A SPEECH, DELIVERED TO THE KING'S most excellent MAJESTY, At his Entry into his Good-Towne of EDINBURGH, upon the xvi. of May, ANNO DOMINI 1617. In the Name of the Magistrates and Citizens of the said TOWN, By Master john Hay, their Clerk Deputy. Printed at Edinburgh, by Andro Hart, 1617. A SPEECH, Delivered to the Kings most excellent Majesty, at his Entry into his good Town of EDINBURGH, etc. HOw joyful your Majesty's return (Gracious and dread Sovereign) is to this your Majesty's Native Town, from that Kingdom due to your Sacred person by Royal descent, the countenances & eyes of these your Majesty's loyal Subjects speak for their hearts. This is that happy Day of our Newbirth, ever to be retained in fresh memory, with consideration of the goodness of th'almighty our God, considered with acknowledgement of the same, acknowledged with admiration, admitted with love, & loved with joy; wherein our eyes behold the greatest human felicity our hearts could wish, which is to gaze upon the Royal countenance of our true Phoenix, the bright Star of our Northern Firmament, the Ornament of our Age, wherein we are refreshed, yea revived with the heat and bright Beams of our Sun, the powerful Adamant of our Wealth; by whose removing from our Hemisphere, we were darkened, deep sorrow and fear possessing our hearts (without envying your Majesty's happiness and felicity) our places of solace ever giving a new heat to the fever of the languishing remembrance of our wont happiness: The very Hills and Groves accustomed of before to be refreshed with the dew of your majesties presence, not putting on their wont Apparel; but with pale looks representing their misery for the departure of their Royal King. I Most humbly beg pardon of your Sacred Majesty, who most unworthy and ungarnished by Art or Nature with rhetorical colours have presumed to deliver to your sacred Majesty, form by Nature, and framed by education, to the perfection of all eloquence; the public message of your majesties loyal subjects, here convened upon the very knees of mine heart: Beseeching your sacred majesty, that mine obedience to my Superiors command may be a sacrifice acceptable to expiate my presumption: your Majesty's wont clemency may give strength and vigour to my distrustful spirits, in gracious acceptance of that which shall be delivered, and pardoning mine escapes. Receive then, dread Sovereign, from your majesties faithful and loyal Subjects, the Magistrates and Citizens of your majesties good Town of Edinburgh, such Welcome as is due, from these who with thankful hearts do acknowledge the infinite blessings plenteously flowing from the paradise of your majesties unspotted goodness and Virtue, governed with the Sceptre of Wisdom, now fifty years to this your majesties native Town, wishing your majesties eyes might pierce into their very hearts, there to behold the excessive joy inwardly conceived of the first messenger of your majesties princely resolution to visit this your majesties good Town, increased by your majesties constancy in prosecuting what was so happily intended, and now accomplished by your majesties fortunate and safe return, which no tongue, how liberal so ever, is able to express. WHo shall consider with an unpartial eye the continual carefulness your majesty hath had over us from the first hour that Nature opened your majesties eyes: The settled temper of your majesties government, wherein the nicest eye could find no spot, yourself as the life of the Country, as the father of the people, instructing not so much by precept, as by example, your majesties Court, the marriage place of Wisdom and Godliness: without impiety he can not refuse to avouch, but as your majesties prudency hath won the prize from all Kings and Emperors which standeth in degree of comparison: So hath your majesties government been such, that every man's eye may be a messenger to his mind, that in your majesty standeth the Quint-essence in ruling skill, of all prosperous and peaceable government, much wished by our Forefathers; but most abundantly, praised be God, enjoyed by us, under your Sacred majesty. For if we shall in a view lay before us the times past, even since the first foundation of this Kingdom, and therein consider your majesties most noble progenitors; they were indeed all renowned princes for their virtues, not inferior to any Emperors or Kings of their time, maintained and derived their Virgin Sceptres unconquered, from age to age, from the inundation of the most violent floods of conquering Sword, which overwhelmed the rest of the whole Earth, and carried the Crowns of all other Kings of this Terrestrial Globe captives unto thraldom: But far short of your sacred majesty, nature having placed in your sacred person, alone what in every one of them was excellent, the senate house of the Planets being, as it would seem, convened at your majesties birth, for decreeing of all perfections in your Royal person: The Heavens and Earth witnessing your Heroical frame, none influence whatsoever being able to bring the same to any higher degree. IF we shall call to mind the tumultuous days of your majesties more tender years, and therein your majesties prudency, wisdom and constancy in Uniting the disjointed members of this Commonwealth, who will not with the Queen of Scheba confess he hath seen more wisdom in your Royal person, than report hath brought to foreign ears. There is not of any estate or age within this your majesties Kingdom who hath not had particular experience of the same, and as it were, sensibly felt the fruits thereof: The fire of civil discord, which as a flame had devoured us, being thereby quenched, every man possessing his own vinyeard in peace, reaping that which he hath sown, and enjoying the fruits of his own labours: Your majesties great vigilancy and Godly zeal in propagating the Gospel, defacing the monuments of Idolatry, banishing that Roman and Antichristian Hierarchy, and establishing of our Church, repairing the ruins thereof, protecting us from foreign invasion. The rich trophies of your majesties victories, more powerfully achieved by your sacred wisdom, and deserved more worthily by your virtue, than these of the Caesars, too much extolled by the ancients; all ages shall record: and even our posterity shall bless the Almighty our God, for giving to us their Forefathers: A King in heart upright as David, wise as Solomon, and godly as josias. THis also your majesties Good Town of Edinburgh is not the least witness of your majesties royal beneficence, and superexcellent wisdom, which being founded in the days of that worthy King, Fergus the first, builder of this Kingdom, and famous for her unspotted fidelity, to your majesties most noble progenitors was by them enriched with many Freedoms, Privileges, and Dignities, which all your majesty hath not only confirmed, but also with accession of many more enlarged, beautifying her also with erecting of a College, famous for profession of all liberal Sciences: So that she justly doth acknowledge your majesty as the author and conserver of her peace, her sacred Physician, who bound up the wounds of her distracted Commonwealth, the only magnes of her prosperity, and the true fountain from whence, under God, all her happiness and felicity floweth, and doth in all humility record your majesties Royal favours extended towards her aswell absent as present. We should prove most ungrateful, if we should pass over in silence your majesties sacred wisdom, in disposing of the government of this your majesties native Kingdom, during your majesties absence, and placing such subaltern magistrates and officers of the Crown, within the same, who have shined as clear Stars in this firmament, keeping ever the prescript of your majesties Royal commands, watching for the good of your majesties Subjects, and squaring all their actions to your majesties frame, as their pattern: and returning all their springs to the same fountain from whence they themselves received influence of virtue: being vigilant in nothing more than in procuring the good and peace of this Church and Commonwealth: To approve their loyalty to your majesty and to knit us your majesties Subjects in a more firm knot of obedience to your sacred authority. NEither hath the ocean of your majesties virtues contained itself within the precinct of this I'll: What ear is so barbarous, that hath not heard of the same? What foreign Prince is not indebted to your sacred wisdom? What reformed Church doth not bless your majesties Birthday, and is not protected under the wings of your majesties sacred authority from that Beast of Rome and his Antichristian locusts, whose walls your majesty by the Sovereign wisdom wherewith the Lord hath endued your sacred person hath battered & shaken more than did the Goths and Vandals, the old frame oath same by their sword: Would God as your majesty hath made happy beginnings in drying up their Euphrates, laying the nakedness of that hoore open to the view of the world, & ruinating of that Lernaean hydra: So your majesties days may be prolonged, to see the accomplishment of the same. ALl this your Majesty's Royal Storehouse of virtues perpetual vigilancy in managing of the public affairs, your prudency in your actions, your virtue in your life, and your felicity in all the Lord hath crowned, not only with continuance of your majesties peaceable government over us, your native Subjects more years nor any of your predecessors reigns attained unto: But also with accession of three great Kingdoms, and made your name famous thorough the whole Earth above all the Princes of your time. And therefore, we your majesties most humble Subjects do in all submission of minds acknowledge your majesty, not only for our just and lawful Prince; but also the first founder of the United Monarchy of this famous I'll, borne for the good of the same; who during the whole time of your majesties most happy reign, hath so in public carried yourself over us your majesties Subjects, as if ye were private, no man could lay any imputation or blot to your unspotted life, who never more desired to be above us than for us, nor to be accounted great than good: joining ever to your majesties power modesty and true piety: And that as for your sacred virtue, your majesty deserveth to be Monarch of the world: So for your piety and unfeigned zeal in propagating and maintaining of the Gospel, doth of due appertain the true titles of the most Christian and Catholic King. FOr the which all your Majesty's Royal favours having nothing to render but that which is due, We your Majest. humble Subjects, prostrate at your Majest. sacred feet, lay down our Lives, Goods, Liberties, and whatsoever else is most dear unto us: and do vow to keep unto your sacred Majesty unspotted Loyalty and Subjection, and shall ever be ready to sacrifice and consecrate ourselves for maintenance of your Royal Person and Estate: Praying th'eternal our God, that Peace may be within your Majesty's Walls, Prosperity within your Majesty's Palaces, Length of Days to your Sacred Person, One from your Majesty's Loins never wanting to weigh the Sceptre of these your Majesty's Kingdoms, And that Mercy may be to your Majesty and your Seed for ever. FINIS. ORATIO PER EUNDEM SERENISSIMO REGI EXHIBITA. REditum tuum (Rex Maxime) fortunatissimum, in Regnum hoc tuum, & vibem hanc diu & anxie probis omnibus expetitum, Obvius gratulatum tibi hic prodit confessus: O foelicem hunc diem, albo notandum lapillo, & altissimis pectoribus ad perpetuam divini beneficii memoriam insculpendura, qui te sospitem & salvum iam pene post tria lustra in patriam reducem tuis, tuosque tibi subditos arctissimo amore, & obsequio obnoxios, restituerit. Venisti tandem tuaque expectata popello Vicit iter durum pietas. Difficilis admodum mihi imposita est provincia publicam omnium laetitiam, benignos singulorum affectus, innatam animorum in patrem patriae benevolentiam, coram Rege ipso non orationis elegantiarum modo, sed & rationis ponderum scientissimo, tanto etiam doctissimorum stipato comitatu verbis exprimere: In hanc tamen partem, ut officio promptus dicar, peccare malui & paupertini ingenii maciem obsequendo publicare, quam sub rustico pudore in tanta omnium oblectatione, in tam celebri & quasi insperato totius patriae gaudio obmutescere: quamvis tuarum laudum testimonia, quae ego ingenii culpa enarrando non deteram, in subditorum pectoribus inhaerescere, quam in linguis versari malueris. Ludet operam profecto & frustra fuerit, qui ineffabilem Scotorum & devotissimae huius urbis voluptatem sermone commemorare, nedum exaequare studuerit Verus amor nullum novit habere modum. Quocunque oculos circumflexeris, quocunque gressum contuleris, circumspice, omnium ora, oculosque in te unum admiratione veneranda & amico intuitu defixa invenies, — utinamque oculos in pectora posses Inserere & sanctos intus deprendere amores. Herbae & semina hiberno frigore & nive obtecta, quae in terrae visceribus hieme, quasi sepulta & obruta delituerunt, ubi primum ab austro ad Septentrionem mundi ille oculus, qui accessu & vitali calore suo inferiora reficit, vegetatque, ascenderit, protinus capita sua exerunt, & in dias auras luminis erumpentia advenientem quasi Phoebum virore suo & colore ver. no salutant: Scotia tua illuvie, vastitudine, quotidiano moerore propter dilectissimi Regis absentiam hucusque squalida & lugubris in lessu & tristitia contabuit: verum exoptatissimo tuo in patriam audito reditu, tanta omnium animos laetitia invasit, tam subitum & certum exortum est gaudium, ut divino quodam afflatu repent immutatos dicas: ipsaque Scotia quae fuerat globus & sine imagine moles Nunc redit in faciem membraque digna Deo. In risus abeunt lachrymae, sua gaudia quisque sermone & vultu celebrat: Quare, ne in tanta animorum exultatione, Nos, quos potissimum tua praesentia beasti, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hac scaena videamur praefectus, Consules, Senatores, Populusque tuus Edinburgenus, quem undatim ex aedibus erumpentem ad solis tui iubar spectandum: Cernis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suum clamant, fausta omnia & foelicia adventui huic & adventanti ex intimo pectoris sensu comprecantur & vovent: ut si prius torpore, in senium effaeta quasi, & desita haec tua urbs (Serenissime Princeps) diuturna tua absentia vergere quotidie & marcescere hucusque caeperat, dum cui se ornaret, cui aedes instrueret, cui lautius se decoraret: Te, suis orbata delitiis, non haberet. Gratissimi tamen reditus vix rumor levissimus, incerto authore, fuerat dispersus, cum Templa, forum, compita, privatae aedes, quantum contracti temporis tolerare posset angustia, ad testandam hilaritatem non aspernando nitore refecta sunt, quin & caementa jam ipsa, & parietes gestire videntur & adventum tibi gratulari; quod fortasse vehementiore delibuti gaudio tui cives, licet explicata & serena fronte prodeant, iucunditatis magnitudine & nimietate pene obruti viva voce explicare non possunt. I am sylvae jamque antra loqui, iam vivere fontes, I am sacer horror aquis, aditisque effunditur echo Clarior, & faustae spirant praesagia rupes. Tullianam fidem apud plerosque in hunc diem ancipitem, pro certa hody confirmandam contendam: Diagoram Rhodium cum tres filios Athletas eodem die vincere & victores coronari vidisset, populumque gratulabundum flores in eum undique iacere, in stadio spectant populo in manibus & oculis filiorum animam prae laetitia efflavisse: Plerique sic proculdubio immensa aspectus tui voluptate correpti ac meritissimae incolumitatis delectatione perfusi repent exspirarent, si non salutiferâ regiae tuae munificentiae aura afflati: Respirare denuo & reviviscere cogerentur: Innumeris tuis beneficiis, quibus Scotiam tuam praesens absens cumulate affecisti, maius aut gratius accidere nullum potuit, quam recens & continuata nativi soli recordatio, quam non maximi imperii altitudo, non charissimae coniugis amplexus, non dilectissimi filii lachrymae, non vicinorum turbatis suis rebus opem petentium preces, non vaticani jovis minae, non Harpyarum Societatis proditoris illius judae verius quam IESV subdolae fraudes, non longissimi itineris taedium, non quod in humanis tibi charissimum, extinguere aut delere valuerunt: Quin Scotos tuos, quorum frequenti sermone fidelitatem, & amorem publice praedicâris, praedicando collaudâris, collaudando memori pectore collocaris, & natalitiam hanc tuam urbem inviseres, & totius hujus regni administrationem, non auribus sed oculis subjiceres. Certe verius de te praesagivisse, quam de se dixisse videtur Vespasianus, Imperatorem stantem mori oportere: utpote qui sicut militares stationes in excubiis contra hostem, in perpetua es vigilia & assidua Reipublicae cura, nec tam praeesse, quam semper prodesse vis, nec tibi tam subditos datos quam te subditis arbitraris: ut non solum tui, sed & exteri dubitent, tuamne magis nunquam intermissam pro Reipublicae bono vigilantiam, in actionibus prudentiam, in vita virtutem, an in omnibus foelicitatem admirentur, & vere exclament. Quae te cum laeta tulerunt Secula; qui talem tanti genuere parentes! Solus ex omnibus mortalibus placuisti; electusque es, qui supremi Regis vice in terris fungere, vitae necisque gentibus arbiter, cujus in manu qualem quisq. statum sortemque habeat, est positum: O dignitas vicarium Dei esse & non esse aemulum! In unius animum totius Reipublicae curam admittere, & universi populi suscipere fata, oblitumque quodammodo sui, gentibus vivere, innumerabiles undique nuntios accipere, Totidem mandata dimittere, Noctes omnes, Diesque perpeti solicitudine pro salute omnium cogitare: Absque quo esset antiquissima gens Scotia diuturna ista pace, sincero religionis cultu, Incorrupta justitia tam placide non frueretur. Nulla rel cta foret Scotorum nominis▪ umbra Ni pater hic gentis iamiam ruitura subisset Pondera, turbatamque ratem, certaque levasset Naufragium commune manu. Permagna equidem, immortales Deo Optimo Maximo, in perpetuum nobis agendi gratias offertur occasio, sive illibatam illam iam quinquaginta annos aequissimi tui dominatus foelicitatem ante oculos proponamus, quum & civili dissentione & Ecclesiae exitio miserè labefactaretur respublica: Tu protinus ut alter Asclepiades exortus es, qui salutarem ei dexteram medicinamque porrexisti: A vi & tyrannide exterorum qua frequentius infestabamur, vindicasti, sive elapsa á regni conditu revocemus tempora▪ Maiores tui strenui omnes & egregii licet principes praecipuis illa tempestate regibus quibuscunque aut Caesaribus conferendi vixerunt: Tibi tamen long secundi cedunt: quicquid enim in omnibus aut singulis ensign & divinum fuerat: Natura rerum opifex, id omne simul & semel in te unum tanquam archetypum congessit: Illi equidem, ut tempora ferebant, domi, boni, militiaeque, foelicibus auspiciis imperitarunt, quorum tamen res gestas fulgore tuo ita praeradias, ut si cum tua regni gerendi peritia componantur Quanto navem qui temperat anteit Remigis officium, quanto dux milite major Tantum omnes superas. Singulare etenim illud & eximium, si cum reliquis terrarum gubernatoribus conferantur, Majores tui tenuerunt, quod in tanta & tam frequenti, rerum & naturae ipsius vicissitudine, cum omnia susque deque multoties raperentur & migrarent, subitaeque regnorum mutationes evenirent, nulli unquam externo imperio vi aut armis subacta Scotia tua paruerit, sed suo sibi regi hereditario (quod atavorum omnium beneficium commune est) per duo millia annorum libera & obsequens, liberum & immune sceptrum conservarit. Illud tamen tui unius proprium ac unicum fatemur, quod ut acceptum & traditum per tot saecula regnum incolume retinueris: Ita solus & primus sis: qui universam insulam, armis & dissidiis antea distractam & inimicam, in amicam ditionem redegeris. Avitamque insuper Hyberniam, cui primas Cunas & Originem Scoti debent, vectigalem & morigeram reddideris. Neque enim Deus Optimus Maximus, Te tantummodo parta tueri voluit sed Qua latam occidaus Naereus circumsonat oram Augere dilatare, & venturis nepotibus per te subiicere decrevit. Quam iniqua conditione sub tuis (Rex Invictissime) natalibus haec patria vastitatem spectans iaceret, & quam exinde indulgentem tuo ductu fortunam habuerit, examussim si perpendamus, neminem arbitror candidiorem paulo qui non privatim se fructum uberem imperii tui percepisse fatebitur: Nonne commune illud implacabilis odii incendium, quod ultroque citroque conflagrabat, restinctum est: Nonne absque furto & rapinis unicuique fortunis suis secura fruendi facultas est? Tutus bos etenim rura perambulat Nutrit rura Ceres, almaque faustitas Pacatum volitant per mare navitae Culpari metuit fides. Haec illa nimirum tantopere majoribus & toties exoptata tempora, nobis etiam priusquam obtigerant, suspiriis & fletu advocata sunt. EDINBURGUM etiam Regiam tuam in se fusius munificentiam testabitur: Cujus licet eadem cum Fergusio Cunabula & spectata in principes & Majores tuos (Rex Serenissime) fidelitas & obsequium, novas subinde dignitatum accessiones & incrementa fecerunt, Solus tamen tu extitisti, qui paeonia manu Ecclesiae nostrae cladem, Reipublicae eversionem, obductasque cicatrices & plagas in integrum persanisti, Academiam insuper omnibus praeclaris florentem studiis, quae ut Hermodorus ille Ephesius virtute & aemulatione solummodo displicet, ampliasti: Inhumanum esset & illiberale admodum hic consultissimam tuam silentio praeterire prudentiam, qui Consilio, solertia, longissimoque rerum usu edoctos integerrimos huic Regno absens Consiliarios & Magistratus praefecisti, qui dies noctesque te tanquam prototypum, ad cujus exemplar omnem suam administrationem & actiones conforment, statuisti ne quid temere aut inconsulto, sed omnia ad praescriptum tuae voluntatis, & rationis perpendiculum & subditorum emolumentum tanquam unicam impositi muneris metam collimarent: ut si non praesenti nutu, jussu tamen & mandato tuo tu ipse omnia dirigeres. Sed quid his terminis basilicas tuas circumsepio virtutes: Cujus fama orbem terrarum cum laud pervagata est, cum longissimi principes regendi prudentiam tibi debeant, Orthodoxae Ecclesiaete ut Cynosuram, ubique terrarum sequantur, Constantinumque redivivum praedicent: qui eloquio & stilo altae moenia Romae plus, quam prisci illi Gothi & Vandali cohortibus & armis dirueris & everteris: Tu tu es ille, quem Romuleus ille Triceps cerberus, qui latratu trifauci nationes personat, solummodo praeter caeteros perhorrescit. Tu es, qui harpyas obscaenas illas volucres, quae rapinis contactuque omnia foedant immundo (jesuitas scilicet vel Esuitas potius intelligo) tuis finibus abegeris, & exterminaris: Atque utinam sicuti foeliciter hosce polypos & stelliones profligare occaeperis, ita ad ultimum persequi perdures, praecamur. Proprias tuas, quibus te ornarit Deus, animi dotes enarrandas suscipere ingenii esset nimium confidentis: Nemo adhoc opus aggredietur, qui non laborare mentis vitio existimetur, ubi & Demostheni facultas & Ciceroni suum eloquentiae flumen exaresceret, cui praemia virtutis eximios honores, tria opulentissima & florentissima ●egna adjecit sine internecione aut sanguine Don inus, vitamque tuam insidiis toties dolisque hinc inde petitam▪ ultra proavorum omnium, qui sceptra 〈◊〉 ●tinuerunt aetatem, salvam & incolumem produxit producatque vovemus ad perpetuam huius orbis tranquillitatem & continuum benefactorum in subditos incrementum. Sed quia singula percensere nequeo, Timanthem imitabor, quod dicendo consequi non possum, Taciturnitatis & silentii velo tectum involutumque relinquam, pa●ia facere non opis est nostrae. Nos nostraque omnia salutem, libertatem, divini cultus indulgentiam, fortunas, opes, vitasque nostras secundum Deum tibi soli accepta referimus: Tua esse dona agnoscimus & fatemur: Pro quibus meritis quas tibi laudes gratesque persolvemus, quae vindici & assertori nostro praemia rependemus. O qua Sol habitabiles Illustrat oras maxime principum Quo nihil majus meliusve terris Fata donavere bonique divi, Nec dabunt quamvis reddant in aurum Tempora priscum. Quam in hodiernum diem maioribus tuis illabatam fidelitatem servavimus, quodque tibi obsequii nostri sacramentum inviolabile nosipsi diximus, in perpetuum tibi tuisque praestituros nos vovemus. Quare quod reliquum est (Serenissime Princeps) cives tuos devotissimos ad pedes advolutos aeterno mancipi nexu addictissimos quo solitus clementiae & beneficentiae favore dignare: Quaeque semel munifica liberalitate indulsisti, Religionem, justitiam, Immunitates, Privilegia, Academiam, tuere, confirma, adauge. Nos coelestem parentem suppliciter & jugiter precibus & suppliciis, ut Patriae te patrem incolumem, integrum, valentem, diu esse velit, & iubeat, comprecamur. DIXI.