An EXHORTATION TO THE SCOTTS to conforme themselves to the honourable expedient and godly union betwene the two realmes of Englande and Scotland dedicated to Edward duke of Somerset by James Harryson LONDON PRINTED by Rich. Grafton 1547. ¶ TO the right high and mightie prince Edward Duke of Somerset Etle of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp lorde Seymour Gouernor of the persone of the Kynges Maiestie of Englande and Protector of all his Realmes Dominions and Subiectes his lieuetenaunt generall of all his armies bothe by lande and by sea Tresore◠and Erle Marshall of Englande Gouernor of the Isles of Gernsey and Gersey and knight of the moste noble ordre of the Garter Iames Harryson Scottisheman wisheth healthe honor and felicitie CAllyng to mynde as I do oft moste excellent Prince the ciuill discencion and mortal enemitie betwene the twoo Realmes of Englande and Scotlande it bryngeth me in muche marueill how betwene so nere neighbors dwellyng with in one land compassed within one sea alied in bloude and knitte in Christes faithe suche vnnaturall discorde should so long continue Vnnaturall I maie wel call it or rather a Ciuill warre where brethren kynsmen or countreymen be diuided and seke the bloud of eche other a thyng detestable before God horrible to the worlde and pernicious to the parties and no lesse straunge in the iyes of reasonable men then if the lymmes and membres of mannes body should fall out within them selfes as the hand to hurte the foote or the fote the hande If any vtilitie or gain should growe thereby it were the lesse maruail but when there doth nothyng ensue but suche fruite as warre bryngeth furthe whiche is fackyng of tounes subuersion of holdes murder of men rauishinēt of women slaughter of olde folke and infantes burnyng of houses and corne with hunger and pestilence twoo buddes of thesame tre and finally the vtter ruyne of the whole kyngdom I wonder that eemōgest so many pollitique rulers as be and haue been in both realmes the nuschief so long spied the remedy hath not yet bee sought Who is so blynd that doth not see it or who so harde harted that doth not pitie it I omitte here to speake of the greate afflicciōs and miserie whiche Scotlande hath susteined by warres in tymes passed a matter ouer lōg to be rehersed and yet to great to be forgotten But to come to later tyme what hath been doen within these sixe yeres sithe the warres wer reuined how the coūtrey hath been ouer runne spoyled and heried by Englishemen on the one side and by our awne warremen or rather robbers on the other side to speke nothyng of the plague of God it would greue any harte to thinke If this miserie fell onely vpō the mouers and mainteiners of suche mischief it were lesse to be lamented but thei sitte safe at home and kepe holy daie when the feldes lie ful of their bodies whose deathes thei moste cruelly and vuchristiāly haue procured If Edēbrough Lieth Louthian Mers or Tiuidale had tongues to speake their loude complainte would perse the deafe eares But what nedeth spethe when their iyes maie se plain enough what their deuillish hartes haue deuised This miserie is muche to be sorowed and more to be sorowed then their wickednes to be detesied whiche haue kyndled the fire and still late on brandes to feede thesame In whom if either respect of Religion whiche thei professe or zeale of Iustice whereunto thei are sworne either feare of God or loue to their countrey did any thyng woorke thei would refuse no trauaill nor torment of body nor mynde no nor death if it wer offered for the sauegarde of theim whose distruccion thei haue wrought And these bee onely twoo sortes the one is of suche as either for feare of their Hypocrisy to bee reueled or euill gotten possessions to be transiated would haue no peace nor cōcord the other bee suche as for a lawelesse libertie and doyng wrōg vnpunished would pull out their heddes from all lawe and obedience Such and none other be aduersaries to our cause If these if sortes I saie should fele but half the miserie whiche the poore people be driuen to suffre thei would not be halfe so hastie to ryng alarmes These be thei whiche professyng knowledge abuse the ignoraunce of the nobilitie and commonaltie to the destrucciō of bothe hauyng peace in their mouthes and all rancor and vengeaunce in their hartes pretendyng religion perswade rebellion preachyng obedience procure al disobedience semyng to forsake all thyng possesse all thyng callyng themselfes spirituall are in deede moste carnall and reputed heddes of the Churche bee the onely shame and slaunder of the Churche If these people would as earnesty trauail for the concord of bothe realmes as thei indeuour with toothe and naill to the contrary these mischeues aforesaied should either not haue happened or els at the least not so long haue continued by whose lure so long as the nobles and cōmons of Scotlande be led I am in dispaire of any amitie or frendship betwene these two realmes GOD bryng their falsehed once to light and turne their iniquitie vpon their awne heddes BVT to my purpose seyng the mischief so greate the aucthors so many the mainteinaunce so strōg and so few that seke amendement in declaraciō of mine earnest zeale and vnfained affeccion towardes my coūtrey I in default of other put my self in prease And though least able yet moste willyng and desirous of the honor and quiet of bothe realmes whiche cause seing it correspondeth to vertue godlinesse me thought it conuenient to seke for the same a patrone vertuous and Godly whereby your grace entered my remembraunce whose procedynges hetherto haue made manifest to the worlde what an ardent zeale ye beare to thaduauncement of all veritie truth So that all men conceiue certain hope that by your high wisedom pollicie and other Princely vertues the stormes of this tempestious worlde shall shortely come to a calme And seyng God hath not onely called you to the height of this estate but so prospered your grace in all affaires bothe of war and peace as your actes bee comparable to theirs whiche beare moste fame your grace cānot merite more towardes GOD or the worlde then to put your helpyng hande to the furtheraunce of this cause Hereby shall you declare an incōparable seruice to the kynges Maiestie of England whiche beyng young of yeres is yet ripe in vertue to gouerne any kyngdom whose excellent giftes of nature and inclinacion to all Godlinesse considered the world is in opiniō that he shal bee nothyng inferior to the greate honor and glorie of his father whose praises I ouer passe fyndyng my selfe vnable to expresse them in any degree But sith your grace as a person moste electe is called to the gouernan̄ce and tuiciō of his persone and proteccion of his realmes and dominions all mennes expectacion is that hauyng so apte a moulde to worke vpō you shall so frame his you the with verteous
preceptes Godly examples and sincere educacion as he shall proue a Kyng equal with those whom old histories do moste commend Wherein your graces laude cannot wante beyng so worthie a gouernor of so noble a kyng and muche more if by your pollicie diligēce and circumspeccion he shal at his perfect yeres bee restaured to the whole isle of Britayn wherunto as he is iustely entitled So God the protector of al iust causes shal bryng your attēptes therin to good successe For the furtheraunce whereof I haue declared myne opinion in writyng whiche with humble harte I offre and dedicate vnto your good grace not as a gyfte worthie so greate an estate but yet not vnmete for my purpose ne for the tyme occasion present wherin though I neither perswade my cause so pithihely ne open it so liuely as to so weightie a matter is requisite Yet it maie serue either for a testimonye of myne honest meanyng or minister occasion to better learned men to dilate this argument more largely whereby all warre and hostilitie maie cease and peace and concord take place GOD the verie aucthor of peace euer preserue your grace to the increase of the same and furtheran̄ce of all Godlinesse and graunte to the Kynges Maiestie of England his righteous possession of the whole monarchie of Britayn to thaduauncemēt of Gods glory cōfort to his lieges and confusion of his enemies DIEV ET MON DROVT AN EXHORTACION The cause wher of I treate beeyng so weightie the discourse so large my witte and cunnyng so small to set it furthe I might well be discoraged to entre so greate a ground but that loue to my countrey on the one side and desire of concorde and quietnes on the other side moue me to speake hopyng that the honesty of the matter shall supplie the rude handelyng and the plain veritie to stand in stede of eloquēce and cunnyng For like as in an euill cause muche arte and conueyaunce must be vsed afore it can appere good euen so in a cause true honest and righteous there needeth no subtile perswasions or finesse of woordes but how muche the plainer so muche the better and how muche the more eloquent somuch the more suspicious For truthe is sufficient of her selfe and needeth no colours no more then natural beawty nedeth of paintyng Taking this for my foundacion I maie the more boldely procede without feare of offence seeyng my cause is suche as all good men will further all wise men fauor and all Godly men defende as that whiche beeyng enbraced shall doo good to many and hurt to none and beyng neglected shall hurte a multitude and auayle no man tendyng no lesse to the commoditie of the aduersaries then of the fauorers Thus the ground beyng so true the occasion so honest and the querell so righteous there wanteth nothyng but one that could set the same furth accordyngly And seeyng suche as canne best liste not and that ought moste will not and that wold faynest dare not take this vniuersall cause in hande I beyng simple vnlearned and most barayn of all orators arte and perswasiō yet armed with truth moued with honestie and prouoked by loue towardes God and my countrey as Dauid against Golias entre the felde against the mightie Giauntes enemies of concorde and vnitie desiryng all my countreymen of Scottande whose cause I now specially entreat to geue me pacient hearyng whilest I suade theim to that whiche shal be acceptable to God commendable to the world ioyfull to their frēdes hatefull to their enemies profitable to all parties and to none so muche as to themselfes TO groūd my cause vpō truth as I promised I will sette my foundacion vpon the infallible truthe of Gods woorde takyng this texte for my purpose Omne regnū in se diuisum desolabitur that is to saie euery kyngdō diuided in it self shal be brought to desolacion If this sentence bee well marked and the persone of the speaker considered I shall not nede to bee long in perswadyng you to beleue it The wordes be true for he that spake them cannot lye whiche is Christ himself the aucthor of al truth and veritie But though Christ had not spokē them let vs se whether comon reason dooth not affirme theim and the experience of all realmes and countreis in al tymes and ages hath not approued theim And to fet our examples not out of straunge countreys loke well vpon the Chronicles of this island of Britain and consider the estate thereof from the beginnyng and compare theim with the histories of other nacions and you shal not lightly heare or read of any one countrey sithe the worldes creacion more inuaded wasted and destroyed then this I stande ne of people more often ne more curelly spoyled exiled or afflicted then the inhabiters thereof and all by diuision and discord the sedes wherof beyng laied in by the deuil as pouder vnder a walle after it once toke fire did so terribly shake the foūdaciōs of their common weale that it riued a sunder their Kyngdome and monarchie and diuidyng it into partes broughte the whole at last to ruyne and desolacion which hath not been fully recouered to this daie nor in my iud gement like to be so long as the islande is diuided into two partes and knowen by two names that is to saie England Scotlande and vnder twoo seuerall gouernours The cause whereof though it maie chiefly bee ascribed to the iuste vengeaunce of God prouoked with the synnes of the people as Gildas witnesseth yet is it clere that the onely meane thereof was discord and diuision emong the Insulanes wherby it came to passe whylest euery one striued all were ouer comen and made an easy prey to straūge nacions For althoughe outward enemies vpon tiranny and conquest as the Romayns or els expulsed from their countreys and driuen to seke newe dwellynges as the Pictes or allured with the fertilitie of the soyle as the Scottes inhabityng the north partes of Irelande inuaded this islande Yet could those people neuer haue kepte quiete possession ne reigne so long as thei did but through diuision and discord emong the Britaynes whiche beeyng stiffe necked against God and ingrate eche to other as the said aucthor writeth by their demerites wer not onely ouercome with outwarde inuasions but finally lost their name and Empire whereby the inhabitauntes beyng mixt with straungers haue euer sithe been vexed with intestine warres and ciuill discorde to the irremediable ruine and desolacion therof vntil it shal please Gods goodnesse to haue mercie on the people and to reduce the islande to the firste estate to one Monarchy vnder one kyng and gouernor as it was in the Britons tyme. But if God of his goodnesse without our desertes hath in these latter daies prouided that blessed meane and remedy for the glorie of his name and for our wealth and commoditie and wee for our parte either of stubburnesse will not or of wilfulnesse liste not thankefully to receiue
of ecclcsiasticall writers called Venerabilis the comming of the Scottes into Britayne was not vntyll about the yere of Christ cccc xliij which was long after the comming of the Pictes to whose opinion though he was a Saxon I would soner assent then to the new fonde fables of our Scottishe Poetes framed vpō phātasie without auctoritie precedēt AND for the further profe of this Monarchie it is reade in the tyme of Lucius whiche was the firste christen Kynge of the Britaynes as is said afore ther were in Britayne .iii. high Prestes or Bishoppes Idolaters of the Heathen religion called Archiflamines and .xxviii. other inferiour Bishoppes of the same supersticion called Flamines In stede of whom this godly King ordeined as many Bishoppes or Christes religion thre Archebishoppes placinge the first at Londō the second at Yourke and the thirde in the citie of Legions whiche at this day is called Chester To the prouince of Yourke there belonged all the Northe parte of Britayne now called Scotlande with the orcades And notwitstanding all the mutatiōs happening in processe of yeres yet al the Bishops of those countreys came vnto Yorke to becōsecrated of the Arch bishop there and promised obediēce vnto him as to their Metropolitane hed bishop albeit by occasion of warres they were sūmewhiles letted so to do And of latter dayes that is to saye in the tyme of Henry the .ij. Kynge of Englande which was about the yere of Christ a M.C. .lv. the Englishe historie sheweth that Michaell Bishop of Glascow and after him Tothadus Bisshop of saincte Andrewes were cōsecrated by Thomas Archebishop of Yourk If my coūtreymen beleue me not in thys point let them beleue the Bulles of Paschall Calixte Honorius Innocentius Eugenius and Adrianus Bishoppes of Rome written to the Bishops of Scotlande so as any of theym were rebell or would not acknowledge the Archebishop of Yourke Primate of Scotland for their head Bisshop This I alledge to shewe that the two realmes at the first were not onely vnited in one Empire but also in one Religiō the superioritie wherof seynge it so longe continued in the English side proueth in that part a certayn kynde of subieccion in Scottes whyche I passe ouer But nowe hauinge sufficiently alleged to proue that al we were Britaynes at the beginning come of one kynde and liuinge vnder one Monarchie brokē by diusion and ciuil discorde as is shewed before there restethe to disproue the fayned alligacions of the cōtrary part which cōuey you frō Pharao the tyraunt of Egipt And as it is to cōiecture if their willes might take place thei would bryng you vnder the seruitude of Egypte again But before I touche the argumēt according to my promisse at the beginning I must in part disclose the aucthors therof whose vntrouthes though I passe ouer yet will they bewrey it them selfes for it is not vnknowē what persons they be that take vpon them to write stories and Cronicles both in England Scotlande which for the more parte be Monkes and Fryers suche as in name professe Religion beyng in dede the peruerters of all true Religion These men issuyng from the prince of darkenesse brougte vp in darkenes maynteined by darkenes seke nothing so muche as to kepe the worlde in darkenes not without cause for if their state shuld come to light the people should espye howe they are plantes not planted by the heauenly Father but to be pulled vp by the rootes Which thīg beīg well perceiued by the most noble king of immortal memory Henry the VIII of Englande like a prince no lesse Godly then prudent cleuyng in that part to Christes worde weded out of his realme those wicked plantes not onely unprofitable to his commō wealth but also enemies to all veritie and true Religion whose example if we of Scotlande had the grace to folow I would nothyng dispaire of an honorable and Godly concorde betwene bothe realmes in shorte time that without suche warre and effusion of bloud as this deuillish generacion hath procured But to the purpose these men I saie after sthā was let lose had filled the whole world full of tumult sediciō ragyng with fire sworde against the Gospel which euen then began to geue light in Britain as Oules not apperyng in the day nesteled thēselfes in the nighte of that ignoraūt worlde hauyng as mete a tyme to crepe into the consciēces of the simple Britaynes as euer Saxons or Danes had to inuade their lād and countrey So apperyng to theim with a visor of simplicitie and holines semyng lābes outwardly and neuerthelesse Wolues inwardlie gat credite of vertue and Godlinesse And seeyng the Coccle whiche their father Sathan had sowen emong the Corne so faire commyng vp because the haruest should be weedes watered the yearth with suche abundante showers of lyes and fables that the wedes ouergrowying the corne the cropp was accordyng to the seede and with suche kynde of breade haue thei fedde the silly people vtteryng their dreames and muencions in stede of trouthes verities For as Kytes bryng furthe no culuers no more can the father of falshed bryng furthe children of truthe qualis pater talis filius thei then beyng the impes of so euill a tree muste of congruence bryng furthe fruite like to them selfes whiche was well sene in those dayes For what through mischiefe mortalitie raised by theim on the one side And what through preaching lies phantasies on the other side not only Gods woorde but also all other knowledge hath been obscured whereof ensued vniuersal ignoraūce who being ioyned with error brought furth an vnhappie babe called contenciō whō thei haue moste tēderly fostered euer since not onely ministryng matter thereof in pulpittes and stoles but also in their stories and chronicles myngelyng the same with so many sedicious falshodes as it is in doubte whether the lines or lies bee mo in number And because it were long to reherse al their lesynges and vanities beyng to many to be well numbered and to apparaunt to be hidden for all bee poudered with like peper yet in the Scottishe story a greate part of their practises is to bee seen and that euē at the very beginnyng wher at if thei stumble what shall we iudge of the reste If the matter wer onely Poetical or upon desire to shewe an auncient beginnyng it might happely be borne and yet scarse in a storie the law whereof is to affirme nothyng that is false to hyde nothyng that is true neither to bee ledde with fauor ne hatered But seeyng the thyng is doen of a sette purpose for norishyng diuision in the twoo Realmes I cannot ouer passe it with silence GATHELVS sonne of Cecrops kyng of Athens or Argiues beeyng banished oute of Grece with certain other fugitiues cam into Egipt in the time of the greate tyraunt Pharao whiche persecuted the childrē of Israell In his daies the Mootes entered into Egipt and had broughte the lande vnto
to bring vs in belefe that we bee in some parte of estimaciō with theim thei make of our nacion certain chief presioentes in Fraunce the kyng hath of vs a certain numbre in his garde for the defence of his persone in whom howe litle he trusteth God knoweth and daily experiēce teacheth By this he maketh vs silly soules beleue that he hath vs in singuler trust when in deede it is but a golden and glisteryng bayte alluryng our simplicitie and credulitie to that Irō hoke that hath caught and killed afore now the moste part of our auncestors now of late no fewer of oure fathers of our childrē and of our kinsfolke while the Frenche lose not a mā but a fewe golden crounes And yet our presidētes for al the honor aucthoritie that thei be set in doo serue but as Cyphers in Algorisme to fill the place and in stede of Iupiters blocke sent to rule the Frogges whereupon thei treade and leape withoute feare daunger And our countreymen of the gard after many yeres worne in Fraunce haue this onely rewarde at length to bee called of all the worlde in mockery Iehan de Escoce Yet is there one thyng wherein wee repose a certain honor and yet in deede is the same one of the most dishonors that euer we receiued whiche was when at thentre of a league with Charles the greate Kyng of Fraunce wee receiued for an encrease of the Armes of our realme a trace of flour deluces not considering how shamefull and dishonorable it was to vs being so noble pleople to deface our aunciēt Armes and receiue the note and token of nobilitie and worthines of straungers On thother part how honorable a thyng this attonemēt with Englande were for vs the blynd man maie se For beeyng then as algates we must be vnder some one bothe vnder one kyng the more large and ample the Empire wer the more honorable and glorious the kyng of greater dominion gouernaunce power and fame and the subiectes more renoumed more happy and more quiet the realme more sure and formidable to the enemies and thei lesse eshuned and feared THVS beyng bothe our people and forces ioyned in one we should be the more puyssaunt to inuade more strōg to resist and defende And our power beeyng suche so great should be an occasion for I wil not now speake of all thynges to make vs fre sure frō outward inuasicēr wherof peace beyng first betwene vs and Englande should folowe peace with al others In sort as the laboryng man might safely tille his grounde and as safely gather in the profites and fruites therof the marchaunt might withoute feare goo abrode and bryng in forreine commodities into the realme the gouernours beeyng in tranquillitie and not hauyng their thought and cure diuided into many sundery partes should with lesse carefulnesse and anxietie of mynde see to the good ordre of the commō wealth whiche neuer so truely florisheth as in peace In fine all murders robberies spoyles slaughters and desolacions beyng the sequele and as it wer the children of warre yea and warr it self the Parente of the same should cease in whose places should succede peace wealthe quiet ordre and all other graces and good happes But if we be so blynd that we will not see and deafe that we will not harken to these holsome admonicions when without the feare of God and without regard of the commō weale we shall rush still hedlong into the fury of warre lette vs recken with our selfes whose cause is moste iniust and wrongfull what is to bee loked for towardes vs at the conquerors handes seing that we haue refused so honorable so equall and so easie yea and frendly cōdicions of peace specially being called not into subiecciō or seruitude but into one societie and feloweship with Englishemen and that by so honorable a meane as the mariage of our Princes with the kinges maiestie of Englande a Prince of so greate towardnes honor and expectaciō bothe for that he is descēded of such parētes and also for that those vertues bee all ready in hym as the like were perchaunce in no one prince afore So as we may surely hope and promise to our selfes more at his maiesties hand then peraduenture were lawfull to looke for of a mortall man Then what should wee feare at the handes of such a Prince hauing maried our natural quene but all grace clemencie and benignitie aswell for her graces sake whō he shall haue maried as also for those vertues which be to his Maiestie naturall and propre Moreouer what other thyng is to be loked for at the hādes of the succession of thē both which shall take aswell parte of her grace as of his Maiestie then al gentle and louing treatment and prerogatyue seyng frō the same we shal no more be strāgers vnto that nacion but asnye and as dere as the self Englishmen And so muche the rather when those hatefull termes of Scottes Englishemen shal be abolisshed and blotted oute for euer and that we shal al agre in the onely title and name of Britons as verely we ought to do and the selfe realme beeyng eftsones reduced into the fourme of one sole Monarchie shal bee called Britayn Then the which forme there is none other better nor no commō weale so well gouerned as the same is that is ruled by one kyng The experience wherof we haue seen euen from the beginning of the worlde cōtinually to our time For who so shall well consider the states of all commone weales that haue been gouerned by mo then one shal perceiue that the same hath been the cause of their finall ruine exterminion For gouernaunce maye in no wyse suffer an equal companyon ne any more be diuided into the rule of twoo sundrie administers then one bodye maye beare two heades or the worlde endure to haue twoo sunnes to geue lighte at once And that same appereth in all other creatures emonge whom there is any societie or body politique wherby it may easily be gathered to be the primatiue decre and the due ordre of nature Whiche like as in many other thynges so doth it specially appere in the swarme of Bees for thei beyng ledde with the onely and mere instinct of nature will neither bee without one Kyng and gouernor ne yet admit any mo Kynges then one at once And by the same nature bee wee taught to repute and reckē that body to be mōstreous that hath twoo heddes and no lesse is the realme that hath twoo kynges Then if in all thinges we shuld as nigh as might be approche to the likenesse of heauen aswell in our lifes and actes as in all our fashions wee should not allowe the regiment of many for that the heauenly thynges haue but one gouernor whiche thyng Homere though he were but an Heathē poete semeth to expresse in these verses To haue mani gouernors is not good But let there bee one ruler of Kynges and one Kyng