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II.

ways his countryman, and studious to do him pleasure CHAP. "before any other nation of the world. The breach of this "divine and natural friendship was the very work of the Anno 1546. "Devil by his wicked members, that hath not only taught "Scotland disobedience unto her natural and lawful Prince " and superior power, the King's Majesty of England, but "the contempt of Christ, and his most holy word." As John Hoper, then at Zuric, (afterward bishop and martyr,) Declarat. of spake in his epistle to a book which he dedicated to this Duke soon after this victory.

Christ and

his Office.

CHAP. III.

The cause

of entering

land.

The Protector's declarations and letters before and after the war with Scotland. Sir W. Paget's new-year's-gift to the Protector. King Edward's coronation. His piety. BUT to stay a little at this war with Scotland, which Anno 1547. might seem to be hardly reconcileable with good policy, so soon after a young King's access to his crown, to embroil into war himself in wars with his next neighbours, and that only with Scotupon the account of a mistress. Therefore to lay open the merits of this cause somewhat more particularly than our printed histories have done. Before actual entrance into this hostility, the Lord Protector issued out proclamations, "declaring therein to the Scots, the justness of the English quarrel with them, and offering them all the terms of peace, in case they would perform what the states of "Scotland had before agreed to, in relation to the marriage with the daughter of Scotland; and assuring them "that they came not with any design to conquer their country, or make themselves masters over the Scots, to "bring them into any bondage: but that both kingdoms " might live for time to come in perfect love and amity."

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averse to

But the Scotch governors and captains withheld these The Scotch proclamations from their nation, and stifled them for their officers own particular wealth and interest; not regarding the pub- England. lic good so much as their own private power and authority;

BOOK still abusing the people with forgeries and tales concerning I. the English nation.

Anno 1547.

Protector's

letter to

Scotland.

As the Lord Protector dealt thus fairly with that nation The Lord before the war, so after his victory and return home, he endeavoured by all fair means and messages to pursue the same ends. And indeed a very great number of the Scotish realm, that more impartially considered the benefit of the friendship of England, and the danger of the French, who were sending forces now to Scotland to assist them, came over to the King's side, and were well-willers to him, and aiders of his purpose. There was a very excellent letter exhortatory sent to the Scots by the Lord Protector, in the beginning of February; which was also printed, I suppose, for this end, that it might not be stifled, as his other former letters and proclamations were; but that it might be read of all. Of which notable letter our historians make no mention herein he wrote, "that it made him to marvel "what fatal chance it was that had so dissevered their "hearts, and made them so unmindful of their own profit, "to heap to themselves most extreme miseries, which the

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English, whom they would needs have their enemies, went "about to take away from them. That though they [the English] were superiors in the field, and masters of a great "part of their realm, and so might expect the Scots should "seek to them, yet such was their charity and brotherly 18" love, that they would not cease to provoke and call upon "them to their own commodity: and they were content to

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cry and call upon them, to have the English rather their "brothers than their enemies, their countrymen than their "conquerors. And this should be a witness before God " and all Christian people between the two nations, that the English, professing the Gospel of Christ, did not cease to "call and provoke them from the effusion of their own 66 blood, and the destruction of the realm of Scotland, from "perpetual feud and hatred, and the final eradication of "their nation, and from servitude to foreign nations."

The Protector, in his said letter, shewed "the great bat"tles that had been fought between the two realms, the in

III.

“cursions, roads, and spoils made on both parts; how the CHAP. "realm of Scotland was five times won by one King of England, and several of the Scotish Kings, some taken Anno 1547. "prisoners, some slain, and some for very sorrow dying. "And how notwithstanding both nations were united to

gether in one language, in one island, in like manners, "form, and conditions; so that it was a very unmeet, un"natural, and unchristian thing, that there should be such "mortal wars between them."

And then to incline them to allow the marriage, he proceeded," that if God should grant whatsoever the Scots "would wish, what could they wish sooner, than that which "now by fortune chanced, that these two kingdoms might "be united under one ruler? And that two successions "could not concur and fall into one by any other means "than by marriage, whereby one blood, one lineage, one

parentage, is made of two, and an indefectible right given ❝ of both to one, without the destruction and abolishing of "other: which, he said, he would have them to think to "come of God's own disposition and providence. And that "the rather, because the two sons of the former King, be❝ing in divers places, both died within four and twenty "hours: leaving but one maiden child and princess. "What could any Christian man, that thought the world "governed by God's providence, think otherwise, but that "it was God's pleasure it should be so, that these two “realms should join in marriage, and thereby make a godly "and perpetual unity. He protested, as his proclamations "at the last wars declared also, that it was the King his "master's mind, by his [the Protector's] advice and counsel, "not to conquer, but to have in amity; not to win by force, "but to conciliate by love; not to spoil and kill, but to "save and keep; not to dissever and divorce, but to join "in marriage, from high to low, both the realms; to make "of both one isle and realm, in love, amity, concord, and charity."

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He urged further, " that it could not be denied but they "had the great seal of Scotland granted by the Parliament

BOOK" of Scotland, for the marriage, with assurances and pledges I. "until the performance, and that in the time of the late Anno 1547.6 King Henry VIII. And in the time of the same, the "Scotch Governor that now was, [viz. the Earl of Arran,] "was a great doer therein: though after, by the Cardinal of "St. Andrew's and others, with certain vain fears and hopes, "and greediness of dignity, perverted, and revolted from "his first agreement: whereby he had put all the realm to "the loss of such holds and fortresses as were lately taken 19" from them, and to the loss of a foughten field." He said further," they [the English] offered the Scots, notwith"standing their victory, to leave the name of their nation, "[England,] and to take the indifferent old name [common "to both nations] of Britain again; because nothing shall "be left of the English part unoffered. That they intended "not to disinherit their [the Scotchmen's] Queen, but to "make her offspring heirs and inheritors to England. What "meeter marriage, added he, could be for her, than to "match with the King of England? That they sought not "to take from the Scots their laws nor customs, but to re"dress their oppressions. That if their Queen were mar"ried out of the realm, [viz. to the French, who indeed got "her away,] the English title remained; and they would be "subjects to a foreign Prince, of another country and an"other language, and have the English their enemies, even "at their elbow, and their succours far from them. And "if any foreign prince or power should be their aider, and "send any army, how would they oppress them, fill their "houses, waste their grounds, spend and consume their "victuals, and hold them in subjection, and regard them "but as slaves, and take their Queen to bestow as they list"ed; and at last leave their realm to be a prey to the English, and a true conquest ?”

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And lastly, an invitation was made to those of their nation," that favoured peace, and that profitable marriage, to "enter and come into England, and to aid the English in "this most godly purpose, and to be witness of their doings; "to whom they would keep promises heretofore declared,

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III.

"and see further recompenced. And, which never yet be- CHAP. "fore was granted to Scotland, in any league betwixt Eng"land and Scotland, the King, considering the multitudes Anno 1547. "of them which were come to his Majesty's devotion, had, "by the Protector's advice and counsel, granted, that "from henceforth all merchants and other Scotchmen, that "would enter their names with one of the Lieutenants or "Wardens of the Marches, or any of the King's officers "having authority, and there profess to take part with “England, might lawfully, and without any trouble or “vexation, enter into any port or haven of England, and "use their traffic of merchandise, either by land or by sea, “and buy, sell, and bring in the commodities of Scotland; " and take and carry forth the commodities of England, as freely as Englishmen, and with no other customs or pay"ments than were due by Englishmen." This excellent epistle is preserved in Grafton's Chronicle, and taken thence Page 998. by Holingshed into his, only leaving out a few words in the conclusion, shewing the date, viz. "At London the 5th "of February, in the second year of the reign of the most "noble Prince and our Sovereign Lord Edward VI. by the "grace of God of England, France, and Ireland, King, "Defender of the Faith, and in yearth under Christ the "supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland." The omission of which in the transcriber occasioned Holingshed's mistake in placing this letter under the year 1549. It appears by Bale that this letter was wrote in Latin as well as English; that it might be, I suppose, the more universally read, and the justice of the quarrel, on the side of England, might appear to other countries. The same author would make this letter to be of the Protector's own composing. For he saith, his incomparable wisdom and solid learning might be understood by his learned writings; whereof this he sets down for one, and another letter to the 20 nobility of Scotland he mentions for another, (though I am apt to think in this Bale was mistaken, and that both this and that was but one and the same,) besides some other discourses of his.