir to gif compt befoir his Maiestie of the stewartship he committit vnto me. I knaw in my death the rumours salbe strange, bot be ze nocht trublit abone measor, belouit in the Lord Jesus. Bot zit agane I say, remane cōstāt in ye trewt, & he quha of his m̅cie send me, conductit me, and prosperet ye work in my hand aganis Sathan will provide for zow abundantlie, quhen yat athir my bluid sall wattir the doctrine taucht be me, or he of his mercie vtherwayis provide to put ane end to yis my battell. My executors I mak constitute & ordane m̅garet Stewart my spous, Martha Margaret & Elizabeth knoxis my dochteris, and the faithfull to be ōrsmen. To my tua sones Nathaneell & Eleazare Knoxis I unfeignedlie leif ye same benedictioun yat yair dairest mider Mariorie Bowss left vnto yaim To wit that God for his sone christ Jesus saik wald of his mercie mak yaim his trew fereris and als vpricht worschippers of him as ony yat euer sprang out of Abrahames loynes, quhairto now as than I fra my trublit hart say amen. ffurther I have delyuerit be Maister Randulphe to Mr Robert Bowss schereff of the bischoprik & bruder to ye said Mariorie my vmqle dairest spous ye sowme of fyve hundreth punds of scottis money to ye vtilitie and proffett of my saidis tua sonis, The qlk money is yat pairt of substāce yat fell or pertenit to yaim be the deces of Mariorie Bowss yair moder of blissit memory, And augmētit be me as I my{t} or may spair to mak out the said sowme, for I ressavit of y{r}is