A. C. of the Privy-Chamber, in the fame manner to his 1706. own Houfe.

in Two days after, Hamet Ben Hamet Cardenas, AmThe Mo- baffador from the Emperor of Morocco, had, in like rocco Am- manner, his Publick Audience of Her Majefty, to bafador's whom he deliver'd the Prefents from the Emperor, Publick his Master.

An Account

of the Treaty of

Union between

Audience: But a Tranfaction of infinite Moment, which was begun about the middle of this Month, now befpeaks our Attention. The Uniting of the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland, was ever thought of fo great Importance to the Wealth, Profperity and Strength England of the famous Ifland of Great Britain, that feveral and Scot-Attempts were made towards it, both before and af land. ter the Union of the Two Crowns, in the Perfon of James I. of England, and VI. of Scotland: Of which

Former

Union.

In King
Henry
VIII's
Time.

Attempts it will not be improper to give here a fummary Account. King Henry VIII. to bring the Attempts Government of the Ifland under one Scepter, offer'd towards an his Daughter Mary to King James V. of Scotland, and to prevent all Difficulty that might happen about the Succeffion after his Death, he propos'd to make King James Duke of York, and Lord-Lieutenant, or Deputy-Governor of England, immediately upon the Match. The King of Scotland was enclinable enough to fall in with that advantageous Propofal; but the French Court, and the Popish Clergy, who equally dreaded the Effects of fuch a Conjunction, found Means to prevent. This engag'd the Scotch Nation, against their Will, in a War against England, and occafion'd their Defeat at Selan Moffe, which brought their King to his Grave: He was fo apprehenfive, that his Nobility had confpir'd against him.

VI'S.

Time.

In King King Edward VI. purfuing his Father's defign of Edward an Amicable Union of the two Kingdoms, propos'd a Match betwixt himfelf and Queen Mary of Scotland, which had been agreed on in the Scotch Parliament in King Henry VIII's Time; but the French and Popish Faction broke that Agreement, and brought upon the Scots another War with England, which ended in their fhameful Defeat at the Battle of Pinky, or Mufelel urgh. Notwithstanding this great Victory, by which the English became poffefs'd of moft of the South of Scotland, yet that excellent Monarch, Edward VI. and his Wife Council, were fo

far

far from deligning a Conqueft of Scotland, or the A. C. Overturning of the Conftitution of that Kingdom, 1706 That his uncle, the Duke of Somerfet, Protector of. the Kingdom of England, publifh'd a Declaration, to invite the Scots to Amity and Equality. We overcome in War, (faid that Declaration) and offer Peace; We Win Holds, and effor no Conquest; We get in your Land, and offer England. What can be more offer'd than Intercourfe of Merchandizes, and Interchange of Marriages; the Abolishing of el fuch our Lews, as prohibit the fame, or might be Impediment to the mutual Amity? We have offer'd not only to leave the Authvity, Name, Title, Right or Challenge of Conqueror, but to receive that which is the Shame of Men overcome, to leave the Name of the Nation, and the Glory of any Victory, and to take the Indifferent Old Name of Britains; because nothing should be left on our part to be offer'd,nothing on your part unrefus'd, whereby ye might be inexcufable. What Face has this of Conqueft? We feek not to difherit your Queen, but to make her Heirs Inheritors alfo of England. We feek not to take from You, Your Laws, nor Cuftoms, but we seek to redres Your Oppreffion. This was a very Generous Propofal from a Conqueror: but the Popish and French Faction, ftill made it ineffectual; and brought Scotland under a Yoke of French Tyranny, which did fo much incenfe the Scots, That when they fet about the Reformation, (which they did to the Purpofe, fome few Years after) they pull'd up the Hierarchy by the very Foundations, and reduc'd the Ecclefiafticks, who had then one Third of the Kingdom in their Poffeffion, to their ancient Dependance upon the State, as to their Maintainance and Benefices.

Reign.

King James I. foon after his Acceflion to the Englife Throne, (viz. in March 1604.) mov'd the Par- And in liament of England, for an Union betwixt the Two James I. Kingdoms, That as they were made one in the Head, fo among themfelves they might be infeparably conjoin'd, and all Memory of by-paft Divi'fions extinguifh'd. The Motion took well, at first, and feem'd to be generally defir'd by Both Nations, whofe refpective Parliaments appointed their Commillioners, the English 44 in number, and the Scots 30. They met accordingly at Westminster, and a greed upon fome Articles about the Repealing all

BA

Hoftile

A. C. Hoftile Laws, made either in England against Scof1706 land, or in Scotland against England; and the mu tual Communication of Commodities and Commerce: Referving the King's Prerogative, in the Preferment of Men to Offices and Honours in either Kingdom. The King recommended the Profecution of that Bufinefs to the Parliament of England; but of all the Articles agreed upon by the Commiffioners, only that was enacted, which concern'd the Abolishing of Hoftile Laws. The King griev'd at this exceedingly, and conceiving that the Work fhould more eafily be effected, if begun in Scotland, did call a Parliament there. The Eftates, at the King's Defire, did readily allow all the Articles concluded in the Treaty; with a Provifo, that the fame fhould, in like manner, be ratify'd by the Parliament of England; otherwife the Conclufions taken, not to have the Force of a Law; And, it was alfo declar'd, That if the Union fhould happen, to take Effect, the Kingdom, notwithstanding, fhould remain an Abfolute and Free Monarchy, and the Fundamental Laws receive no Alteration. But the English Puritans being too elated with the Hopes they had conceiv'd from an Union of the Nations, the High-Church Party grew jealous of them, and fpoke boldly against the Scots in Parliament, Convocation and Pulpits, and defeated all Endeavours to accomplish that Union. They foon found King James's Weak-fide, and knowing, that his Inclination to a tow'ring Prerogative, carried the Afcendant with him above all other Things, they cut out other Work for him, which was to advance his Prerogative in Scotland,to the Subverfion of the Liberties of that Kingdom, both in Church and State, and concurr'd with him as heartily in it, as they oppos'd him in the Union.

In King In the Reign of King Charles I. we don't find it to Charles have been once mention'd; for the Prejudices against I's Reign, the Puritans till encreafing, and the High-Church Party growing powerful at Court, by the Promotion of Laud to the Archbishop's See of Canterbury, an ill-timed and miftaken Zeal for the Church of England, had fo much the Afcendant over that unhappy Prince, as to engage him with more Eagernefs than his Father, to overturn the Conftitution,

and

and endeavour a Conqueft of Scotland: Which was A. C. the fatal Rife of all his Misfortunes.. 1706.

In the Reign of King Charles II. the Parliament of Scotland, did in 1670. pafs an Act impowering In King his Majefty to grant a Commiflion under the great Charles Seal of Scotland, for fuch Perfons as he fhould think II'sReign fit to name, to treat with Commiffioners of England about the Union, but with this Provifo, That nothing they agreed upon fhould ftand, except confirm'd by the Parliament of Scotland. When the Commitioners met, the King fent them the Five following Points to be confider'd, as the Subject Matter of the Treaty: 1. The Preferving to either Kingdom their Laws Civil and Ecclefiaftical en'tire. 2. The Uniting of the Two Kingdoms into one Monarchy, under his Majefty, his Heirs and and Succeffors, infeparable. 3. The reducing both "Parliaments into one. 4. The stating of all Privileges, as to Trade, and other Advantages. 5. The fecuring the Conditions of the Union: And it was agreed, as a Preliminary, that except all was agreed on, no particular Thing refolv'd upon fhould be binding. When they came to confider the Matter, Sir John Nisby, one of the Commiffioners for Scotland, a great Lawyer, and the King's Advo- cate, argued, That the Union could not be, as propos'd in the 2d. and 3d. Articles, because they were deftructive to the Fundamental Government of the Kingdom of Scotland, and tended to take away their Parliaments, which, he faid, the Parliament it felf could not do; nor were the Commiffioners, appointed for the Treaty, impowered to diveft the 'Electors of that Power; and alledged an Act Parl. 8. Jac. 6. which declared it Treafon, to attempt the "Alteration of the Conftitution of the Parliament. He alledg'd farther, that King James's Commiflion to treat was not of that Nature, and that his Cummiffion ought to be the Rule of the Treaty; adding, that in the Union among the Republicks of Greece, each Republick referved their Sovereignty. And the Earl of Lauderdale faid, That it was the like among the United Provinces, the feveral Kingdoms of Spain, and the 13 Cantons of Switzerland. It was urg'd that it was the fame as to Poland, and Lithuania; and as to the Republicks of Greece, they

'

were

A. C.

were reprefented in their refpective Commonwealth s 1706. at the General Council of the Amphictiones. Then as to the Conftitution of the Parliament, the Commiffioners of Scotland refolutely adher'd to it, 'That none of the constituent Members of the Parliament of Scotland fhould be excluded from making up the Parliament of Great Britain: For they could not ex"clude any of thofe from whom they had their Authority, but agreed, that his Majefty might call together both Parliaments to confult about the Publick Affairs of the Monarchy. There were alfo Debates among 'em about Appeals to Parliament from Courts of Judicature, whofe Sentences in Scotland are not questionable but by Parliament; and that it would be an Inconfiftency that one Part of the Monarchy fhould be liable to Appeals before the Parliament,and the other not. As to the Union of both Kingdoms into one Monarchy, the Scots Commiffioners would agree to it on no other Terms, but in the Pofterity of K. James VI. in which the Englifh made fome Difficulty, and thought Heirs and Succeffors enough; but the Scots infifted upon it, and alledg'd, That by the 11th. of Henry VII. an Ufurper being crown'd, was reputed lawful Succeffor in England. This is the Subftance of what was tranfacted in that Treaty, which continued from the 13th. of Sept. 1670, under feveral Adjourments, till the 14th. of Nev. following, when the Scottis Commiffioners attended his Majefty, gave him an Account of what had pait, and that all they had done was in Obedience to his Majefty's Commands; and that in confideration of his Intereft and Greatnefs they had condefcended that both Parliaments, entirely, fhould be united; and that nothing lefs could have fatisfied the Parliament of Scotland, who had authorized them: And thus this Treaty broke off.

In the

In the Time of King James II. there was nothing Reigns of done in the Union, the Court being fufficiently taJames II. ken up with other Designs: But in the Reign of and King the late King William and Queen Mary, of glorious William and bleffed Memory, both Nations were too much III.

distracted among themfelves, and the King and his Minifters too bufie about other arduous Affairs, to think, in earnest, of Uniting the Two Kingdoms. However, the fame being propofed by the Scotch

Con