The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

454 A DRAUGHT OF A PROCLAMATION.
articulate subjections: but when the lines of two difference at all between the subjects of either
kingdoms do meet in the person of one monarch, nation, in affection, honours, favours, gifts, emas in a true point or perfect angle; and that from ployments, confidences, or the like; but only
marriage, which is the first conjunction in human such as the true distinctions of the persons,
society, there shall proceed one inheritor in blood being capable or not capable, fit or no% fit,
to several kingdoms, whereby they are actually acquainted with affairs or not acquainted with
united and incorporated under one head; it is the affairs, needing our princely bounty or not needwork of God and nature, whereunto the works of ing the same, approved to us by our experience
force and policy cannot attain; and it is that or not approved, meriting or not meriting, and
which hath not in itself any manner of seeds of the several degrees of these and the like condidiscord or disunion, other than such as envy and tions, shall in right reason tie us unto, without
malignity shall sow, and which groundeth a any manner of regard to the country in itself; to
union, not only indissoluble, but also most comrn the end that they may well perceive, that in our
fortable and happy amongst the people. mind and apprehension they are all one and the
We therefore in all humbleness acknowledge, same nation: and that our heart is truly placed
that it is the great and blessed work of Almighty in the centre of government, from whence all
God, that these two ancient and mighty realms lines to the circumference are equal and of one
of England and Scotland, which by nature have space and distance.
no true but an imaginary separation, being both But for the further advancing and perfecting of
situated and comprehended in one most famous this work, we have taken into our princely care and
and renowned island of Great Britany, compassed cogitations, what it is that may appertain to our
by the ocean, without any mountains, seas, or own imperial power, right, and authority: and what
other boundaries of nature, to make any partition, requireth votes and assents of our parliaments or
wall, or trench, between them, and being also estates; and, again, what may presently be done,
exempted from the first curse of disunion, which and what must be left to further time, that
was the confusion of tongues, and being people our proceedings may be void of all inconvenience
of a like constitution of mind and body, espe- and informality; wherein, by the example of Alcially in warlike prowess and disposition: and mighty God, who is accustomed to begin all his
yet, nevertheless, have in so many ages been great works and designments by alterations or
disjoined nnder several kings and governors, are impositions of names, as the fittest means to imnow at the last, by right inherent in the commix- print in the hearts of people a character and exture of our blood, united in our person and ge- pectation of that which is to follow; awe have
neration; wherein it hath pleased God to anoint thought good to withdraw and discontinue the
us with the oil of gladness and gratulation above divided names of England and Scotland out of
our progenitors, kings of either nation. Neither our regal style and title, and to use in place of
can we sufficiently contemplate and behold the them the common and contracted name of Great
passages, degrees, and insinuations, whereby it Britany: not upon any vainglory, whereof, we.
hath pleased the eternal God, to whom all his persuade ourselves, our actions do sufficiently free
works are from beginning known and present, to us in the judgment of all the world; and if any
open and prepare a way to this excellent work; such humour should reign in us, it were better
having first ordained that both nations should be satisfied by length of style and enumeration of
knit in one true and reformed religion, which is kingdoms: but only as a fit signification of that
the perfectest band of all unity and union; and, which is already done, and a significant prefigurasecondly, that there should precede so long a tion of that which we further intend. For as, in
peace continued between the nations for so many giving names to natural persons, it is used to imyears last past, whereby all seeds and sparks of pose them in infancy, and not to stay till fulness of
ancient discord have been laid asleep, and grown growth; so it seemed to us not unseasonable to
to an obliteration and oblivion; and, lastly, that bring in further use this name at the first, and to
ourselves, in the true measure of our affections, proceed to the more substantial points of the.union
should have so just cause to embrace both nations after, as fast and as far as the common good of
with equal and indifferent love and inclination, both the realms should permit, especially coninasmuch as our birth and the passing of the sidering the name of Britany was no coined, or
first part of our age hath been in one nation, and new-devised, or affected name at pleasure, but the
our principal seat and mansion, and the passing true and ancient name which God and time hath
of the latter part of our days is like to be in the imposed, extant, and received in histories, in
other. Which our equal and upright holding of cards, and in ordinary speech and writing, where
the balance between both nations, being the. the whole island is meant to be denominated; so
highest point of all others in our distributive as it is not accompanied with so much as any'justice, we give the world to know, that we are strangeness in common speech. And although
constantly resolved to preserve inviolate against we never doubted, neither ever heard that any
all emulations and partialities, not making any other presumed to doubt, but that the form and