III. PART oppon them thairto, or make any trouble or impediment to him thairin, and sall do all uther things that becomis faithfull and Christian subjects to do to thair native king and prince. In witness of the quhilk thing, we haif subscrivit thir presents with our handis, at Edinburgh, the day of the year of God 1567 years. James Regent. Huntley. Archibald Argyle. Athol. Mortoun. Mar. Glencairn. Errol. Buchan. Graham. Alexander lord Home. William lord Ruthven. Lord Sanquhar. Ihon lord Glamis. Patrick lord Lindsey. Michael lord Carlisle with my hand at the pen, Alexander Hay, notarius. William lord Borthwick. Lord Innermaith. Ucheltrie. Sempill. Henry lord Methven. Allan lord Cathcart. Patrick lord Gray. Robert com. of Dumferling. James Stuart. Alexander com. of Culross. Adam com. of Cambuskenneth. Dryburgh, Master of Montrose. Alexander bishop of Galoway. Caprington. Blairquhan. Tullibarden, comptroller; with eighteen more. Number 96. Bond to the king, and to the earl of Murray, as regent during his infancy: registred in the council-books on the 5th of April 1569. Us, and every ane of us underscriv, and sall in all time cuming, like as we do presentlie, reverence, acknowledge and recognosce the maist excellent and mighty prince James the Sixt, by the grace of God king of the Scottis, our only soveraine lord, and his dearest uncle, James earl of Murray, lord Abernethie, regent to his hieness, his realme, and leidges thereof, during his majesties minority. His hieness his said regent, and his majesties authority, we sall observe and obey, as becumis dutifull subjectis, our landis and livis in the defence and avancement thairof, we sall bestow and wair. The skaith, harm, or subversion of the samen, we VI. sall never knaw, nor procure by any meanis, direct nor in- BOOK direct. All former bandis, for obedience of any other authority, subscrivit or made by us in any tymes, by-gaine, contrarious or prejudicial to his hieness, his said regent and authority, we renunce and discharge for evir: affirming and swearing solempnitlie, upon our faiths and honouris, to observe and keep this our declaration and plane profession, everie poynt thairof, be God himself, and as we will answer at his general judgement: whairin gif we failzie, we are content to be comptit faithless, false, perjurit and defamit for ever; besyde the ordinar pain of the lawis to be execute upon us, without favour, as a perpetual memory of our unnaturall defection, and inexcusable untruth. In witnes whairof we have subscrivit thir presents with our handis as follows, at the dayes and tymes particularly under specified. Huntley. Crafurd. Cassilis. Sanquhar. Saltoun. James lord Ogilvie. Laurance lord Oliphant. John Mr. Forbes. With thirty six more. Number 97. A declaration of the causes moving the queene of England to give aide to the defence of the people afflicted and oppressed in the Lowe-Countries. soveraigns account of God, the ALTHOUGH kinges and princes, soveraignes, owing their Kings and homage and service only unto the Almightie God, the King princes, of all kings, are in that respect not bounde to yeeld account, are to yield or render the reasons of their actions to any others, but to their acGod their onely soveraigne Lord: yet (though amongst the tions only to Almighty most ancient and Christian monarchies, the same Lorde God having committed to us the soveraignetie of this realme of King of kings. Englande, and other our dominions, which wee holde immediatly of the same Almightie Lorde, and so thereby accountable only to his Divine Majestie) wee are, notwithstanding this our prerogative at this time, specially moved (for divers reesons hereafter briefly remembred) to publish, III. PART not only to our owne naturall loving subjects, but also to all others our neighbours, specially to such princes and states as are our confederates, or have for their subjects cause of commerce with our countreis and people, what our intention is at this time, and upon what just and reasonable grounds we are moved to give aid to our next neighbours, the natural people of the Low-Countreis, being by long warres, and persecutions of strange nations there, lamentablie afflicted, and in present danger to be brought into a perpetual servitude. Natural causes of traffic be twixt the people of England and them of the Low Countries. tions both First, It is to be understoode, (which percase is not perthe ancient fectly knowen to a great number of persons) that there hath continual been, time out of minde, even by the naturall situation of those Low-Countreis, and our realme of England, one directly opposite to the other; and by reason of the ready crossing of the seas, and multitude of large and commodious havens respectively on both sides, a continuall traffique and commerce betwixt the people of England and the naturall people of these Lowe-Countries; and so continued in all ancient times when the severall provinces therof, as Flanders, Holland, and Zeland, and other countries to them adjoining, were ruled and possessed by severall lordes, and not Confedera- united together, as of late yeeres they have been by enterbetwixt the marriages; and at length by concurrences of many and sundrie titles have also been reduced to be under the government of their lordes that succeeded to the dukedome of Burgundie, whereby there hath been in former ages many Countries, speciall alliances and confederations, not only betwixt the kinges of England our progenitours, and the lordes of the jects of both said countries of Flanders, Holland, Zeland, and their adcountries. herents; but also betwixt the very naturall subjectes of of both the both countries, as the prelates, noblemen, citizens, burcountries gesses, and other comminalties of the great cities and port special ob- townes of either countrie reciproquelie by speciall obligaligations tions and stipulations under their seales interchangeablie, for maintenance both of commerce and entercourse of mermutual fa- chantes; and also of speciall mutuall amitie to be observed vours, and betwixt the people and inhabitants of both parties, as well kinges of England, and the lordes of and also the sub The people bound by enter changeablie, for friendly offices. VI. ecclesiasticall as secular: and very expresse provision in BOOK suche treaties conteined for mutuall favours, affections, and all other friendly offices to be used and prosecuted by the people of the one nation towards the other. By which mutual bondes there hath continued perpetuall unions of the peoples hearts together, and so by way of continuall entercourses, from age to age the same mutuall love hath bene inviolablie kept and exercised, as it had been by the worke of nature, and never utterly dissolved; nor yet for any long time discontinued, howsoever the kinges, and the lordes of the countries sometimes (though very rarely) have beene at difference by sinister meanes of some other princes their neighbours, envying the felicitie of these two countries. cient time, England, dukes of commerce And for maintenance and testimonie of these natural unions of the peoples of these kingdoms and countries in perpetuall amitie, there are extent sundrie autentique trea- Treaties exties and transactions for mutual commerce, entercourse and tant of anstraight amitie of ancient times: as for example, some very betwixt the solemnely accorded in the times of king Henrie the VIth kings of our progenitour, and Philip the IId, duke of Burgundie, and the and inheritour to the countie of Flanders by the ladie Mar- Burgundie, garet his grandmother, which was above one hundred and for the forty years past; and the same also renewed by the noble betwixt duke Charles his sonne, father to the king of Spayne's. grandmother, and husband to the ladie Margaret, sister to our great grandfather king Edward the IVth and after that, of newe oftentimes renewed by our most noble and sage grandfather king Henrie the VIIth, and the archduke Philip, grandfather to the king of Spayne now being: and in later times, often renewed betwixt our father of noble memorie king Henrie the VIIIth, and Charles the Vth emperour of Almaigne, father also to the present king of Spaine. : their coun tries. tions for jectes of ei In al which treaties, transactions, and confederations of Convenamitie and mutuall commerce, it was also at all times spe- the subcially and principally contained in expresse words, by con- ther side, ventions, concordes, and conclusions, that the naturall peo- to shewe ple and subjects of either side should shewe mutuall favours vours one 113 mutual fa to the other. III. PART and dueties one to the other; and should safely, freely, and securely commerce together in everie their countries, and so hath the same mutuall and naturall concourse and commerce bene without interruption contynued in many ages, farre above the like example of any other countries in Christendome, to the honour and strength of the princes, and to the singular great benefite and enriching of their people, untill of late yeeres that the king of Spayne departing out of his Lowe Countries into Spayne, hath bene (as Spaniardes is to be thought) councelled by his counselours of Spayne, and strang- to appoynt Spaniardes, foreners, and strangers of strange appointed blood, men more exercised in warres than in peaceable in the Lowe government; and some of them notably delighted in blood, Countries, as hath appeared by their actions, to be the chiefest governours of all his said Low Countries, contrary to the ancient the liber- lawes and customes thereof, having great plentie of noble, ers lately governours to the vio lation of ties of the country. valiant, and faithful persons naturally borne, and such as the emperour Charles, and the king himselfe had to their great honours used in their service, able to have bene employed in the rule of those countries. But these Spaniardes being meere strangers, having no naturall regarde in their government to the maintenance of those countries and people in their ancient and naturall maner of peaceable living, as the most noble and wise emperour Charles; yea, and as his sonne king Philip himself had, whilest he remained in those countries, and used the counsels of the states, and natural of the countries, not violating the ancient liberties of the countries: but, contrarywise, these Spaniardes being exalted to absolute government by ambition, and for private lucre have violently broken the ancient lawes and liberties of all the countries; and in a tyrannous sort have banished, killed, and destroyed without order of lawe, within the bilitie, and space of a fewe monthes, many of the most ancient and principal persons of the natural nobilitie that were more worthy of government. And howsoever in the beginning of these cruel persecutions, the pretence thereof was for maintenance of the Romish religion, yet they spared not to deprive verie many catholiques and ecclesiastical persons of The destruction the people of the countries by Spanish government. |