for supporting of the King and us bearing authoritie; quhilk order had been sufficient for the haill, give the ciuil trouble had not occurrit; yet the disobedience growand so universallie, we are content to sustaine ane part of the inlaik and loss for the tyme past. But because there hes bene murmure and grudge for that thing assignit to the King’s houss and ours, and some other needfull things in the State, as that thereby the Ministers were frustrate of their appointit stipends, some communicatione was had at St Androis, and nothing yet concludit qwhill the Generall Assembly of the Kirk, quhilk now moves us wreit to yow in this forme, prayand yow richtlie to consider the necessitie of the cause, and how the same hes proceeded frae the beginning, haveing respect, that the Kirk will not be very well obeyit without the King’s authoritie and power, and that now the propertie of the Crowne is not able to sustaine the ordinarie chairges. How in the beginning the thrids had not been grantit giue the necessitie of the prince had not been ane of the chief causes; and at the parliament, the estates, as we have before written, stak to consent that the haill thrids sould be declareit to pertaine to the ministrie, whill first we take in hand, that they being made without conditione in favours of the Kirk, the same wold againe condescend to so meikle as wold be sufficient to the support of the publick affaires, in furthsetting of the King’s authoritie, and that therefore we will agrie and condescend to ane certaine and speciall assignatione of it, that sall be imployit to this use: The quantity qwhairof, diverse of your selves and the beirer heirof, Mr John Wood, our servant, can informe you, that after ye may distribute to everie ane haveing chairge in the Kirk of God his stipend, according to the conditione of the place he serves in, according to your wisdomes discretione. Hereby, all confusione that lang hes troublit the estate of the Kirk toward the stipend, shall be avoidit, and some speciall provision being made for sustaining of their publick chairges, we may the better hald hand to sie the Kirk obeyit of that whereon the ministers should live, as ye shall reporte. That dureing our travells in the north countrey, they have found our effectious good will, and travellit in their furtherance. Farder, we man put yow in minde brieflie of ane matter that occurrit at our late being in Elgine. Ane Nicoll Sudderland in Forres was put to the knawledge of ane assyse for incest, and with him the woman: the assyse hes convict him of the fault; but the question is, whether the same be incest or not, so that we behovit to delay the executione whill we might have your resolutione at this Assemblie. The case is, that the woman was harlot of before to the said Nicoll’s mother brother. Herein Mr Robert Pont can informe yow mair amplie, to whais sufficiencie we remitt the rest. Mair over, at our coming at Aberdeen, there came ane named Porterfield, minister, provydit