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ascertained that certain companies of men were levying
in Scotland and ready to embark under the leadership of
Ramsay, Stewart, and others”; “that 1000 men had
already embarked at Caithness to fall upon Norway” (then,
as it will be remembered, subject to Denmark).1 This
offence was all the more inexcusable as it was only a
few months since the same ambassador had to write
to Scotland about a certain Earl of Orkney (Robert
Douglas), who had made a piratical descent on Norway,
but was suspected of having a commission for levying and
transporting troops for the service of Sweden. Strong
representations were made in Edinburgh, whilst the
explanations of Sir Robert at Copenhagen, to the effect
that his king did not know anything about it, that the levies
consisted only of voluntary men “ of whom the country
was full for want of employment, now that the general
peace between England and Scotland had been restored,
and that at the same time great distress had arisen from
the excess of population (!),” appear to have found but
little credence. The consequence was that King James
at last awoke from his inactivity. He pleaded absolute
ignorance. Up till then he had been under the
impression, he said, that the levies were intended against
Russia (31st of July 1612). The matter was
immediately submitted to the Privy Council, and not many
days afterwards two Proclamations were issued against
the transport of soldiers and their enlistment for Sweden
(August 4th), whilst two acts were passed, one “ charging
and accusing Captains Hay, Ker, and Sinclair with having
enlisted men for the wars in Sweden, and ordering them
1 See letters of the English ambassador, Sir R. Anstruther, to King
James on the 9th and 10th of August, in Mitchell, History of the Scottish
Expedition to Norway in 1612 (Christiania), 1882, an excellent little book,
full of trustworthy information.
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