THE IOIEFVLL AND BLESSED REVniting the two mighty famous kingdomes England Scotland into their ancient name of great Brittaine By JOHN BRISTOLL SAPIENTIAE ET FELICITATIS ACADEMIA OXONIENSIS Printed at Oxford by IOSEPH BARNES are to be sold in Paules Church yarde at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson TO THE KINGS MOST EXcellent Maiestie IAMES by the grace of God King of great Brittaine France Ireland defender of the faith THE ioyfull and happie proclaimed vnion of your Maiesties two famous kingdomes England and Scotland into the name of Great Brittaine in one dutifull obedience of all to one Royall Rightful Soveraigne over all is the very Treasurie of the whole State where your Maiestie is sole high Treasurer of weale publique your soveraigne authoritie beautified with Iustice for executing lawes with wisedome for determining Right with mercy and grace for releeving distressed Subiects is the glorious abundant Treasure it selfe And albeit I haue in my two bookes like the poore widdowe offered into your Treasury but only two mites yet I hope for that doe most humbly pray your gracious favor that your highnesse will bee pleased in goodnes to accept my humble service duty to lay vp my two mites with the rest of the rich Treasure though in the account they be scarcely reckoned for a farthing I haue with that care and caveat as is meete only observed the Tenor of your highnes proclamation and with dutiful and due regard left all other incident circumstances and great considerations to the wisedome of the Honorable Commissioners authorized by your Maiestie in both your Parliaments As for all others which dislike mine industrie and distaste my zeale esteeming my labours lost and better left vndone then my reputation left vndone amonge them I esteeme them only tanquam Pedarios Censores trampling on truth and carying their eies in their heeles and not in their head neverthelesse I desire if may be to avoide their kicking and spurning if not yet because I knowe my farthing good silver able to indure touch and triall I haue without other respects in publishing this booke scattered abroad the fire of my zeale to shew it felfe in its own shine and placed my happynesse in your Maiesties approving mine endevours knowing that the king of kings acknowledged the poore widdowe to haue cast in more into the Teasury then al the rich men Me selfe verily doe cast in all that I haue and for my part doe iudge it everie mans part to depart from all where hee oweth all To this I can only adde my dayly praiers and doe presently and will still powre them forth to the God of all glorie and mercie lifting vp hands heart that his manifold and dayly blessings may bee multiplyed vpon your sacred person vpon our gracious Queen and vpon your Royall Seede for ever and that all your kingdomes may flourish to your owne hearts desire for terror of foes and endlesse comfort of all your loving Subiectes Your Maiesties faithfull Subiect and humble servant Io. BRISTOLL THE IOYFVLL AND HAPPY vnion of the two famous kingdomes England and Scotland into the name of Great Brittaine THE State of England and Scotland may bee resembled to the condition of Israell and Iuda not only for emulation who haue most right to the Royall person 2. Sam. 19. of the Kings Maiestie for their defence and government but also for that the two kingdomes were at first both but one Besides God as he speaketh by his Prophet did also at first alike leade both them and vs with Gords of a man euen with Hose 11. Bands of loue And as it pleased God for sinne of people to breake those Bands even both the Staffe of bands and of bewtie to dissolue the brotherhoode Zach. 11. of Israell and Iuda so for the iniquitie of our forefathers God brake the Staffe of bands signifying mutuall loue and also Staffe of bewtie signifying order of government and brought in vpon them vpon their posterity even to these Is 9. our latter daies a staffe of diuision and yoke of burden vpon theirs and our shoulders which nowe for al that out of the riches of his mercie he hath also broken in peeces making al one againe as he spake by his Prophet Ezechiel concerning Israel Ezec. 37. and Iuda saying I wil make them one people in the land vpon the mounetaines of Israell and one king shall be king to them all they shall be no more two peoples neither be diuided any more henceforth into two kingdomes This foundation laide as proiect of our whole purpose The trueth sheweth it selfe howe two kingdomes severed in place not much differing in lawes nor dissonant in language but only disagreeing heretofore in neighbourhoode may bee comprehended vnder notion of one name specially seeing when one ruleth both and both become Subiect to one they are no more two but one body lincked in like duety and knit togither in one bande of obedience To doubt this is in Strangers ignorance but in Subiects a great offence For who so considereth that many Shires with the principality of Wales heretofore made one England cannot but confesse that likewise England Scotland with al their territories Ilands Shires and Countries make now one great Brittaine and al the people of both the mighty nations Brittaines and that the Kings Maiestie hath done as princely an Act in vniting both the kingdomes into one name as hee did in vniting the Armes of both the Realmes into one Scutchion hauing a like Right in both For all great Brittaine being his Maiesties inheritance all his Subiects within that continent are Brittaines Iust and reasonable was the demande of Annius chiefe Governour of Latines in vniting Romanes and Latines saying Ex vtraque gente vnum Liv. 1. Dec. 8. lib. oportet esse populum vnam fieri rempub eandē imperij sedem idemque omnibus nomen And albeit the Latines were cōtent for sake of Weale publique to preferre Romanes before themselues and bee called by their names as the History there farther reporteth Quoniam ab alter vtra parte concedi necesse est quod vtrisque benè vertat sit hat sanè patria potior Romani omnes vocemur neverthelesse the case not standing so with vs that Scottish should be called by our name nor we by theirs me thinks a thirde name of great Brittaine might easily equally please both otherwise as King Deiotarus cut of al his children saving one Plut. 3. mor because he would leaue the kingdom but to one so should English swallowing vp name of Scottish or Scottish drowning name of English prooue such a Vine which to bring but one grape to ripenes is content that all Branches bee cut of but one But the questiō here is not which of the branches should best prosper but how all the branches may flourish which abide in the Vine and verily the question carieth in it selfe his
matter to vnite and keep them togither who liue vnder the same climate of heaven are of like language manners countenance lawes customes forme of bodie fashiō of behavior yea and religion à religando Rightly called the chiefest band of hearty vnion For though the Hand Salamis bee controverted betweene Aelian 7◠the Athenians Megarenses yet must it be adiudged to the Athenians because they lived after the same fashion and lawes as now the skilful in the lawes of this land easily acknowledge what congruity and affinity is betweene most of the ancient lawes of both our kingdomes more then is to be found betweene those of any other two nations And albeit the Towne Sidas be controverted Athene 1◠betweene the Athenians Beotians yet Epominondas wil adiudge it to the Beotians and not to the Athenians because the Athenians called an apple malum punicum but the Beotians called it Sidas There is betweene English and Scottish smal or no difference nay now none at al in vnion al being Brittaines not so much as betweene Gileadites and Ephraimites in pronouncing Shibboleth or Sibboleth but al are of one language even of one Canaan language only a little River Twede is common limit or rather imaginary bounde to both and al from Twede Southward is Brittaine within Twede and al frō Twede Northward is Brittaine beyonde Twede yet both on this side that al but one Brittaine non nos mare seperat ingens exiqua prohibemur aqua as al France hath formerly bin divided into two parts the one beyonde the Alps the other within the Alps and all Jndia Westward within the River Gange and Eastward beyonde Gange And all Scithia within Imaus and without Imaus And though the Iland hath bin long time divided into two kingdomes yet England it selfe hath oft times of divers bin called Brittaine as by a Surname and if pars prototo might haue that denomination much more ought the whole being now made one Therefore Linacre Grocinus of the one part called thēselues Brittaines and Iohannes Maior of the other affirmed that the kings of England and Scotland wanted good Councel to advise them to marie togither so to make of both one kingdome of Brittaine that only envious men and they who neglected the Weale publiq ue did hinder this vnion of peace Which thing King Henry the seventh and King Henrie the eighth wisely forsaw seeking by mariage to vnite both kingdomes into one Discordantis saepe patriae non aliud est remedium quam si ab vno regeretur Therefore the wise men haue most religiously observed two beginnings of things one of evil divisible imperfect manifold called duallitie or Binarius numerus Another of good indivisible perfect and in name and nature alwaies one called vnitas If Duallitie or Binarius as cause efficient beare sway then in the aire it breedeth intemperature if in citties families or kingdomes wars and discorde if in the body diseases if in the minde of men vice and wickednes But where vnion possesseth chiefe place her fruites are to the aire wholsome temper to citties families kingdomes mutual loue and ioie to the bodie health and strength and to the minde vertue godlines For vnitie admitteth no duallity knoweth no contrarietie and by consequence no infirmitie But Duallitie seduced Adam in disobedience seeking to know aswel evil as good who before was sole Monarch of the whole earth and was wholly good and perfect both in bodie and Soule vntil hee drew with a dubble twisted corde of contrarieties vnto his body in steede of health sicknesse infirmities and vnto his soule in steede of Righteousnesse sinne and miserie needing now to strengthen his body bread and to repaire his soule grace euen for body soule Gods mercy For so he turned the Monarchy of perfect good into a Monomachie or duellum of good and euil sin and righteousnes peace and war ioie and sorrow sicknesse health yea life and death And now when the sole Monarch of the whole earth left of to abide in the common obedience and vniuersal vnion of al things to his creator albeit al the creatures were before in voluntary subiection vnited also to their sole Monarch Adam on earth yet now everie creature lifteth vp himselfe against his sole earthly Soveraigne and against his Succession for euer The earth wil not yeeld Adam bread but by the sweat of his browes the beasts become wilde cruel yea the earth openeth her mouth against the succession of disobedient Adam and swalloweth vp Corah Dattan Abiram the waters drowne the whole world except eight persons the poore flie can and doth sometimes choake a man having before neither power nor wil to doe it Lice can devoure and eate vp Herod euen the vilest and weakest creatures can and often doe destroy the greatest Tirants of the earth And in opinion of some the holy Ghost seemeth in misterie to open this matter to a man of vnderstanding forbearing in the second daies worke to say all was good as is plainely said of al the other fiue daies and he saw all things good not but that the worke of this day was also good for al his workes are and were exceeding good but because of waters which in many places of the scripture signifie troubles yea intollerable afflictions and because of division of waters in that daies worke God being a God not of division but of peace therfore the holy Ghost seemeth to forbeare to say in that place and it was good And yet would not these bee mistaken in their curiositie as if they concluded the diuision of waters in that daies worke not to be good seeing that waters in the clowds diuided from the Seas are vpholden by Gods prouidence not to powre down and over whelme the earth for they approue divisions of constructions to be good as the diuiding the light from darknes the day from night and of whatsoeuer into parts for ornament and beauty of the forme diuided but vtterlie condemne diuisions of destructions or of distractiōs which is frangere non dividere comminuere non distinguere to part the body from the head or the members from the bodie to bring order to confusion vnitie to distraction forme to a Chaos ens to privation such division was that whereof Caselius answered the merchant Navem si dividis Macr. 2. sa◠nec tu nec socius habebit such diuifion the vnnatural harlot entended requiring the liuing childe to be cut into two partes let it bee neither 1. King 3. mine nor thine but divide it Where two or three are made one there is the image of God of truth of peace of fortitude of praise of perfectiō but where one is drawn diuided and torne a sunder there breaketh forth falshood war feare dishonor confusion They which are of God embrace the one and they which are of the deuil the other For God both in the Center and Circumference of truth
in the whole common Weale it is wholly and in every part thereof whither it be of English or Scottish entire Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte As a shining light it sheweth a way for common good and as a reasonable soule giveth vnderstanding to the blindest body to see the full fruition of al worldly happinesse let no man shut his eies against the Sun nor refuse a living soule for his Carcas If I could expresse the image of this vnion in liuely colours I would surely make her a Goddes faire and beautiful having a garland crowne of al blessings vpō her head sitting in a Chaire of State with al good fortunes vertues and graces attending her and as a Goddes in triumphant chariot going into the capitol or temple of mighty Iupiter where also the Poets haue found her but called by another name even Pallas who is also named Monas that is vnitie because having Macrob. one only parent shee resideth in Iupiters braine even in the chiefe seate of his wisedome where al the Muses are her companions so called Musae quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is altogither in one where al the Graces go hand in hand congratulating to vnion their mutual societie where al vertue and knowledge are neere of affinitie but Iustice and government of cōsanguinity to her her selfe stil holding primacy over al as England Scotland are cheerefully looking one towards the other in the name of great Brittaine as the two Cherubins did looke one towards the other in one propitiatory And thy royal state ô great Ezech. 28. Brittaine is as the annointed Cherub And as in the hart of man is placed fortitude in his liver temperance and in his minde Iustice yet al these with al other vertues are annexed to Prudence the common ligament of al so is great Brittaine by vniting al his kingdomes principalities countries and honours the compleate proportioned forme of al and al in it both vniversally and particulerly are fashioned and made fit on every side for happy coniunction and mutual correspondence For this renowned name of great Brittaine standeth in steede of a Loadstone drawing al into one chaining them togither with links of loue as Lisippus made an image of fowre mettals mixed togither gold silver brasse and yron expressing hereby absolute perfection of vertue putting in gold to signifie Prudence silver Iustice brasse Fortitude and yron Temperance whereof they are altogither ignorant as if they had never seene vertue so much as painted who to overthrow vniō in the name of great Brittaine bring no vnion of vertues euen excellencies of many Countries to this so excellent worke But skilful Zeuxes going about to depaint an absolute worke of a perfit virgin tooke not onlie view of one womans beautie but had varietie of many the fairest to accomplish out of al these a more excellent and consummate forme of bodie Shal we not thinke the kingdome of Fraunce containing Pickardy Normandie the I le of France Champaigne Averne Dalphenie Bry Bloys Turin the Dutchie of Aniow Xantoin Burgundie and vniting to it little Brittaine to be more glorious in al these being made one then if but one only of al these were that kingdome Doe we not see that the enlarging of the dominions of Spaine in vniting and establishing diverse kingdomes and territories as those of Aragon Castile and that of Portugal with others hath so enlarged that kingdome as that the like hath not befallen other Christian Potentates Hath not the King of Denmarke beside the Cimbrian Chersonese where Holsatia Theutomartia the Dukedome of Sletia Flensburgh Friesland and Iuthland doe lie other spacious Ilands fifteene in number all comprehended vnder the name Denmarke and vnited to that Crowne Did not Iagello taking to wife in the year 1380. the princes Hedingee the last of the blud Royal of Polonia after he was installed king there vnite al his owne principalities of Lithuania and Samotgathia Provinces of Russia to the kingdome and Esth 1. Crowne of Poland Did not Ahasuerus raigne from India to Ethiopia over an hundred twenty and seaven diuerse Provinces And was not he so mightie by reason of this varietie subiected and vnited to his sole government that hee was an hundreth and fowrescore daies shewing the riches and glorie of his Greatnesse to al his Princes and to the mightie men of Persia Media But to take example of one only Rome for all How hath it beene renowned through the whole world by ioyning al the nations of the world into one euen to it selfe Herehence it was called terrarum dea gentiumque Roma communis patria mundi compendium Omnia Romanae cedant miracula terrae Propertius Natura hîc posuit quicquid in orbe fuit But the Maiestie of this Empire grew so great by adioining other nations and bringing them all into one Haec est in gremium quae victos sola recepit Humanumque genus communi nomine fovit Matris non dominaeritu civesque vocavit Quos domuit nexuque pio longinqua revinxit And againe Fecisti patriam diversis gentibus vnam Dumque offers victis proprij consortia iuris Vrbem fecisti quod prius orbis erat And so may wee say of this renowned name of great Brittaine comprehending vs all of diverse nations in one vnder our gracious King Huius pacificis debemus moribus omnes Quod cuncti gens vna sumus I could set forth and confirme by sundry examples this vniting of many into one and thereby shew that the enlarging of dominion consisteth in vniting altogither into one name and establishing diverse Territories vnder one Soveraignetie and government and that the greater states and Imperial powers of larger extent and far spreading domination are the more durable Arist Pol. and that the Monarchie of great Brittaine is like to be hereafter of more durance strength honor as partly comming vnder our Kings government without conquest or constraint nam errat longè mea quidem sententia qui credat imperium stabilius aut firmius quod vi adiungitur quam quod facilitate clementia so now especially it beeing vnited in the whole then heretofore divided in parts his contexture being of a greater frame thē before holding by more then one naile and vp-holding it s own greatnes even as great buildings endure and subsist by their owne weight as the Poet speaketh Pondere tuta suo est But I thinke it here as needeful to lay open that great fault imputed to Constantine dividing the Empire among his Children whereby of one Empire hee made three and withal a memorable diminution of his authoritie and forces which part Brutus also played dividing this whole Empire of great Brittaine among his three Sonnes of which though two parts afterward namely England Wales were againe in good time vnited yet Scotland stood till now divided from the rest the rest from it till God in special goodnes nowe restored to
brother it was subiect to storme ful of contentions war shedding of bloud but ioined with his brother it flourished with peace and at this day is blessed in the vniformity of government there established And in mine opinion it is well observed in the Cronicle of Wales how God was not pleased with the first change of the name of Brittaine into the name of England for presently followed the terrible and cruel invasion of the Danes after that the conquest of the Normans But memorable is it that the Brittaines ruled al the whole I le togither with the out Iles of VVight Mon in English Anglisee Manaw in English Man Orkney and Ewyst 1137. yeares before Christ and after the yeare of his incarnation 688. even to the death of Cadwallader the last King of Brittaines and of the noble race of Troians Which when in succeeding age many mightie famous Kings of England considered they laboured by al meanes to recouer and resume the name and stile of Kings of great Brittaine accounting it dishonorable to leese any iot of the honor of there most princely progenitors And therefore King Knute King of England mighty in his dominions of Swethen from Germany to the North poles with Norway and Denmarke having obtained prosperous successe in warring against Scotland is recorded after his death the mightiest prince in the West parts of the world and of al the noble I le of Brittaine And so VVilliam the Conquerer for the good successe he likewise had in Scotland is recorded king of al Brittaine Henry the second surnamed Curtmantle is also for like successe recorded king of al Brittaine And if they be Renowned and honored with name and stile of Brittaine which by rightful descent or by conquest were inheritours but to one part only though by their fortunes in warre they also claimed the other what rightful title must we then acknowledge most iustly now to belong to his most excellent Maiestie in the imperial crowne of both who by lineal descent inheriteth both Which thing seemeth in his highnesse late proclamation to be strongly and truely enforced for that his Maiesty doth not covet any new affected name but assumeth a title warranted by authentical charter and records of great antiquity not borrowed of forraine nations but from the actes of his progenitours both before and sithence the conquest who had not so iust nor great cause as his Maiestie hath Causa iubet superos melior sperare secundos Here I wish I had as many eies as Argos to looke into their devises who seeke to divide England from Scotland Scotland from England renouncing the name of great Brittaine least ioined in one they might as the forenamed stars appeare togither shine togither and bring ioy togither I would then not spare to lay open as Cneius Flavius did reveale to the world the tricks and misteries of Lawyers of that time and therefore was said to put out their eies and to cut their purses how also these Adamants hinder the natural power and vertue of the load stone whom I cal Adamants aswel for repugnant qualities as that they be truely Adamants even Sonnes of Adam practising rather in disobedience dissention and ruine of al to lay hands vpon that is forbidden then to draw the yron nay golden chaine of lincks of loue in obedience to the king and for common peace and preservation of men But herein such imitate the devise of Q Fabius Labeo Val. 3. 3. seeking to haue the ship of common weale divided in partes as when by compact of league with Antiochus he ought to receiue halfe part of Antiochus shippes cut them al in the middest craftely so to defraude Antiochus of his whole Nauy or else imitate they Cyrus Herod 1. dividing great Rivers into many litle Brookes til they be not only passable but even dried vp for so these seeke to stay the maine mighty Streame of great Brittaine by dividing it and in dividing to make it of sundry kindes vnlike it selfe Such dividing into parts is disioyning of the parts by disioyning dismembring and by dismembring spoyling making Plin. 36. 17. the stone Scyros which whole and firmely compacted doth swim and floate aboue the waters to sincke and be drowned because it is divided But our two famous kingdomes with al their provinces shires and Countries vnited into the name of great Brittaine are like the goodly and pleasant river Danubius which passing by many Countries keepeth his name til it enter into Illiricum where receiving into it sixtie other rivers of diverse other names leeseth not only his owne and al their other names of parts but is called Ister one for al containing al. Here I require both of English and Scottish is either of them now as a people disiointed one from the other Or as Sande without Lime Or scattered straw without binding Or as Sampsons Foxes running divers and contrary waies with fire-brands of dissention among them Nay here in the glory of great Brittaine is renowned that King Iames and his Royal issue doe gather togither that which was scattered and vnite that which was divided and restore that which vvas lost and saue that which was endangered even by this meanes vniting al in one name of Brittaine as it was saide of Rome vniting so manie Countries into it selfe al parts which disagreed heretofore are now well agreeing Heerevpon Rome was said to be anchora a fluctuanti mundo as he faith in Tacitus regnae bellag per Gallias semper fuêre donec in nostrum ius cōcederetis So happily doeth this vniversal coniunction of all vnder one head take away al discorde and maintaine coniunction of loue for everlasting continuance Onely they which wil be alone and not contained vnder one name of great Brittaine are not bound vp with the sheaues nor carried home into the Barne and therefore are like gleanings after harvest left behinde in the field subiect to storme they come not two and two into this arke and whatsoeuer remaineth alone extra arcam perit Such are not vnlike that captaine whom Xerxes Herod ◠rewarded with a garland for escaping aliue when al other Souldiers were slaine and yet because he came alone without the rest he hanged him and as the Athenians in the warre with the Herod 5. Aeginetae when one returned without his fellowes ranne al vpon him and killed him asking where were the rest And what can such I pray you as seperate themselues from the happy vnion of al Brittaines answere for themselues if they be called to account Can any be English not Scottish can any be Scottish and not English Let that outcry against the Romanes be ingeminated against such saying Quintilius Varus restore vs our Legions where are our souldiers what is become of them Where are the English where are our Scottish let al restore themselues each one the other to the name of Brittaines And so I say to al and everie one of both