ingratitude hitherto doth to her vtter moste strēgth power seke with al possible gentlenes to recōcile vs with all her endeuoure continuallye laboureth to make vs partakers of her concorde and vnitie her trāquilite quiet her wealth luckey fortune her cōquestes triūphes finallie of all her incōparable ioyes felicities I shal lastely beseche and exthorte and as farre as the mothers aucthoritie ouer the chylorē may adiure you by God the very aucthor of all peace Loue Charitie cōcorde to returne into the right waie out of the whiche ye haue so long gone a straigh Remēber I besech you o most dere coūtremē how that by this calling of vs into this vnitie proceding plainly frō god him selfe he woulde also vnite ioyne vs in one religiō For howe godly were it that as these two Realmes should grow into one so should thei also agre in the concorde vnite of one religiō the same the pure syncere incorrupt religion of Christ setting a part all fonde supersticions sophisticacions other thousandes of deuilries brought in by the bishop of Rome his creatures wherby to geue glosse to their thīges darknes to Gods true worde for the onely purpose to aduaūce their glory treade Gods word vnder fote to vtter their fylthye merchaūdise to sclāder the precious ware Iewels of the scripture emōges the rest to destroye Gods peace ringe their awne alarmes against his moste glorious victory on the Crosse throu-out the worlde And I wote not whether firme cōcorde be otherwise more sureli mortized in mēs hartes then whē it procedeth of the true knowlege of Gods word which doth in so many passages repete vnto vs peace peace loue loue charitie charitie reproueth warre hatred discord seedes doubtelesse scatered by the deuil through those monsters of men that professe preposterous religion to stirre aswell all others as also most specially you my coūtrymē most of all to this diuisiō roare wherin thei fearinge the worthy fall wherwith God threateneth thē which they now perceiue by others exāples to hāg ouer their heades deuise by hooke by croke to kepe you stil occupied in mistrust of your best frendes casting before your eyes mystes shadowes colors suche as Iuglers vse to doo to th ende lest if you should once se the clearnes of Gods worde you should then encline to that of your selfes and most easly wherunto I do now with so much a do exhorte you I perceyue that the loue to my country and nacion hath made me vnawares to haue wandred furder then at the first I purposed wherfore I wil make an ende if fyrst I shall repete that I haue already proued vnto you that these twoo Realmes were first a Monarchie vnder Brutus and soo lefte by hys order to his sonnes by the superioritie geuē to the eldest which forme of gouernaunce was also vnder Constātyne I haue alsoo proued that these two realmes ought to come vnder that fourme the kinges Maiestie that now is to be Monarch of the same aswel for the superiorite which was in his aūcestors proued by the homages other thinges afore alleged the claim wherof did yet neuer cease as also specially by force of your awn late act of parliamēt wherby he ought of right to mary our Prīcesse thīheritrice of the crown of Scotlāde by occasiō wherof we shal be receiued not into seruitude but īto the same felowship w e Englishmē the names of both subiectes realmes ceassing to be chāged into the name of Britaī Britons as it was first yet stil ought to be And how necessary that same fourme of the gouernaūce of one Monarche or kinge is you se to be more clere then the sonne the same to be a ready easy meane how both tappease al discord which otherwise wil neuer stint also testablish vs in euerlasting peace quiete trāquillite vnto whiche effectes there is verely none other meane And the thing selfe though I should holde my peace doth sufficiētly speake avouche the same to be awaye vnto both Realmes most honorable because not only the Empire shal by the occasion be the more large strōg in it self the King the more puissant famous profitable for that discorde shal ceasse cōcord come in place thereby the people cōmon weale florish prospere godly for the we shal agre all in one the same the true christen religiō IT remaineth now to say vnto you that the right high mightie and excellēt prince Edward duke of Somerset erle of Hertforde Viscount Beauchāp lord Seymour gouernor of the persone of the Kynges Maiestie of Englande protector of all his realmes dominions subiectes his lieuetenasit general of al his armies bothe by lande and by sea Treasorer Erle Marshal of England gouernor of the isles of Gernsey and Iersey knight of the moste noble ordre of the garter A man for his actes and worthinesse well knowen to the world you of whom you haue had late experience to your pernes his dolour for that as the louyng mother in beafyng her childe weepeth so in punishyng you he did it lothely and to his grief because he pitied your case The said lord protector is commyng towardes you with a puissaūt inuincible army hauing on his side God the iust cause and an intēt to receiue to mercy grace fauor so many of you as for that furthering of this mariage his other Godly purposes wil come in to him And cōtrarily to punish correct the rest that shal remain in their stubburn wilful disobediēce Wherfor o coūtrymen cōsidering the on oure part we haue nothing but the wrōg iniust cause violaciō of our promises othes geuē to England with cōceiued words after mature iuste deliberaciō callyng God his angels vnto witnes therof who knoweth our infidelitie will not leaue the iniury doen to hym them vnreuenged For the regard of God for your awn sakes for the tendre respecte of our coūtrey cast wisely doune that armour weapōs that you haue so fondely put on takē in hand submit your selfes hūbly to the mercy clemencie of so noble benigne a Prince who is rather come thither louīgly toembrace receiue you yea as your protector to defēd assist you then to punish you according to your desertes But if you shal despice my coūsail abuse his humanitie good offers how gētle clement soeuer he be of his awn nature thinke you for sure that God who wil not suffre infidelite tescape lōg īchastised wil stirre vp his corage to do vengeāce vpō you for your insolēcie and faith brokē the which I writ not without sorow teares Praiīg God for his pitie goodnesse to geue you his grace better mynde so as you may forsake the errors the now lead you hedlong and maie folow these good holsome coūsailes of your most natural and most tendre louyng countreimā wherby you maie accord as by your promises and dueties ye ought to do to so godly so honorable and so profitable condiciōs as are now gētelly offered you Excussum Londini in aedibus Richardi Graftoni typis Impressoris Anno salutis nostrae 1547.
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
neither came in by conquest ne reigned ouer any people but occupied a wast part of the land not beynge inhabited as in the thirde Chapiter of his Chronicle appereth But how standeth that with reason that Britayne beyng inhabited by the space of vi C. yeres afore their comyng suche a countrey shoulde lie desert and especially vpon the sea costes Whiche liyng open to other landes and sonest sene by theim that saile muste of likelyhode haue inhabiters before the inner parte of the countrey I saie no more but Mendacem oportet esse memorem He that should tell a lye had nede to haue good memory least his matter appere like a Meremaide beginnyng with a woman and ending with a Fishe as when the ende of the tale is repugnauÌ„t to the beginnyng and the middes agreable to neither of bothe And doubteles it is no smal masterie to hide a lie for apparrell hym neuer so faire his ragges will appeare packe him neuer so close the buÌ„dell will breake write hym or speake hym and his aucthor is bewraied as a Ratte is by squekyng And though he bee allowed for a ceason yet at the ende tyme will trie hym whereof ensueth greate preiudice to the author For though he saâ—e afterwardes true none will beleue hym IF I shoulde here entre into declaracion of the righte title wherby the kynges of England claime to be superior lordes of Scotland I should of some be noted rather a confouÌ„der of our liberties and fredomes then a conseruator which name I had late But for somuche as the same is so exactelie set furthe in an Englishe boke put in Printe in the yere of oure Lorde .1542 at the beginninge of these warres called A DECLARATION conteynyng the iust causes and consideracions of this presente warre with the Scottes wherin alsoo appereth the true and right title that the kynges most royall maiestie hath to the souerayntie of Scotlande as nothynge can be sayde more in so fewe woordes I will referre all indifferent readers to the same booke thinkinge it nedelesse to speÌ„de any more time in a matter so well proued Neuerthelesse I will somewhat touche a point or two to geue occasion to all suche my contreymeÌ„ as minde the honor and quiet of Scotlande to conferre my saiynges with our histories and to iudge the matter without affeccion Whereof settinge a parte the order deuised by Brutus at the first concerning the diuision of Brytayne betwene his sonnes with the Superioritie supposed in the eldest and subiectioÌ„ of the other two pretermitting also the conquest of the whoole Islande by Romaines and the title deriued frome the greate Constantine letting passe also the sundry homages and recognicions of subieccion made to Arthur and other kynges of the Britaynes and after him to Osbright and the Saxon Kynges successiuely whiche be at large expressed in the Englishe and Briton histories and affirmed also by Marianus our countryman whose aurthoritie is not light if all these were of no credite as they must nedes be of great howe soeuer we esteme them yet in my iudgemeÌ„t our awn writers wherin they labor most to impugne the cause of England do moste aduaunce it and therfore in thys parte I will grounde me vpon them They agre al vpon .xviii. homages knowledges of subieccion and allegiauÌ„ce made by the kynges of Scotland successiuely vnto the kinges of Englande and many of them within late memorie Which homages though some of them either folowing their phantaseis or fearing to offende our kynges alledge to haue been done somewhiles for Cumberland somewhiles for the Erledome of HuÌ„tingdon Yet the time coÌ„sidered they declare that such actes were doone by oure kynges afore any of the sayde Erledomes were in their possessioÌ„ wherby they must be vnderstande absolutely done for the realme of Scotlande and in that pointe I referre you vnto the readinge of Marianus And of latter dayes synce that those Erledomes were taken from vs by EnglishmeÌ„ emong other kynge Iames the first did homage to kyng HeÌ„ry the fourthe of Englande The woordes and fourme of whose homage who so liste to peruse shall well perceiue the same to haue been made neither for any of those Erledomes neither yet for any other holde but merely for the crowne of Scotlande whiche aswel he as other knowledged to hold of the king of Englande as superior lorde The recordes remaine the seales subscriptions be so many so auncient and so faire as cannot lightelie be counterfaicte But some peradueÌ„ture will say that many of those homages were done by force and compulsion I aunswere thoughe it might be that some of theim were soo done yet all could not be For our Cronicles specifie that those .xviii. kiÌ„ges were in Englande which no maÌ„ can iudge to haue come all thither by force and all those dyd homage there and those homages well nere all appere to haue been made for the croune of Scotlande if we beleue the recordes of Englande And if any saye that they be counterfeited I thinke it soner said then proued And touching the compulsion and force I saye thoughe some of our kynges might be coÌ„ pelled by feare yet howe coulde all be or coulde an whole Parliament be compelled Is it not manifest that when question arose vpon the title of the croune of Scotlande betwene Balliol Brus and Hastynges was it not decided by Edward the fyrst king of Englande as competent iudge in that case But here it is sayde agayn that he was iudge in that case not of righte but by consente of the parties Then loke well to the woordes of the compromisse which nameth him superior lord of Scotland And this was done in Parliamente by consente of the thre estates which of likelyhoode could not be all compelled In which cause I am partely ashamed of the impudeÌ„t vanitie of our writers whiche raile without reason agaynst the iudgemeÌ„t of Edward in that plea as corrupte false This I saie that if the Iudgement were to be geuen agayne neither Mynos Lycurgus nor Salo mon whose iudgementes in histories be so celebrate dyd euer geue a more true a more perfect or a more rightfull sentence either by the ciuile lawes or by the practise and custome of Scotlande or any other reasonable lawe and take the case euen as they propone it But then we haue an other euasion which is to alledge prescripcion because those homages haue not been done within memorie To that I aunswere that thoughe prescripcion serued in that case as it doth not yet the warres made from tyme to tyme counteruaile a possession thereof In whiche pointe lette vs be well aduised what we saye leaste by fleynge the smoke we fall into the fyre For once admittinge hym superiour kynge no prescripcion wil serue agaynst hym The texte is common and no more common then allowed almoste in all lawes Nullum tempus occurrit Regi Time cannot preiudice a Kyng MOREOVER I note this that the Kynges of Englande would neuer make