title reformatioÌ„ of law Vnion of kingdoÌ„s And ancient Records do no more leese their force by the chaunge of England into Britaine then by change of Queene Elizabeth into king Iames. And there is no more incertaintie of pleadings instruments and writs then when a plaintiffe deceasseth after seuen yeares suite his heire is put to begin and commence his suite anew and in other name The heart of obiections against Vnion being halfe broken let vs enter into the third coÌ„sideration of matter of State inward where is obiected a possibilitie of alienation of the Crowne of England to the Crowne of Scotland in case his Maiesties Line should determine But blessed be God our gracious soueraigne King is blessed with a plentifull issue and hath yet much farther hope And I hope for which I pray night and day that his Maiesties royall Issue shall not faile so long as the Sunne and Moone indureth Neuertheles if some will not labor of the common bane of good wits which is rather to dispute then obey and rather to reason beyond reason then yeeld to reason more magis quà m iudicio they may herein also easily answer theÌ„selues that in vniting the two kingdomes the second place in stile may be rather drawne to the next of bloud in our Land then the kingdome of England be transferred to one farther off from this Stemme VVhich thing neither Henry the seuenth nor Henry the eighth doubted the one seeking to marie his eldest daughter Lady Margaret to king Iames the fourth of Scotland hoping if his heire male failed by that means to vnite Scotland to England And the other hauing his whole drift to match his sonne Prince Edward to Queene Mary foreseeing in his prouidence the inestimable benefite of vniting the two kingdomes for which cause many of the Nobles of Scotland gaue faith to do their best indeuours But it is a strange doubt and cast beyond the Moone to imagine that Vnion of the two kingdomes doth so confound the State and change the tenure to bring it so into case of purchase as it will necessarily subiect England to Scotland especially if his most excellent Maiesty of his singular tendernes loue to this his realme of England be pleased to effect establish that in case his royall Issue which Almighty God of his infinit mercie defend shold faile that then by this happie intended Vnion the Realme of Scotland should for euer be and continue indissolubly vnited and annexed to the lawfull and rightfull inheritance and succession of the Crowne of England in the bloud royall of the same Now touching matter of State forreine in answer to the first obiection I am well assured that our forreine affaires were at worst in the opinion of all at the decease of our late Queene and our entercourse vtterly decayed with many Princes so as we neede a kind of present renewing which may be concluded as well vnder title of King of all Britaine as of England To the second it is easily answered that the King loseth no precedencie of place as is imagined specially antiquitie as in the Obiections is alleaged guiding it and not greatnesse For the Successor to king Arthur of Brittaine will be worthie in the opinion of the whole world of better place then king Egbert of England To the third that if the name of England as is imagined be obscured the name of famous and great Britaine will be illustrate memorable in times past to all the then knowne nations of the earth Touching matter of Honor it is certaine and euident that the name of England though it hath bene worthily most famous and great yet is not equal to the title of great Britaine when England and Scotland are reunited either by reason of honor or of power All Histories remembring vnto vs that the Brittaines long time resisted the mightie force of Romaines Lords and Conquerors of the world And albeit some fathers can be content to disinherite their owne daughters to continue their names as is inferred in the obiections and therefore inforced should be much more in States specially where the name hath bene famous yet for my part I account such parents vnkind and vnnaturall where selfe loue of their name maketh them forget themselues and forsake their owne flesh I will not vrge here the law of God of nature and of most nations where daughters inherit and names grow extinguished But this is a vaine respect onely of name wherof is spoken to get a name on earth and to thinke their name should neuer be put out whereas so many countries so many people so many persons haue either lost or left their former name and most willingly haue bene called by another name Gaudet cognomine Virg Aen. 6. terra that countrie reioyced to be called by a new name how much more shold our land imbrace this name of Britaine and yet not new but indeed his old proper name renewed and as it were rediuiued and restored froÌ„ the dead Or be it simply losse only of a bare transitorie name yet as the Prophet Isay Isa 56. 3. speaketh Let not the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree my name shall perish with me Let vs rather regard that name which God promiseth to them that serue him saying Isa 56. 5. Euen vnto them will I giue in my house and within my pallaces a place and a name better then of sons and of daughters I will giue them an euerlasting name which shall not be put out The Argument of Obliuion deserueth no answer but silence and forgetfulnesse and yet I doubt not but famous acts of Noble English men will as well by Chronicle be remembred to posteritie as the glorie of renowmed Britaine Record remaineth to this day neither will either be forgotten to the worlds end The Stile of England now placed before Scotland doth no way preiudice the Vnion by losse of precedencie for when all is one there is no subsequence onely Honor is due to him who is to be honored and much honor to him that is much to be honoured which thing in the Vnion may easily be prouided for and other pretended inconueniences preuented Lastly the Preiudicating the popular opinion to whom as is obiected chaunge of name will be harsh and vnpleasing is in mine opinion a wrong done and imputation laid vpon the people who I know for the most part being a wise nation and I am sure most louing subiects to the kings Maiestie haue learned obedience and dutie and will therefore rather ioy in the content of their good and gracious King then any way murmure at his demand knowing that the Empire as Liuie speaketh is firmiâ—ssimum when eo gaudent obedientes who doubtlesse with one voice and heart submit themselues and say to their Soueraigne Esto nobis solus arbiter rerum iure nomine regio And as for Harshnesse of the strange name vse will easily make it familiar He said Multa renascentur quae iam
A DISCOVRSE PLAINELY PROVING the euident vtilitie and vrgent necessitie of the desired happie Vnion of the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland by way of answer to certaine obiections against the same AN CHO RA SPEL LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Thomas Chard 1604. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT Maiestie James by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. YOVR most excellent Maiestie being graciously pleased to reade and approoue the written Copie of that J haue now printed and withall to declare your princely pleasure sufficient warrant for publishing the same J haue thought meete in all humblenesse of dutie to your Maiestie and in all truth of zeale to my countrey by this meanes to endeuour to resolue them which doubted to perswade them which denied and to confirme them which applauded the most happie intended Vnion of your Highnes two most famous kingdomes of England and Scotland J was not ignorant that the copies of the obiections against it were this Tearme caried into most parts of those your Maiesties Realmes and I suppose also beyond the seas which might in time without answer seeme to preiudice your Maiesties honor vniustly with scandale abroade and murmure at home Therefore though I be most vnworthy to publish to the world my meane vnderstanding in a matter of such graue consideration and great consequence yet haue I rather chosen to hazard my poore credit subiect to each sensure then suffer a cause in its owne worth so precious to sustaine wrong by generall silence for obiections are of force where no answer doth refute Onely I humbly craue your Highnesse pardon for my bold presumption and will euermore with hands and heart lift vp to heauen pray to God for the preseruation of your gracious Maiestie and of your royall issue in all honor health and happinesse Your Maiesties faithfull subiect and humble seruant Ioh. Bristol A Discourse plainely prouing the euident vtilitie and vrgent necessitie of the desired happie vnion of the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland by way of answer to certaine obiections against the same IT was long before the Obiections against the intended happy vnion of both the Realmes came to my handes but hauing read them I could not hold my hād frō writing to remoue cleare them esteeming them onely as great shew of big logges laid in the way betweene the two eminent markes shot at by the soueraigne Vnitor namely honor and happinesse the one inseparably inherent in his most royall person the other assuredly intended for Subiects benefite which things in apparant vtilitie or vrgent necessitie the Obiectors desire to be shewed them for whose satisfaction I haue briefly examined and answered euery obiection The Obiectors find no president at home nor abroad of vniting or contracting of the names of two seuerall Kingdomes or States into one name where the Vnion hath growne by mariage or bloud and say that the examples which may be alleaged are but in case of conquest But I remember that Charles of Fraunce the eighth as Comineus Proofe by mariage mentioneth taking to wife the heire of litle Btitaine annexed it to the Crown of France ruled it by lawes customes and priuiledges of Fraunce and gaue the Nobles thereof place in Parliament in Fraunce for vnion is a strong keeper of imperiall Soueraigntie and is the very sinewes of weale publique But as Tacitus saith by diuers lawes ouer diuerse nations subiect to one King Quicquid est authoritatis crebris destruitur contradictionibus Charles the fift vnited in the common name of Spaine diuers other his kingdomes wherof two of them namely Aragon and Castile Proofe by bloud descended to him in right of bloud For he well knew that the most eminent in dignitie is most honoured by Vnitie and that this is truely called Prudence euen the electing or reiecting the continuing or chaunging of formes and vniting kingdomes according to time place or persons which great vertue is not alwaies contained in certaine and the same bounds but altereth it selfe as occasion serueth in respect of forenamed circumstance But the Obiectors acknowledge vniting of kingdoms in case of conquest I maruell they do it not much more by right of bloud for in that vnion of constraint there is euer doubt and dread for continuance therof as is well said Malus custos diuturnitatis metus but in this by right of bloud God giueth blessing to natures worke first in the greater maiestie of the high and supreme gouernor where one mightie Monarch is of more commaund and power then a king of diuers distinguished kingdomes Secondly in the more facilitie of the gouernment where people vnder like lawes are more easily ruled then vnder diuers lawes And thirdly in the more securitie of the gouerned who being led with like equitie of lawes will one loue and strengthen the other but being deuided do oftentimes vndermine and practise subuersion one of the other Vires imperij in consensu sunt obedientium tolle Liuy vnitatem omnis imperij contextus in multas partes dissidet VVhich consideration made king Henrie the eighth rightfully assuming the title of King of Ireland by voluntarie Vote in Parliament of the Lords and Commons of that kingdome albeit the Kings of England were before that time but called Lords of Ireland yet now changing his Stile to endeuour by iust lawes to cause the Irish chaunge as well their apparel as language and diuers their old formes and former lawes and to reduce them into forme of English fashion euen against their former customes and conditions It is then a matter not onely of vtility and necessitie but also of reason and iustice that a King in right of bloud holding two kingdomes or States do vnite and contract them into one name and nature specially kingdomes of one continent and which in auncient times were but one till ambition and contention deuided them And this may stand for answer to the Obiectors first maine head of matter of estate inward Now where it is farther alleaged that the alteration of the name of the King doth ineuitably and infallibly draw on an erection of a new kingdome and a dissolution and extinguishment of the old herein verily I think the matter is much mistaken for the change of name is not so rightly to be tearmed alteration or new erection as restitution and reparation both of name and honor for diuers his Maiesties most noble Progenitors haue heretofore bene entitled as Chronicles tell vs Kings of all Britaine as Henry the second King of al Britaine Duke of Gascoine Guien and Normandie whose sonne king Iohn had also in his coine stamped as is to be shewed Iohannes Rex Britonum And before the conquest of the Saxons it is certaine that the whole Ile was called by the name of Britain But Saxons entring at disaduantage of that mightie nation consumed by death and famine conquering the remnant of people of famous Britaine enforced them
Hellespont but as al other most mightie Gouernors and the best Kings haue by a golden bridge of likenesse of loue of equitie of lawes and of cōmon comforts of societie and ioy all which were both profitable and needfull ioyned together two or more kingdoms for their owne greater honor and subiects more vndoubted happinesse VVhich thing likewise that noble and valiant Troian Aeneas long sithence put in vse who by Vnion euen of diuers nations Omnes Liu. lib. 1. eodem nomine eodem iure Latinos vocauit And thereby as Liuie reporteth of him he made many and diuers nations as one people most familiar and most friendly together Do not diuers Sunne beames come from one Sunne and all they of one nature Are not diuers lines drawne from one Center and all they of one fashion Are not diuerse boughes from one tree and all they of one and the same substance And may not diuers people vnder one Prince though they are deuided in persons yet be vnited in lawes and though they be sundred in Countries yet be knit together in hearts specially if emulation cause no incongruitie nor disorder confusion nor strife mischiefe only with sauing each mans honor with continuance of each good custome and with furtherance and establishing the common good of weale publique The King is the countries Parent who by Vnion non seruos sed ciues cogitat and as Iupiter was said to be Rex omnibus idem so would his Maiestie be idem omnibus one head to one bodie VVherefore if he desire to vnite the two kingdomes and to account them one and as one beloued sonne whose life is deare and whose happines ioy to him that all subiects as one sonne in common apparant vtilitie might participate common patrimony of iust Lawes for VVeale publique let none be so hardie with the harlot in the daies of Salomon to say to the king our common parent Deuide the child and cut it into two parts least such diuision part that into two which God in nature first made one and now in his greater goodnesse hath restored in the royall person of our gracious King into one what God hath so ioyned together let no man put asunder For her of may arise plaine incongruitie and fearefull inconuenience which may farther grow into confusion and mischiefe Onely I pray them which obiect against the happie Vnion to set before their eyes and to consider with their hearts the grieuous contention betweene the diuers people of the kingdome of Israell and the kingdome of Iudah for albeit the two kingdoms were vnited in the person of Dauid their king yet for want of more perfect Vnion in 2. Sam. 5. lawes and loue there arose heart-burnings on both sides for Israel complained The men of Iuda haue stolne the king from vs and they of Iuda challenged that the king 2. Sam. 19. was nearer in bloud to them then to Israell and Israell againe replyed that they had ten parts in the king and therefore had more right to him But what in end grew of this cōtention and emulation consider I pray and preuent such inconuenience and mischiefe there was not any one among the Tribes in the second generation that followed the house of Dauid but Iuda onely Omen auertat 1. King 12. Deus VVhen I was but a young scholer I learned to call that aequiuocation which was corpus monstrosum vnder one name of diuerse formes as homo pictus and homo viuus agree in the name of man but not in the same reason definition and nature so I can call the agreement of English and Scottish onely in subiection to one Soueraigne but without farther Vnion of lawes and true loue not liuely and indeede but painted and in shew not substantiall but aequiuocall not reall but nominall namely in the King as in the head which is but one but not in themselues as in the bodie which likewise is or should be but one This is true incongruitie whereof may arise such farther fearefull inconuenience as I wish may be to them that hate the State and the experience thereof vnto the kings enemies Touching the particulars of confusion c. surmised by the Obiectors I briefly answer first that exception taken of summoning future Parliament is not worth answer for the stile and title of the king chaunged may change also in future VVrits Secondly the changing of Seale is onely charge of a new cut Thirdly the great old Officers of the kingdome when they yet most worthie of office do hereafter weare out the kings Maiestie shall afterward by this Vnion haue more choice to preferre the worthiest for his Maiestie by this Vnion shall gaine more choice for all the publike seruices to be performed either at home or abroade Neither may it be reasonable for any man for priuate or particular respects to repine thereat like to Cato his sonne who feared lest by his fathers Plut. Cato mariage he might leese somwhat of his patrimonie and therefore murmured lest his father should beget mo sonnes but had his answer with a sound reply vnanswerable Sonne I desire to haue moe sonnes like thy selfe good Citizens and seruiceable for the Commonweale Fourthly touching lawes customes liberties and priuiledges it is to be wished that the rigour of ours were somewhat qualified and the libertie of theirs somewhat restrained neither is it a new thing in so large a kingdome that some should be more enabled and honored with priuiledges then others according to the Kings good pleasure in whom dwelleth and from whom is deriued all true honor Fiftly the feare of residence or holding in Scotland such Courts as follow the Kings person is the selfe same as if we feared that without Vnion the King wold hold personall Courts in Cornwall or as if we doubted that such Courts when our former Kings were personally in Fraunce were not for all that kept at VVestminster The seate of iudgment is the seate of the house of Dauid thither the Tribes go vp and there the peoples feet stand euen in the gates of Ierusalem which Ierusalem is a citie that is at vnitie in it selfe at vnitie concerning matters of religion at vnitie in matters touching publike iustice and gouernment therefore the king began his Psal 122. I was glad when they said to me VVe will go c. Lastly the exception taken against Vnion because of the kings oath at his Coronation which is neuer iterated is grounded on the selfe same reason as if it were also alleaged that because his Maiestie sweareth to mainetaine auncient and fundamentall lawes therfore vpon circumstance of time and occasion he might not alter any law but let it be remēbred that the kings oath concerneth the lawes not the title and we know the lawes may be preserued thogh the title be altered And as for Subiects I doubt not but they may without danger at the pleasure of the king sweare their allegiance and do homage and obedience after restitution of
cecidere cadentque Horace Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula si volet vsus This pretended vnpleasing harshnesse is no more then the nicenesse of a virgin who is as loth and maketh it daintie to leaue her fathers name yet afterward maried to a husband taketh greatest comfort in the name of her husband in whome she glorieth and by whom she enioyeth all her worldly ioy And yet need not England be so nice as if she were a virgin who like a widdow hath so often chaunged her name but may take pride as widdowes do to be called by her most honorable and most glorious name Thus hauing briefly run ouer the obiections and withall caried in open view in mine answer due consideration both of euident vtilitie and vrgent necessitie I will be bold with additions of more reasons yet a litle farther to proceed in the perswasion of this desired happie Vnion God alwaies blessed and to be honored for euermore who is Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie three persons and but one God doth by influence of his holy Spirit giue diuers gifts and graces to beleeuers of what countrie or condition soeuer they be and gouerneth them by one holy law and vniteth them in the same faith though diuersly scattered among all the nations of the Christian world that hereby the gods on earth whom he hath placed to rule ouer many and diuers kingdoms vpō earth might learne by the same lawes in things humane and same religion in matters diuine to preserue VVeale publike and Christian Societie among men But the ambition and frowardnesse of many desirous rather to be distracted into diuers names and countries and to be ruled by diuers lawes and customes do oft times hazard the common good and peace of the VVeale publique where two kingdoms so deuided vnder one Soueraigne are not vnlike the rich treasures of pearle and gold laid vp in one shippe by contrarieties of diuers winds to be driuen vpon rockes with extreamest danger as is said in Tully of deuiding Defin. and distinguishing desires into seueral parts and members in such diuersities and differences Hoc est dissipare non distinguere frangere non diuidere VVhich thing is to be feared by not vniting but keeping the two kingdomes still in parts when vpō euery discontent in Scotlād as at a backe dore passage may be giuen for forreine enemie soone to weaken a deuided power as Cyrus the Persian soone emptied Herodot 1. that great and deepe riuer otherwise vnpassable for his souldiers by drawing it into diuers chanels And why should not we feare such and greater euils if as Virgil laid infamy vpon vs calling vs toto diuisos orbe Britannos so we be content to adde greater infamie to our selues and become toto in orbe diuisi deuided within our selues in the sight and view of the whole world But I hope and wish for better things that by Vnion in name of Britains we may leaue to be any longer deuided into English and Scottish as riuers of diuers names meeting in the sea receiue one and the same name the rather because the elements of fire and water of earth and aire being of repugnant qualities yet ioyned in one body do agree in one forme as in a medium vniting and mixing them together much more diuers kingdomes oft times heretofore at warre and discord yet now being vnited into one bodie of one name and nature qualified by equall mixture of law manners honors mariages and such like may be made perfect in one forme and haue a being not as English and Scottish but as Brittaines knit together in that third and renowned name that the Maxime may be verified in vs Quae in aliquo tertio conueniunt optimè conueniunt I confesse that some lawes of ours may be thought too streight for them and some liberties of theirs vnfitting vs but let all be wrested alike pulling some vp and letting some downe and in pleasing harmonie we shall find as Tully saith Commune aequabile inter omnes ius where will be no strife as was between Esau and Iacob vndermining and deceiuing one the other of blessing and patrimonie but all loue and vnitie and concord and content as if all were not twins but one man euen one heart in one bodie And now if I phicrates that valiant Leader Plut. were againe liuing and asked whether he were vnder the now imperiall Maiestie this or that English or Scottish or among or ouer them an horseman an archer or a Leader he might truly answer as sometimes he did in like case No not any of these but I am he who knoweth vnder him whom I serue to commaund and gouerne all these as if they were but one man Vnius Ducis imperium simul Sen. Epist sentiunt omnes copiae Thus in war and tumult much more in quiet peace may it be said Diuers subiects ad nutum vnius Regis eiusdem legis omnes simul respondent So powerfull is the force of Vnion that vna Via being director for lawe and Cor vnum performer for obedience the lawe enioyning obedience and obedience executing law the Prince cannot commaund what the people will not obey and the people will obey what the Prince commandeth and Vnitie among them will vphold all Vnum imperij Tacit. An. 1 corpus vnius animo regendum videtur and so likewise Eiusdem iuris esse debent qui sub eodē Rege victuri sunt Q. Cur. 10. But rule of two kingdomes without vniting them is to giue occasion to either part to looke backe for an old grudge Vbi antiqui odij pertinacia in publicum stimulat exitium which I feare would be as the going backe of two Rammes more fearefull to butt at and beate one the other where held both together in like yoke one cannot easily offend or force the other Sic enim immensa multitudo authoritatis Seneca quasi spiritu regitur And where it is of the nature of man not to indure all seruitude nor all libertie but to striue to shake off the one and to be wearie of the other it is certaine that equitie and equabilitie of like lawes to a diuers people vnited in one will make them which otherwise feare seruitude to enioy freedome and those which seeme most free by former priuiledges and immunities to feare seruitude if they transgresse their bounds for such Vnion and equitie is communis custodia principatus reipublicae But faction and ambition are the father and mother of intestine calamitie ciuill warre and deadly feud VVho so loueth this will neuer like that neither is he of the bodie but of the toes and feet of that image which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 2. dreamed of whose head was of fine gold whose breast and armes of siluer whose belly and thighs of brasse whose legs of Iron and whose feet part of iron and part of clay Siluer brasse and iron are mettals easily mixed but iron and clay will not by any meanes melt and ioyne together Kingdoms deuided are prefigured in the iron and clay they are partly warlike and well gouerned and partly weake factious and seditious they agree not to the king their goldē head and though they as the Text saith mingle themselues with the seed of men yet ioyne vers 43. not one with another but are as iron and clay which will not be mixed together The Poets call this latter age Ferrea let vs which liue in it proue them Poets and not Prophets that so being ioyned to our golden head in all obedience and dutie in all loue and zeale to our countrie and in Vnitie among our selues we may liue a blessed life in the golden age of this our happy time and shew our selues well tempered not of brittle but of better clay Queis as the Poet saith meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan. Therefore let Aristides and Themistocles ioyned in one Commission consult vpon the point some for England some for Scotland and for the VVeale publike say one to the other Vis vt hîc deponamus inimicitias why do Plut. we striue together for we are brethren and they cannot but conclude that the VVeale publique was neuer well administred without Vnion and amitie namely Vnion in the gouernment and amitie among the gouerned Joh. Bristol FINIS