¶ An Epistle or exhortation, to unity & peace, sent from the Lord Protector, & others the kings most honourable counsel of England To the Nobility, Gentlemen, and Commons, and all others the inhabitants of the Realm of Scotland.   

Edward, by the grace of God Duke of Somersett, earl of Hertforde, Viscount Beauchamp, lord Seimour, uncle to the kings highness of England, Governor of his most royal person, and Protector of all his Realms, dominions and Subjects, lieutenant general of all his majesties Armies, both by land and sea, Threasauror and earl Marshal of England, Governor of the Isles of Gernesey & jersey, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, with others the Counsel of the said most high and noble Prince EDWARD, by the grace of God of England, France and Ireland, king, defender of the Faith, and in earth under Christ the supreme head of the Church of England & Ireland: To the nobility, and counsellors, gentlemen and the commons, and all others the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland: Greeting and Peace.  
Considering with ourselves the present state of things, & weighing more deeply the manner and terms, wherein we and you do stand: It maketh us to marvel what evil & fatal chance doth so dissever your hearts, and maketh them so blind and unmindful of your profit and to still conciliate and heap to yourself most extreme mischiefs: the which, we (whom you will needs have your enemies) go about to take away from you and perpetually to ease you thereof. And although by all reason and order of necessity, it should be rather more convenient for you to seek and require, moderate agreements of us (whom god hath hitherto, according unto our most just, true, and Godly meanings and intents, prospered and set forward, with your affliction and misery) then that we, being superiors in the field Masters of a great part of your realm, should seek upon you: Yet to th'intent that our charitable mind and brotherly love, should not cease by all means possible, to provoke and call you to your own commodity and profit, even as the father to the son, or th'elder brother would do to the younger brother: And as the loving Physician, would do to the mistrustful and ignorant patient, we are content to call and cry upon you, to look on your state, to avoid the great calamity your Country is in: To have us rather brothers, than enemies, rather countrymen, than conquerors. And if your Governor or Captains, shall retain and keep from you this our exhortation, as heretofore they have done: our Proclamation tending to the like effect, for their own private wealth & commodity, not regarding though you be still in misery, so they have profit and governance over you, & shall still abuse you, with feigned and forged tales: Yet this shallbe a witness afore God, and all Christian people, betwixt you and us, that we professing the Gospel of Christ according to the doctrine thereof, do not cease to call and provoke you, from theffusion of your own blood, from the destruction of the realm of Scotland, from perpetual enmity and hatred, from the final eradication of your nation, and from servitude to foreign nations: to liberty, to amity, to equality with us, to that, which your writers hath always wished, might once come to pass. WHO that hathred th'histories of time paste, and doth mark and note the great battles, fought betwixt England and Scotland, th'incursions, roads, and spoils, which hath been done on both the parties: The realm of Scotland five times won by one king of England: The Scottish kings, some taken prisoners, some slain in battle, some for very sorrow and discomfort upon loss, dying and departing the world: and shall perceive again, that of all nations in the world, that nation only beside England, speaketh the same language: and as you and we be annexed and joined in one Island, so no people so like in manner, form, language, and all conditions as we are: Shall not he think it a thing very unmeet, unnatural, and unchristian that there should be betwixt us so mortal war, who in respect of all other nations, be, & should be, like as two brethren of one Island of great britain? And though he were a stranger to both, what would he think more meet, then if it were possible one kingdom be made in rule, which is one in language, and not to be divided in rulers, which is all one in Country. And for somuch as two successions cannot concur and fall into one, by no manner of other means, then by marriage, whereby one blood, one lineage and parentage, is made of two, and an indefecible right given of both to one, without the destruction and abolishing of either: If god should grant that whatsoever you would wish, should be done what could you wish, other than that, which now, not by fortune hath chanced, but by his infinite mercy and most inscrutable providence, as careful for you, he hath given unto you. The which thing, that you should also think to come of his disposition, and not by blind fortune how unlikely hath it been, & how suddenly hath it turned, that the power of God might be showed: Your last King being a Prince of much excellency and young, (whom you know, after a promise broken contrary to his honour: And a misfortune by just judgement of GOD following upon it, GOD either by sorrow, or by some other wise at his inscrutable pleasure, did take away from you) had three children. Did not almighty GOD, as it were to show his will and pleasure to be, that the long continued war and ennemitie, of both the nations should be taken away, and knit in perpetual love and amity, take the two men children of those babies, being distant the one from the other, and in diverse places, both as it were at one time, and within the space of xxiiii. hours, leaving but one maiden child and Princess?  
When the most wise and victorious Prince, late our King and Master, king Henry th'eight in other of his marriages not most fortunate, had by his most lawful and most virtuous wife Queen jane, his other two wives before that marriage departed this world, and never surmise nor question made of that marriage, sith that time to this day, nor so much as all her life time, name or motion, to, or of any other wife, one Prince of so high expectation, of so great gifts of God, the right and undoubted heir of the Realm of England, and his majesty only of male issue, left behind him to succeed the imperial Crown. If nothing else had been done, what can any wise or any Christian man, that thinketh the world to be governed by God's providence, and not by fortune, think otherwise, but that it was God's pleasure it should be so, that these two realms should join in marriage, and by a godly Sacrament, make a Godly, perpetual, and most friendly unity and concord. whereby such benefits, as of unity and concord cometh, may through his infinite grace, come unto these realms. Or if any man of you, or of any other nation doubteth hereof, except that you look for miracles to be done herein, and yet if ye mark all the possibilities of the natures of the two princes, the children already had, the doubtful chance, lest each of them should have a son, or both daughters, or not of meet ages, with other circumstances both of the party of this realm of England, and that of Scotland, which hath not chanced in viii. C. years, it must needs be reckoned a great marvel and a miracle. But let it be no miracle seeing that God doth not now speak in oracles as amongs the jews he did: And present prophecies now a days, be but either not certain, or else not plain, What more certainty can be had of Gods will in this case, than the before rehearsed doth bring? But if GOD himself should speak, what could he speak more than he speaketh in these: call you them providences or chances? If you be still afflicted and punished, may he not say: I of my infinite mercy and love to your nation, had provided a right heir and a prince to the one, and a right heir & princes to the other, to be joined in my holy laws, and by the law of nature, and the world to have made an unity, concord, and peace, in the whole Isle of both the realms, you refused it, you loved better dissension than unity, discord then agreement, war then peace, hatred then Love and Charity. If you do then therefore smart for it, whom can you blame, but your own election? BUT because some of those, who maketh hereto impediments, who cannot but confess, that there appeareth God's providence herein, and opportunity and occasion given, to unite both the realms: yet may hereafter say, and heretofore hath said, that the fault herein is, that we seek not equality, nor the marriage, but a conquest, we would not be friends, but be lords. Although our Proclamations at the last wars, doth enough declare the contrary, yet here we protest and declare to you, and all Christian people, to be the kings majesties mind, our Masters, by our advise and counsel, not to conquer, but to have an 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 one Isle one realm, in love, amity, concord, peace, and Charity. Which if you refuse, and drive us to conquer, who is guilty of the blood shed? Who is the occasion of the war? Who maketh the battles, the brenning of houses, and the devastation which shall follow? CAN it be denied, but that we have the great seal of Scotland, granted by the Parliament of Scotland, for the marriage which should be made, with assurances and pledges, until the performance? And this in the time that the late king of most famous memory, our sovereign Lord king Henry the eight did reign, and in the time of the same your Governor, who now is the earl of Arreigne, who then being a chief doer and labourer therein, for the high & inestimable benefit of that realm. So soon as he was by the late Cardinal of S. Andrews and others, with certain vain fears & hopes, and greediness of dignity perverted, revolted from his first agreement, and put all the realm to the loss of such holds and fortresses, as be now taken from you: and to the loss of a fought field, for the which we are sorry, if otherwise peace could have been concluded, for his own private lucre, & recklessness of that noble Realm. And what end can you look of this manner of proceedings, but such success as heretofore hath been experimented and assayed: we offer love, we offer equality & amity, we overcome in war, and offer peace, we win holds, and offer no conquest, we get in your land and offer England: What can be more offered and more proffered, than intercourse of merchandises, interchange of marriages the abholishing of all such our laws, as prohibiteth the same, or might be impediment to the mutual amity. We have offered not only to leave th'authority, name, title, right, or challenge of conquerors: but to receive that which is the shame of men overcomed, to leave the name of the nation, and the glory of any victory if any we have had, or should have of you, and to take the indifferent old name of britains again, because nothing should be left, of our part unoffered, nothing of your part unrefused, whereby you might be inexcusable: And all the world might testify, all other means not being able to do any thing, after many other ways and remedies attempted: Battle of us to be taken, as an extreme refuge, to attain right and reason, amongs Christian men. IF any man may rightfully make battle, for his espouse and wife: the daughter of Scotland, was by the great seal of Scotland, promised to the son and heir of England. If it be lawful by God's Law, to fight in a good quarrel, and for to make peace: This is to make an end of all wars, to conclude an eternal and perpetual peace, which to confirm, we shall fight, and you to break, is it not easy to decern who hath the better part? GOD and the sword, hath all ready, and shall hereafter, if there be no remedy try it. Who so willeth the marriage to go forward, who mindeth the peace and tranquillity of both the Realms, who willeth no conquest to be had, but amity and love to be established betwixt us, we refuse no man: let him bring his name and his pledge, of good service in this quarrel, he shall not only be received to the amity, but shall have sufficient defence against the adversaries: WE neither do nor intend, to put any man from his takkes or offices, unless he will needs resist, & so compel us thereunto. what face hath this of conquest? We intent not to disherit your Queen, but to make her heirs, inheritors also to England. What greater honour can you seek unto your Queen, than the marriage offered? What more metre marriage than this, with the kings highness of England? What more sure defence, in the nonage of your Queen, for the Realm of Scotland, then to have England patron and garrison? We seek not to take from you your laws nor customs: But we seek to redress your oppressions, which of diverse, you do sustain. IN the realm of England, diverse laws and customs be, according to the ancient usage of the parties thereof. And likewise in France, Normandy, and Gascoigne, hath sundry kind of orders: Hath all the realms and dominions which the Emperor now hath, one and one sort of laws? These vain fears and fantasies, of expulsion of your nation, of changing the laws, of making a conquest, be driven into your heads, of those who in deed, had rather you were all conquered, spoiled, & slain, than they would lose any point of their will, of their desire of rule, of their existimation, which they know in quietness would be seen what it were, as it were in a calm water. Now in this tumult of discord when the realm is tossed up and down, with waves and surges of battle, famine, & other mischief, which the war bringeth, they think they cannot be espied. But look on them, you that have wit and prudence, and consider the state of your Queen and realm: YOU will not keep her sole and unmarried, the which were to you great dishonour. If you marry her within the realm, that cannot extynguish the title which we have to the Crown of Scotland: and what dissension, envy, grudge, and malice, that shall breed amongs you, it is easy to perceive. You will marry her out of the Realm: our title remaineth, you be subjects to a foreign Prince of other Country, another language: and us ye have your enemies, even at your elbow, your succours far of from you. And be we not in the bowels now of the realm? Have we not a great part thereof either in subjection, or in amity and love? Who shall come into your Realm, but he shallbe met with, and fought with, if need be, even of your own nation, who be faithful & true to the realm of England, in the way of this most Godly union by marriage. And if any foreign power, Prince or potentate, whosoever be your aider, to nourish still discord, send you an army also: how shall they oppress you, fill your houses, waste your grounds, spend and consume your victual, hold you in subjection, and regard you as slaves, which without them could not live, take your Queen to bestow as they list, and leave your realm, especially if their King or ruler (as perchance he may be) in other wars, be otherwise occupied, to be a pray to us & a true conquest. Then it shallbe to late to say, we will have a marriage and no conquest, we wish peace and amity, we are weary of battle and misery. The stubborn overcomed must suffer the victors pleasure, and pertinacity will make the victory more insolent, whereof you yourself have given the cause. If they sand money and Captains, but no soldiers: First if they be Captains, who ruleth & who doth obey, who shall have the honour of the enterprise, if it be well achieved? But whether it be well achieved or no, which numbered is that, that shallbe slain, whose blood shallbe shed? Their money peradventure shallbe consumed, and their commandments obeyed: But whose bodies shall smart for it? Whose lands shallbe wasted? Whose houses burned? What realm made desolate? Remember what it is to have a foreign power within you a strong power of your enemies upon you, you as it were the camp and plain, betwixt them to fight on, and to be trodden upon, both of the victor and the overcomed. And imagine you see before your eyes, your wives and daughters in danger of the wantonness and insolency of the soldiers, the proud looks of the Captains and soldiers, whom you call to help you, the contempt you shall bring your nation in: And then take heed lest in deed that follow, which you fear, that is that you shallbe by them conquered, that you shallbe by them put from your holds, lands, tacks, and offices: that your laws by them shallbe altered: That your nation shallbe by them destroyed. Consider in this realm: Did not the britains call in the Saxons for help, and by them were put out? Where be the Pictes, once a great nation betwixt you and us? How did the nation of France put out the Galls out of all France? How got the Turk first all Grecia, and now a late Hungary, but being called in for to aid and help? And did not the Goths by like means get all Italy? And the lombards one part thereof, now called Lombardy? What look you for more? Needy soldiers and having the weapons in their hands, & knowing that you cannot live without them, what will they not command you to do? What will they not encroach upon you? What will they not think they may do? And what will they think that you dare do? This foreign help is your confusion, that succour is your detriment, the victory so had, is your servitude, what is then to be thought of loss taken with them? The strangers and foreign soldiers shall oppress you within, our power & strength without: And of your own nation, so many as loveth quietness, Godliness, and the wealth of your realm, shall help also to scourge and afflict you. Is it not better to compose & acquiete all this calamity and trouble by marriage? To end all sorrows and battles, by such and so honourable a peace? How hath the Emperor Spain and Burgundy, not by title of marriage? How holdeth the French king Briteigne, now lately adnexed to that Crown, not by title of marriage? How hath all the great princes of the world happily, and with quiet made of two kingdoms one, of diverse lordships one? of nations always at war with themself, or else in doubtful peace, one well governed Kingdom, rule and dominion, but by that most Godly, most quiet, most amicable composition of marriage? Two means there is of making one rule, whereto title is pretended, and perfit agreement betwixt two nations: Either by force & superiority which is conquest, or by equality and love, which is parentage and marring: ye hate the one, that is conquest, and by refusing the other, you enforce it upon you: you will not have peace, you will not have alliance, you will not have concord: and conquest cometh upon you whether you will or no: And yet if all things were considered, we fear it will appear, that it were better for you to be conquered of us, then succoured of strangers, less loss to your goods, less hurt to your land, less dishonour to your realm: This nation which is one in tongue, one in Country and birth, having so little diversity to occupy the whole, then other powers to come into you, neither like in language, ne yet like in behaviour, who should rule over you, and take you to be but their slaves. But we eftsoons and finally declare, and protest unto you, that although for the better furtherance of this godly purpose, of uniting the realms, and for the sure defence of them, which favoureth the marriage, we are compelled for the time, to keep holds, to make fortificacions in your Realm: Yet the Kings majesties mind, and determinate pleasure, with our advise and counsel, to be as before is declared, where favour may be showed, not to use rigour, if by conditions you will receive this amity offered, not to follow conquest, we desire love, unity, concord, peace and equality: let neither your Governor, nor your Kirkmen, nor those who so often hath falsified their faith & promise, and by treachery and falsehood, be accustomed to prolong the time, feed you further with fair words, and bring you into the snare, from whence they cannoe deliver you. They will peradventure provide for themselves, with pensions in some other Realm, and set soldiers strangers in your holds, to keep you in subjection, under pretence to defend them against us. But who provideth pensions for you? How are you defended, when they be fled away? Who conquereth you when the strange soldiers or Captains hath your holds? When your land is wasted, and the realm destroyed, & the more part kept from you? Who will set by the marriage of the Queen, to buy a title with the war of England, to marry the name, another mighty King holding the land? If we two being made one by amity, be most able to defend us against all nations: and having the sea for wall, the mutual love for garrison, and God for defence, should make so noble and well agreeing Monarchy, that neither in peace we may be ashamed, nor in war affrayed, of any worldly or foreign power: why should not you be as desirous of the same, and have as much cause to rejoice at it as we? If this honour of so noble a monarchy, do not move you to take and accept amity, let the grief and the danger of the before named losses, fear you to attempt that thing which shall displease God, increase war, danger your Realm, destroy your lands, undo your children, waste your grounds, desolatey our Countries, and bring all Scotland either to famine and misery, or to subjection and servitude of another nation. We require but your promised Queen, your offered agreement of untiie, the joining of both the nacitons: which God of his infinite clemency and tender love that he hath declared, to bear to both the nations, hath offered unto us both, and in manner called us both unto it: WHOSE calling & provocation, we have and will follow, to the best of our powers, and in his name, and with his aid, admonition, exhortation, requests, and Embassaides, not being able to do it, and to find stableness in promises: We shall not willing, but constrained, pursue the battle chastise the wicked and malicious, by the angry Angels of GOD, the Fire and Sword. Wherefore, we require & exhort all you, who hath love to your Country, pity of that realm, a true heart to your queen & mistress, regard of your honours and promises, made by the great Seal of Scotland: And who favoureth the peace, love, unity, and concord, and that most profitable marriage, to enter and to come to us, and declaring your true and godly hearts thereunto, to aid us in this most Godly purpose & enterprise: be witness of our doings, we refuse no man temporal ne spiritual, lord ne lard, gentleman, ne other, who will aid this our purpose, and minish the occasion of slaughter and destruction, to whom we shall keep the promises heretofore declared, and further see reward & recompense made according to desert. And for a more sure proof, and plainer token of the good mind & will which we bear unto you: that which never yet before was granted to Scotland, in any league, truce or peace, betwixt England and Scotland, because you shall have proof of the beginning, of love and amity of both the realms: the kings highness, considering the multitude of them, which is come to his majesties devotion, and of them that be well willers and aiders, of this Godly enterprise, hath by our advise and counsel granted, & by these presents doth grant, that from henceforth, all manner of merchants, and other Scottishmen, who will entre their names, with one of the lievetenauntes or wardens of the Marchies or any other of the Kings majesties officers having authority, and there profess to take part with us, in this before named godly purpose, to his own commodity, and to serve all such as be of the same agreement: may lawfully, and without any trouble and vexation, enter into any port, creak, or Haven of England, and use their traffic of merchandise, either by land or sea, buy and sell, bring in the commodity of Scotland, and take and carry forth the commodities of England, as liberally and as freely, & with the same, & no other custom or payments therefore, then Englishmen, & the Kings subjects doth at these presents minding further upon the success hereof, to gratify so the furtherers of this most Godly enterprise and union, that all the world may be witness of the great zeal and love, which his highness doth bear, towards you and your nation. And all this the Kings highness by our advise and counsel, hath willed to be declared unto you, and given in commandment to us, and all his lieutenants, Wardens, Rulers, and other head officers, ministers & subjects, to see executed and done, according to the true purport, effect and meaning thereof. Far you well.  
At London the v. of Februarij in the second year of the reign of the most noble Prince and our sovereign Lord, Edward the . VI by the grace of God of England, France & Ireland, king, defender of the faith, and in earth under Christ the supreme head of the Church of England and Ireland.   

EXCUSUM LONDINI, IN AEDIBUS RICHARDI GRAFTONI, TYPOGRAPHI REGII.  
Anno salutis humanae. M.D.XLVIII.  
CUM PRIVILEGIO AD IMPRIMENDUM SOLUM