peace with vs perpetually neither as lawfull enemies but admitted a truce or an intermission of warr for a tyme alwaies exceptyng Lorne and Lundie and with a caution to saue their title and right Our awne Recordes and registers approue this howbeit let no man iudge that myne entent is herin to pleade the cause of Englande for that I neither can doo ne professe to doo but onely to geue light to suche as liste to seke that the matter is not so cleare on our side as oure writers would haue it seme and therfore I would that men should weigh the querell indifferently and without affeccioÌ„ and not to leane more on the one side then on the other For the title which I alledge is neither deuised vpon phantasie worne out with age introduced by conquest ne enforced with feâ—â—re or compulsion but grounded vpon truth dooen within memory wrought by consente and agreyng to all iustice equitie lawe pacte and promise not doen in priuate but openly and not by a â—ew but by a multitude vpon a greate deliberacion and that in parliameÌ„t whiche title enduceth no feruitude but fredome libertie concord and quietnesse and serueth aswell for Scotlande as Englande makyng equalitie without supertoritie AT the parliament holden at Edinbrough immediatly after the death of our last kyng wher al the lordes thother states and orders of our realme wer assembled sauing the Erle of Arguyle that appered there by his proctor sir Ihou CaÌ„mell The mariage betwene our Princes and the kynges maiestie of EnglaÌ„d kyng Edward the VI. then beyng prince was fully concluded by aucthoritie of the same Parliament al thassentes of the said states and Orders concurryng therunto The whiche for more faithe testimony of the thyng was also confirmed by writing vnder the greate seale of Scotlande Maie there be any thyng of greater aucthoritie force or euidence any title more righteous then this graunted not by our auncestors but by our selfes and to a prince now liuyng not in tyme oute of mynde but now these so fewe yers freshely paste not rashely or sodainly but by greate and deliberate aduisemeÌ„t and the same not of a fewe but of all the states of the realme asseÌ„bled not at al aduentures but soleÌ„pnely in parameÌ„t a thing no doubt instilled from the almightie and the same our moste merciful god into the mindes of the workers thereof to haue set an end to al the discord of bothe realmes by that vnion and knot of mariage And what madnes or deuill O moste dere couÌ„treimeÌ„ hath so moued or rather distracte our myndes eftsones to take weapoÌ„ in hand and the same against oure promises fidelities honoures and othes hauyng on oure side no good grounde honestie reason ne any iuste respecte but onely of the prouocacion of the deuil the pope and his rable of religious men as thei would seme to be specially those whom we cal our auncient frendes where their are in deede our auncient enemies the Frenchemen And when we shall haue well coÌ„sidered this attonement with Englande compared the same with the league of FrauÌ„ce and well weighed thententes endes of bothe we shall perceiue the the one calleth vs to an euerlasting peace quietnes and the other hath and will kepe vs if wee forsake it not in tyme in coÌ„tinual miserie and warres And that maie we easily iudge in repeting from the beginnyng the causes of the one and of the other The Frenchmen fearyng more and more the power of Englande whiche had so many tymes dooen theim so notable displeasures as not onely to haue wonne of them sundry battailes wherof for briefnes sake I reporte me to the stories but also for that the Englishemen haue as ye knowe these many yeres kepte foote and possession of ground in Fraunce did besides and emoÌ„g many other thynges deuise this one as a chief staye for theim to make vs of their faccion against Englande thinkyng therby at all tymes when either for iust causes Englande should haue to do with theim or thei with Englande wee should set on the backes of the English men or otherwise anoye theim either to force theÌ„ to withdrawe their armie out of Fraunce or els bee constreined for resisteÌ„ce or inuasions to diuide their power and so to be the weaker eueÌ„ as it hath come to passe that the Englishemen haue so been forced to doo when neuerthelesse it hath redounded to no lesse discomfiture of our nacion then of the Frenchemen their principall enemies An euident proife and triall whereof partely because thynges of farther tyme and memorie hauyng been so many and so ofteÌ„ nede not therin in to be narowly sought for and partly because this example beyng freashest in mynd maie if it please God worke moste best effect did right well appere in the first voyage of Kyng Henry the VIII a Prince of mooste worthy famous memorie against Fraunce when we inuaded England to haue hyndered his enterprise and doen there some displeasure if wee had might supposyng to haue founde at home but shepherdes priestes and women At one time we lost the feld and our kyng beyng otherwise a noble Prince and a valeaunte Knight besides an infinite nuÌ„bre of our countreimen few of the Englishe part wantyng kyng Henry at the very self same time wonne the battaill in Fraunce at the iorney of the spurres and besides that woÌ„ne also by plain conquest Turwayn and Turney Now when wee shall haue bothe coÌ„sidered our league with the Frenchemen and all the successes that haue chaunced to vs syns the conclusion of the same we caÌ„not recken how to aduauÌ„t vs of any one thyng wee haue woÌ„ne but of infinite losses misfortunes slaughters spoyles and vtter ruyne come thereby to vs and our countrey vniuersal The honor and profite if any be coÌ„meth onely to the Frenchemen whiche serue theimselfes of vs for their money for thinordinate gain wherof we do alwaies hazard our honoures lifes and countrey and haue lost our frendes naye rather beeyng a membre of the selfe body with Englande haue suffered our self to be diuorced torne froÌ„ the same and haue so far passed our awne reason that we haue in that behalf atteÌ„pted to do hurte to a part of our awnselfes if Gods goodnes towardes Englande had not so prouided that our power could not bee hable to aunswer to our misaduised willes And so farre did we estraunge our selfes that wee could finde in our hartes to become seruile and to bee as coÌ„mon hirelynges to a forrein nacioÌ„ For what other thing do we but serue theim for their money to our awne vtter destruccions to the spillyng of our awne bloud to the burnyng of oure tounes and to the waste and spoyle of our whole natiue countrey And at this do the Frenchmen laugh thei take pleasure sittyng at home in securitie excepte peraduenture thei sende a few of their cast souldiors of whoÌ„ thei make lesse accoumptes or estimacion then of so many shepe or hogges Howbeit
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
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