Ta tōn Mousōn eisodia: = The Muses welcome to the high and mightie prince Iames by the grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland, defender of the faith &c. At His Majesties happie returne to his olde and natiue kingdome of Scotland, after 14 yeeres absence, in anno 1617. Digested according to the order of his Majesties progresse, by I.A.

MOst Sacred SOVERAINE, Amongst the manie comforts wee enjoy under this your calme and most glorious reigne, this is not the least that your Majestie deignes to heare your owne Welcomes, and disdaines not the humble applause of your meanest Subjects, no more then Augustus Caesar did when in name of the Senate and People of Rome, Valerius Messala welcomed and saluted him, PATREM PATRIae, which (as hee answered) was the hight of his desires, and beyond which hee had nothing more to sollicite the GODS for; Provyding onlie that That harmonie could conti∣nue, and bee the last sound should strick his dying eare.

J your Majesties most humble Subject in name of the Magi∣strats and indwellers of this your ancient Towne, in all reverence most hartlie and justlie Welcome and salute your Majestie, PA∣TREM PATRIae after this your happie returne to your late lan∣guishing bot now fullie contented Cuntrie.

What heart wold not breake? what eye not drowne it selfe in teares for the so long absence of so wel-beloved and so much loving a Prince: A King secund unto no other, and farre from any se∣cund, matchles in birth and Royall discent, bot more in Heroï∣call and amazing vertues. What blessing did euer Almightie GOD impart to any Prince, which hee hath not powred upon you S^r? or what doeth any people enjoy, which wee haue not aboundant∣lie by you?

Much is recorded in the Calenders of Fame of that Macedo∣nian Conqueror Alexander; and not without cause perhaps was hee entitled Great, bot his violence and pryd (like deep skarres in a wel proportioned face) were staynes unto his other qualities: Yee are great S^r. bot with greatnes good: which are in you so com∣bined that your greatnes hath euer extended your goodnes, and your goodnes hath been occasion of your greatnes, your Domi∣nions are large and ample, yet neither acquired nor cemented with blood: By due right and lawfull succession did yee come unto them, and with great aequitie doe you governe them. Clemencie which one calleth Dos Regum, which maketh men like unto GOD, hath been the square of your Majesties actions: yee haue not only bein a King ouer others, bot yee haue learned to command and bee a King over your selfe, to which governament all others, if compa∣red

shall bee of small moment.

Trajan for his beneficence towards the Learned, the conforming himselfe to his owne Lawes, for his great courtasie and liberalitie, obteined the name of Optimus, a title more glorious then any tri∣umph: which me thinks might be more competent to your Ma∣jestie, who not art a reformer of Lawes and a conformer of your actions vnto them, but whose pure and spotles life is a Law to your subjects, and may be ane exemplarie to all after Princes: Who not onlie cherishes the Learned, but art learned your selfe; whose manie manie writtings, if they had been in the former ages, sure had been kept in gold and Cedar, and which as they are aboue all Envye, shall in spight of dayes wrastle and overcome time. As for your courtasie and liberalitie I think euen the Antipodes haue hard of it. Nemo tristis decessit a facie Imperatoris. But why travell I so farre in heathen Stories? when I fix my eyes vpon your Maje∣stie Constantine the great straight presenteth himselfe to my wan∣dring and wondring thoghts. Hee extended the limits of his Em∣pyre farre beyond the reach of his predecessors: so hath your M. yours: for bloodie warr's and dissentions which hee found in the world, Hee left peace; And haue not Yee done the same? Hee mainteined Christians, and are not Yee the Defender of the Faith? The Kirk of GOD here, which in your minoritie seemed but a weake youngling, hath by you attain'd both to her full stature & strenght. Hee by the assemblies and determinations of grave Bi∣shops and Kirk-men destroyed haeresies, to the great advancement of Religion. And hath not your M. (as witnes your late diligence) endevored as much for the same? So that in these your M. happie dayes Atheisme is vnknown, Ignorance removed, Superstition & Idolatrie banished, Kirks are planted, their revenues augmented, and Knowledge daylie groweth more. Many worthy and profita∣ble Lawes did Constantine establish amongst the Romans, And what hath not your M. done not onlie for the making, but execution of good Lawes heere? So that they are not now (as of old) like spi∣ders webs, which take hold of the small and let passe the greate, but like nets for Lyons and Bores, which hold fastest the most migh∣tie: By which now it is come to passe, that the most savage parts of this Countrie haue loosed of their wyld nature, and become ta∣me; where are now the broyles of the Borders? where the deadlie feads and ignoble factions of the Nobles? the stryf of Barrons & Gentlemen? where is that woolfish crueltie of the Clans in the Jles

and far heigh Lands? ar not all now by your M. wyse providence and governament, vnder GOD, either abolished or amended? And so justlie wee may avouch Scotiam invenisti Lateritiam, Mar∣moream fecisti, and also averre you to be with Augustus PATREM PATRIAE, with Alexander, NAGNUM, with Trajan, OPTIMUM, and with Constantine RELIGIOSUM. And that which is more then won∣derfull wee may boldie say it Quae data sunt aliis singula, cuncta tibi.

J might hee••e loose my selfe in the weast Ocean of your M. worth sayling beyond my Lyne; if this your M. Litle, but loving Towne did not becken to mee now to anker and speak somwhat towards her.

This Towne though shee may iustlie waunt of her naturall beautie and impregnable situation, the one occasioned by the la∣berynths of the delighsome Forth, with the deliciousnes of her valayes, and the heards of Deare in her Park. the other by the statlie Rock on which shee is raised; though shee may esteme her selfe famous by worthy founders, reedifiers, and the enlargers, of her manie Priviledges; Agricola (who in the dayes of GALDUS for tified her) KENNETH the secund, who heere encamped and raised the Picts) MALCOLME the secund, ALEXANDER the first, WIL∣LIAM the Lyon; Yet doeth shee esteme this her onlie glorie and worthiest praise, that shee was the place of your M. Education, that these sacred brows, which now beare the weghtie Diademes of three invincible Nations, wer empalled with their first heere; And that this day the onlie man of Kings, and the worthiest King of men, on whom the eye of heaven glaunceth, deignes (a iust reward of all these cares and toyles which followed your Cradle) to visit her. Now her burgesses as they haue euer bein to your M. ancestors obedient and loyall, They heere protest and depose to offer wp their fortunes, and sacrifice their lives in maintenance & defence of your sacred Person and Royall dignitie, and that they shall ever continue thus to your worthie progenie; but long long may you live. And let ws still importune the Almightie

That your happie dayes may not be done, Till the great comming of his Sonne, And that your wealth, your joyes, and peace, May as your raigne, and yeares increase.

Amen.