'Oath Offered to the Scots in London (1639)'

Every wensdaye, and Fridaye, since the lords haue sett in Counsell since Whitsontyde, the scotch men about the the Court, and Citty, haue bine sommond to the boord to take this oath following, the coppy of which I could not gett, till most of them had swoarne yt, It is as followeth I. AB. doe faithfully sweare, protest, and promise, that I will honour, and obay my soveraigne lord kinge Charles, and will beare faithfull, and true allegience vnto him, and defend, and mayntayne his royall power, and authority, And that I will not beare Armes, or doe any rebellious, or hostile act against him, or protest against any of his royall commaunds, but submitt my selfe in all due obedience in all due obedience therevnto, And that I will not enter into any Covenant, or bond of mutuall defence, and assistance against all sorts of persons whatsoever: or into any Covenant, or bond of mutuall defence, and assistence against any person whatsoever by force, without his Ma[jes]t[y']s leave, and royall authoritie, And I doe renounce, and abiure all oathes, Covenants, and bonds whatsoever, contrary to what I haue here in swoarne, protested, and promised soe helpe mee God in christ Iesus: The lords of the Counsell administer this oath by a Commission under the greate seale: lord Keeper tells those, whoe are to receave it, that their Country men in Ireland, petitiond to take an oath, to shewe their loyalties in this tyme of the defection of their Country men in the kingdome of Scotland, And that they haveing all taken it, his Ma[jes]tie thinkes it fitt, those his servants of that nation, and all others within, and about the Citty of london should alsoe take the same oath, which all of them haue done that haue bine yet calld without scruple, save onely S[i]r Iohn Witchard of the privey Chamber, whoe the last Fridaye, desired the coppy of it, before hee swoare to it, that hee might haue till the next sitting to consier yt, promseing either then to take yt, or if hee should not, to submitt himselfe to the sensure, which should bee donedue vnto him for refuseing yt, which is graunted: I haue heard this reason given, why the coppy of this oath was conceald all this while, because, when any thing of this nature is publisht, some Covenanter, or ill affected person raiseth one Quære, or other, thereby to overthrowe the kings service in it, and to trouble those mens braines, whome it concernes: