AN ORATION GRATVLATORY TO the High and Mighty IAMES of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defendor of the faith, &c. On the twelft day of February last presented, when his Maiesty entered the Tower of London to performe the residue of the solemnities of his Coronation thorough the citie of London differred by reason of the plague: and published by his Highnesse speciall allowance.
VVherein both the description of the Tower of London and the vnion of the kingdomes is compendiously touched: By WILLIAM HVBBOCKE.
AT OXFORD, Printed by Joseph Barnes, and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne, by Simon VVaterson. 1604.
POTENTISSIMO IACOBO ANgliae, Scotiae, Galliae, & Hiberniae Regi, fidei Defensori, &c. Oratio duodecimo Februarij, cum Arcem Londinensem ingrederetur, vt inaugurationis suae reliquas solennitates per vrbem perageret, dilatas ob grassantem pestem, gratulatoria; eiusque auspicijs praelo mandata.
In qua & totius Turris succincta descriptio, regnorum (que) vnio perstringitur:
DABO ait Dominus per Hoseam Prophetam vallem Achor pro foribus spei. Osea. 2.15. Erat autem vallis Achor primus aditus Israeli in promissam terram. Et hoc quidem vallum (potentissime Rex) est vestibulum tā quā terrae promissae tibi: et primum inaugurationis tuae vestigium, ad regnū tibi coelesti decreto ante te natum destinatū. Cuius ad has valvas salutant te meis verbis, nō solum locum hic tenens tuus fidissimus, belli pacis (que) ornamētis illustris miles, tota (que) armata cohors circumstipantium regium latus tuum, servientes hoc loco tui: sed consalutant vno nutu, Anglia tota, Gallia, Hibernia, quarū omnium supremumius, huius vnius loci complexu prensas, & quasi manu tenes. Haec enim arx, hoc castrum regale, arra est omnium: & porta non modo bonae spei, sed portus totius rei. Hic magnificae & regales bestiae, leones Anglicani, adorāt leonē Scotiae; ô verè de leone Iudae oriūde, ô verè atavis edite regibus: Hic numisma cuditur, nervi & artus belli, quod Caesareum tuum nomē & vultum iampridē gestavit: Hic chartophylacium regni, scrinium actorum & diplomatum principum nostrorum, illustrissimorū maiorum tuorum, ê quibus emendatior historia, ausim dicere, quam quae vlla extat, perpoliri possit. Existunt hic etiam circumquaque, per anfractus huius loci, sparsae rotundatae turres ad sontium laesae maiestatis custodiā: vnā hanc citimam [Page] maiores nostri sanguinolentam dixere, ob cruorem, vt aiunt, infātū Edouardi quarti, quos Richardus tertius execrādae memoriae, horresco referens, immaniter cō trucidavit. Prostat inde officiosè in te desuper spectans, sed aheneis tormentis propositis flammarum vomitus & tonitrua hostibus minitans, grandiusculum & quadratum Martis propugnaculum, robur loci, vigil vrbis, custos pacis, moderator circumiacentis regionis, cuius caniciem facies ipse attestatur, in quo prisca fama Romani Caesaris praecipuè aulam concelebravit. Hic gemmarum domus & gaza regni, innumera complectens maximi pretij vtensilia, totam (que) auream & argenteam supellectilem vnà cum opulentissima re vestiaria regia, quae omnia sese in sinum tuum vt iustissi ni domini & haeredis ex asse iamdudum effuderunt. Hic, ne singula cō memorem, globorum monticuli: armorum supra, infra, amplissima domicilia, bombardis, spiculis, hastis, arcubus sagittis, loricis, galeis, pulvere tormentario, toto deni (que) apparatu militari, equestri, pedestri, terrestri, navali, refertissima: ad hostes tuos subiugandos, ad amicos, cives, subditos, socios & foederatos tuos defendendos: ad pericula, iniurias, vim, metum à capite tuo (fortissime Rex) à corde tuo, charissima clarissima (que) Regina, à liberis, à fortunis, à toto comitatu propulsanda. Quamobrem gratias, quantas animus noster capere possit, ei inprimis habemus,Prov. 9.15. per quem Reges regnant, per quem amplitudo tua, Iacobe apud alios sexte in hac sexta aetate mundi, apud nos prime, in cōstanti aetate tua, nutāte aetate Regni nostri regnum init, & regnat: & quidem quod in tam dissitis studijs, dissectis sectis, distractis animi [...], incredibili omnium ordinum assensu, vnoquoque acclamante, nullo reclamāte, sine omni castrensi strepitu ita pacificè regnet. [Page] Nulla regio, municipium, praefectura, vrbs, pagus, ex quo non publice venerunt, omniū generum, aetatum, ordinum, omnis fortunae & loci, etiam ex remotissimis gentibus legati, gratulatū. Quantae effusiones hominum ex oppidis, concursus ex agris patrum-familias cum cō iugibus & liberis, quasi dei immortalis dies festi & solennes agerentur. Vt non maior fuerit Israelis & Iuda olim officiosa concertario ad reducendum Davidem Regem suum, quàm est nostrum totius Regni,2. Sam. 19. tanquam vnius viri, praestò obsequium ad inducendum Davidem nostrum secundum cor Dei regem.
Nam quae duo in Davide eximia fuerunt, artis & martis ornamenta, domi piae doctrinae laus prophetica, in bello fori arma victricia; hae virtutes duae iam coepêre esse tuae, qui & sine bello superbos debellans, amplissima regna, ipso audito nomine, assequeris, & in [...] piarū artiū & politioris literaturae, eos verè aureos libellos cō scripseris, vt bonae literae; quae antea veluti plebeiae, spretae apud multos iacebant, iam nobilitari & te regnante regnare videātur. Est autem vt in coeli medio Sol pulchrior quam vlla alia in parte: ita in regali persona eruditionis splendor illustrior, fructus copiosior, quam in reliquo hominū ordine: Cum inde et iustitiae praeses, et scholae princeps (vt nuper ad nostrū omnium decus) ipse esse possit, tum ad ius suis oculis pervidendum, tum ad literas fovē dum, et literatis favendum multo amplius. Et quanquam non possumus non affici summo desiderio Divae Elizabethae; tamen cùm, illâ maturo die suo,Viam lacteam in caelo, var j commentatores Iacobi viam dixere. vt sole nostro occidente et abeunte à nobis, ita brevis & serena nox sit interposita, tot regniluminibus vnam viam Regiam, tanquam coelestem galaxiam et planè Iabobaeam designantibus illustrata: alius (que) ita mane nobis exortus sit Sol, cuius beneficio, [Page] adeò pulcher iam hic integer fermè annus, tanquam vnus dies illuxit, nobis sine vlla nubecula tempestatis obfuturae, nisi quae in ipsa coitione Dei presidio evanuit: vt nihil nisi Elizabethicum in hac rerum cōversione sentiatur, nec in posterū nisi bona omnia Elizabethica de maiestate tua expectemus, pre [...]erquam quod mascula tua virtus & viriles dotes, maiora quaedam & augustiora polliceantur: Deo, cuius in faemore scriptum est, Rex Regum & Dominus dominantium, Apoc. 19.16. principi Electorum tuorū imperialiū (nam non hominis hoc factum sed numinis) gratissimis animis acquiescimus; in te vncto Dei (sacrosancte Rex) conquiescimus. Haec est enim omnium congratulā tium lo et triumphalis ovatio nostra.
Quare arcesse tibi pacis triumphos; capesse claues regni, clavum imperij teneto: possideto principatus tui cameram & metropolim Londinum: conscende hanc terrae acropolim & armamentarium praecipuum, turrim Londinensem. Hibernia praesaga tui partim subacta, partim dedititia tua facta est. Rosae duae Anglicanae, & Lancastrensis vere rubens, quia vulneribus suis cruentata, exhausta propè erat: & Eboracensis recte albicans dicta, quae amisso bellis intestinis sanguine, ad mortem ferè expalluit, & quae ambae coniunctis aculcis, saepiù [...] quam par est, compungentes, cum Leone Scotiae conflictatae sunt, iam vt corollae & serta capitis tui se offerunt. Tanquam Deus iam complêsset, quod vaticinatus est olim per Ezechielem in hanc sententiam: Tu fili hominis, cape tibi duo ligna, Ezech. 37.16. in vno inscribe Iehudae; in altero inscribe Iosepho cum tota domo Israelis: tum compinge ea in vnum, vt sint vnum in manu tua. Nam sic ait Iehova: accepturus sum [Page] domum Iosephi cum tribubus Israelis, & domum Iehudae, cum tribubus eius, & componam eas coniunctas in manu mea, & efficiameas gentem vnam: & Rex vnus nempe David servus meus pastor erit illis, ne (que) erunt amplius duae gē tes, nec dividentur amplius in duo regna. Quis non videt hic amat (que) similem dei nutum? Improbi, myrmillones, bustuarij putabant in interregno turbam in turbas conijcere: Pontificij sperabant totam insulam arsurā bello civili: & è tumultu aureum suū diem vtrique insolēter praedicabant. Sed frustratae adhuc divinâ virgulâ & prudentissimis Senatorum Regni consilijs sunt spes omnium.
Adhuc iustitia & pax occurrūt inter se;Psal. 85.10. veritas & fides osculantur se. Regnū Angliae etiamnum est regnū Evāgelij, Regnū Regis mei est regnū Dei mei, adhuc vivit Defensor fidei à fide defensitatus: Iustitiae assertor, & in iustif simâ Regni causâ acceptissimus: pacis cultor, & à pace excultus pater Ecclesiae Iacobus, filius eiusdē: Elizabethae haeres regnorū & virtutū. Deus tibi regnū, regno pietatem, pietati pacem, & quidem cuncta haereditariò tradidit: vicinā hanc patriae nostrae gentem, Sororem non paenè sed plenè nostrā, tanquā vnius parentis geminam, Religione, sanguine, solo, solio, lingua, communibus officijs, cōmunibus periculis, mari vt vno muro coniunctissimam, Angliam inquam & Scotiam, seu vt verè dixerim, Angliā & Sociam vno aureo & amabilissimo rectionis tuae nexu in aeternū, nisi peccata nostra intervertāt, colligavit.Cicero. offic. 2. Socrates execrari solebat eos qui vtile et honestū naturâ cohaerentia, animis segregabant. Christus maior Socrate cōminatur:Ma [...]th 19 6. Eph. 2.14. Ne homo separet quod Deus coniunxit. Paries intergerinus inter haec duo regna, te regnante, Dei digito recessit. Israelem & Iudam in te fecit vnum: non duo regna amplius, nec duos reges: non duos pastores, nec duos greges: [Page] non duas gentes, nec duas mentes: nō duas regiones, nec duas religiones. Vnus Rex, vnus grex, vna lex, & vt erat ab initio,Psalm. 82. vna Albiō. Omnia in vno deo caelesti vnū. om nia in vno deo terrestri, (dixi vos deos, ait scriptura) vnū: ‘Homer. [...].’
Quocirca vtere, augustissime monarcha, hac magnificentia tua, potire, fruere: Spartā quā nactus es, partē naturae iure tuam optimā adorna: macte ista virtute regia: perge porro initiorum laude egregia: Deum tanto beneficiorum cumulo admirabiliter Deum tuum, eius (que) Regnū in his ipsis Regni primordijs, se data iam peste et patefactis coniuratorū cōsilijs, perfecto corde, totis (que) viribus impensiùs, si fieri potest, quaerito: Religionem non illibatā solum tuere, sed adauge: Evāgelium per omnes oras propagato: Artes & Academias honestato: Christi patrimonium amplificato: vt Deo è postliminio reddatur, quod Dei est, vbicūque tuū est avita iura in Ecclesia, in Republica, nisi quid ex Adamo, aut Romulo faecis cōtraximus, rata & grata esse iube: iustitiā omnibus imperato: tenuiū verò accisas res in prosequenda lite sublevato: non concordiā dūtaxat, sed arctissimam amicitiam inter sororias has gentes & earum consobrinos omnes, firmiter modis omnibus constabilito: Recipe nos denique & nostros in clientelam tuam: vt Deo semper cōcinamus sacrū paeana & alleluiah: inter nos autem de te circumsonemus: vivat, vincat, vigeat, valeat, floreat diutissimè Iacobus Rex Anglia, Scotia, Galliae & Hiberniae cum serenissima Domina Anna Regina vxore cū Hērico filio VValliae Principe, cū tota reliqua regali sobole: viuat inquam Iacobus Anglia Rex & Scotiae, seu vt vno verbo dicam, Britanniae. dixi.
I wil giue saith the Lord by nosea the prophet,Ose 2.15. the vale of Achor for the gate of hope. Now the vale of Achor was the first entraunce for the people of Israel into the land of promise. Semblably this fort of the Tower (O mighty King) is the threshold, as it were, of the land of your behest: and the first step of your investiture vnto a kingdome, determined vnto you by divine decree, before you were borne. At the porte gates whereof there saluteth you by my words, not only your faithfull Lieuetenant a Knight graced with ornaments of warre and peace,The Warders. and the whole troop of armed men, that surroūd your princely person, your servants the Gard in this place: but togither also there welcomes you, as it were with one obeysance, whole England, Fraunce & Ireland, the soveraigne authority of all which by the possession of this one place, you do claspe and as it were gripe in your hand. For this Tower and royal Castle is the pledge for them all, & not onely the gate of good hope, but the haven of the whole scope.The Lyons Here the stately and princely beastes the Lyons (couchant) of England do bow downe to the Lyon (Rampant) of Scotland: even to you a true ofspring of the Lyon of Iuda, and rightly discended of Kings your great-great grandfathers. Here is mony coyned,The mynt. the ioints & sinewes of warre, which now a good while since hath borne the image and superscription of you our Caesar. Here are the [Page] Records of Estate,Records. the closet of the acts & patents of our princes, your renowned progenitors, out of which, I may boldly avouch it, a truer story of our nation by far may be compiled, then any is yet extant. Here are dispersed in the severall quarters of this place,Prisons. certaine rounde turrets for the custody of offendors against the king. This which is next,Bloody Tower. our elders tearmed the bloody Tower, for the bloodshed, as they say, of those Infant Princes of Edward the fourth, whō Richard the third of cursed memory (I shudder to men [...]ion it,) savagely killed two togither at one time. Then there presente h [...] sel [...]e looking dutifully from a great heigth vpon you,Square Tower. but holding out brasen pieces of shot, threatning slashings of fire and thunderbolts to your enemies, a great and square Tower for martiall service, the strength of this place, a watchman for the City, a keeper of the peace, a commaunder of the country round about,Caesars hall wherein antiquity hath especially made memorable the hall of the Romaine Caesar. Here is the Iewell-house and the wealth of the kingdome,The Iewell house. containing implements of great valew aboue number, and al the gold and silver plate,The Wardrop. with a most rich princely wardrop; all which haue now long since powred themselues into your bosome, as the iust owner & ful heire to thē al. Here are, that I may not name every thing, moūtaines of bullets, and most large places aboue and below for receipt of armour,Armory. with ordinance, dartes, pikes, bowes arrowes, privy coats, helmets, gun-powder, finally with the whole furniture of chivalry, for service on horse, on foot, by land by sea, exceedingly stoared: (& all these) to subdue your enemies▪ to defend your friends, citizens, subiects, associats and confederats: and to propulse danger, annoyance, violence, feare from your owne person (most [Page] puissant King) from your dearest spouse, our Soveraigne Queene, your progeny, estate, and whole traine. Wherefore we giue thankes as many as our heart can conceiue, to him first, by whom Kings raigne,Pro. 8.15. by whom your Maiesty, O Iames a sixt among others, to vs a first, in this sixt age of the world, in your owne constant age, in the declyning age of our kingdome, doth enter your raigne & now fully raigneth: and the rather, that in so great ods of dispositions, so many sects cutting from one another, such distractions of mens mindes, you doe with such wonderfull agreement of all degrees, every one acclaming to it, no man reclaiming at it, and without any stirring of weapon so peaceably raigne. There is no country, burrough, precinct, city, hamlet, out of which there haue not come openly of al sorts, ages, degrees, of al estates & conditions even from the most vtmost foreine parts, embassadors to congratulate. What wonderfull resorte out of good townes: what concourse out of the field country of farmers with their wiues & children, as though some great & festivall day of the everliving God were now celebrated. So that there was not a more dutifull striving betweene Israel and Iuda to bring home David there king:2. Sam. [...]9. then there is ready obsequiousnes of the whole kingdome of England as of one mā for the bringing in of our David a King after Gods owne hart. For these two ornaments of arts and armes, which in David were eminent, namely the praise of holy learning to the height of a prophet, the honour of victorious exploits abroad in warre: these two do begin to shew themselues to bee with you: who without warre vanquishing the prowde, haue vpon the hearing of your name attained vnto most mighty kingdomes: and haue written such worthy goldē bookes [Page] out of the circle of sacred sciences, & the finer learning, that good literature which, as vulgar, lay despised, seemeth now to be ennobled, and by your raigne to raigne it selfe. And verely as the sonne is brighter then, when it is in the midst of heaven, then whē it is in any other part: so the shine of learning is both more orient, and the fruite more abundant in a king, thē in any other estate of men: seeing thereby he may bee president in the courts of Iustice, and chiefe moderator in schooles; (as of late you were to al our glory:) both to discerne the right with your owne eies, and also to foster learning, and to favour learned men much more. And although we cannot but bee affected with the misse of (now) St. Elizabeth (our late Queene) yet seing, whē as she, as our sunne setting & departing frō vs in the ripe time of her daies, there followed so short and so cleare a night enlightened with so many starres of the kingdome,The milkē way in heaven diverse philosophers haue called S. Iames way. The last conspiracy. chalking out one kings way, as the milken way in heaven, plainely (as the olde sawe hath bin) St. Iames way: and seeing another sunne rose so carely vnto vs, by cōfort whereof this whole now a yeare almost hath continued as one faire day, without any stormy cloud towards, but such an one, as vanished in the verie gathering of it through the protection of God: so that in this change we feele no alteration frō the raygne of Queene Elizabeth, neither may we expect any other thinges at your Maiesties hands, but even all the good things of Queene Elizabethes time, saving that your mā ly prowesse, and the induments of nature in the superior degree of your sex aboue her, doth promise both greater and more notable attempts:Apoc. 19.16. Vnto God (first) in whose thigh is written King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes (the chiefe Prince among al your imperial electors (for it was [Page] the doing of divine power and not humane) with most thankful mindes we yeeld our selues, and next in you, O sacred King the annointed of the Lord, we set our hearts at rest. For this is the shouting and triumphant applause of al your subiectes, that ioyntly welcome you vnto the crowne.
Wherefore take vnto you, the triumphs of peace: receiue (here) the keyes of the kingdome: take into your hand the helme of this Empire: Enter into the possession of the chamber of your kingdome, the chiefe citty London: goe vp into the chiefe fort of your land, the Principall armour house of the Realme; this Tower of London. Ireland wisely foreseeing your approach, partly subdued, partly yeelding, is become totally yours. The two Roses of England, both the red Rose of Lancaster, rightly called ruddie, as beeing embrued in blood by wounds from her selfe, til shee was almost spent: and that other white Rose of the house of Yorke, rightly named white, as which having lost much blood by civil warre waxed pale wel nigh vnto death: which both with their prickles stinging togither encountered oftener then was fitte with the Lion of Scotland; do now offer themselues as coronets & garlāds about your head. As though God had now fulfilled that, which he forespake by Ezechiel to this purpose:Ezech. 37.16. Sonne of man take vnto thee two pieces of wood; write in one to Iohuda: in the other write To Ioseph with al the house of Israel: Then frame them togither in one, that they may be one in thy hand. For thus saith the Lord. I wil take the house of Ioseph with the tribes of Israel, & the house of Iuda with [Page] his tribes, and wil ioyne them by one fabricke in my hand, & will make them one nation, and one king, namely David my servant shall be Pastor over them neither shall they be anie more two nations, nor henceforth devided into two kingdoms &c. who doth not see & loue the like proceeding of God with vs? The wicked, the desperate ruffins thought in the chāge to cast all in a hurly-burly: the Popish crue hoped that the whole Iland would haue bin on fire with civil warre & both of them out of the midst of the sturre, did gloriously bragge of their golden day. But through the rod of Gods providence over vs, and by the prudent advice of the counselors of estate, al their hopes hitherto haue beene made frustrate:Psal. 85.10. Yet iustice and peace do greete togither truth & faithfulnes do kisse each other: the kingdome of England is still the kingdome of the Gospell: the kingdome of my king is the kingdome of my God: yet there liveth the Defender of the faith, defended by the faith: the mainteiner of Iustice, and most acceptably intertained in his most iust title to the kingdome: a promoter of peace & promoted by peace, evē Iames the father of the church, & sonne of the same: the heire of Queene Elizabeth in her kingdomes and vertues. God hath given vnto you a kingdome: vnto the kingdome a holy Religiō: to a holy Religion peace: and all these to you even by inheritance. This neighbour nation to our natiue country, not out halfe but full sister, evē as it were a twinne of the same mother, most neere of al other to one another in Religiō, in blood, in soile, in right of crowne, in language, in common services, and common hazardes, surrounded with one sea as one wall, I meane England and Scotland, or to speake more truely, One land, hath God plotted into one by the golden and most loving knotte of your governement: [Page] and that if our sinnes doe not overturne it, even for ever. Socrates was wont to curse them,Cicero. offic. 2. who severed honesty and profit a sunder in their purposes, which by nature cleave togither. Christ greater then Socrates doth command; Let no man seperate, Matth. 19.6. that which God hath ioined togither. The partition wall betweene these two kingdomes by the finger of God at your comming to the crowne is gone: he hath made Israel and Iuda one in you:Eph. 2.14. no more two kingdomes, nor two kings: nor two pastors, nor two flockes: nor two kindes nor two mindes: nor two Regions, nor two Religions. One King, one people, one law, and as it was in the beginning, one land of Albion. Al things in one heavenly God one: al things in one earthly God, (for I have stiled you Gods, Psalm. 82. as the scripture speaketh) One.
Wherfore most mighty monarch, make vse of this your magnificent estate; possesse it, enioy it; bewtifie this your portion, even your best inheritance, which you are come vnto by right of nature: proceed on in your princely vertue: go forward in the worthy praise of these beginnings: Seeke that God, which is become your God wonderfully by such a heape of benefits, and his kingdome also in this beginning of your kingdome, the plague beeing much abated, and the counsels of conspirators detected, e [...]en with a perfit hart and with all your power, even yet more earnestly, if it may be. Not only preserve religion, but increase it: Plant the Gospel throughout all your Dominions: Give reputatiō to Arts & Vniversitie, Enlarge the patrimony of Christ; that now at lēgth after long detinue, restitutiō may be made vnto God of al that is due [Page] vnto God, whersoever you haue to do. Confirme & ratifie the auncient lawes both in Church and Commonwealth, except where we haue gathered any corruption, either from Adam or Rome: Command iustice to all mē: but ease the lowe estate of the poore in following their suites Establish strongly by al meanes not only concord, but indissoluble frendship betweene these sister natiōs, and all the sisters children: Finally receive vs and ours into your protection; that we may alway sing vnto God a holy himne, & alleluiah, & of you may stil ring this peale among our selues: Let live, O God, let vanquish, let growe, let prosper, let flourish, as long, as mortality may endure, evē Iames of England, Scotland, Fraunce and Ireland King, togither with our soveraigne Ladie Anne, his spouse; with Henry Prince of Wales, and the rest of the royal Progeny: Let liue I say Iames of England and Scotland, or to speake at one word, King of whole Brittaine.