Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

throne and the great disturber of his kingdom. Thus
Charles II, while he played the tyrant at home, was
content to be the pensioner abroad.
The subserviency of the English Government to
France was carried still further. After England had
made peace with Holland the French king sent out
his privateers, which scoured the Channel, made
prizes of English merchantmen, and came so close
in shore in these piratical expeditions, that our
ships were seized at the very entrance of their
harbors. The king's Government submitted to these
insults, not indeed from any principle of Christian
forbearance, but because it dared not demand
reparation for the wrongs of its subjects at the hand
of the King of France.[1] Instead of enforcing
redress, insults were recompensed with favors, and
vast stores of warlike ammunition, guns, iron, shot,
gunpowder, pikes, and other weapons were sent
across, to arm the fortresses and ships of France.
This transportation of warlike material continued to
go on, more or less openly, from June, 1675, to
June, 1677. [2] Such was the reprisal we took of
the French for burning our ships and robbing our
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