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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Héere the nobles were of sundrie opinions: for The Bri|tains hauing respect to their sonnes & kinsmen lieng in hostage would not a|grée to breake the peace. some awearied with the note of bondage, would gladlie haue had warres: other hauing regard to their sons lieng in hostage with the enimies, would in no wise consent thereto: by reason whereof this councell brake vp without conclusion of anie effect. When ech man was returned to his home, there had beene some amongst them, that gaue knowledge to the confederate kings what motion had béene made, and what was intended against them. Wherevpon they immediatlie determined, not onelie to cause the hostages to be executed, but also to pursue the re|bels with fierce and cruell warres. Yet before they The kings of the Scots & Picts offen|ded with the consp racie of the Britains, prescribe vnto them new ar|ticles to be performed. practised anie violence, they sent their ambassadors vnto the Britains, to vnderstand their full meaning, and to declare vnto them further certeine articles which the said kings required to haue performed without all delaies, or else to looke for open warre out of hand.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The chiefest points of which articles were these. First that the Britains should not assemble togither in councell without licence of the Scotish and Pic|tish Impudent ser [...]litie in|truded vpon the Britains by the proud and cru [...]ll Scots, if it be true. kings, notwithstanding that their ancient laws they might vse at their pleasure, but they should re|ceiue no stranger into their countrie being a Ro|mane or a Frenchman, neither merchant nor other. Their old hostages they should receiue home againe, and deliuer in exchange of them twise so manie in number of the like age and degrée, as was coue|nanted by the former league. The commons of the land vnderstanding what was demanded by these ambassadors, were in a woonderfull rage, and would haue made a great sturre if they had not béene quie|ted The com|mons of Bri|taine offended with their gouernors. by the lords, who for their paines taken herein, got thém an euill report amongst the inferior sort of people, as though through their want of stomach on|lie, the common-wealth was brought into such a mi|serable estate, that looke what it pleased the enimie to charge the British nation with, no man durst once speake against it.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This grudge of the commons increased so farre foorth against their superiors, that after the Scotish and Pictish ambassadors were returned home, with answer agréeable to their demandes, their arose in|continentlie The com|mons of Bri|taine conspire against the nobles. a great commotion of the people, con|spiring togither the vtter destruction of the whole nobilitie. But their furie was repressed, so that they were ouer throwne in battell at two seuerall times with great slaughter and bloudshed, wherevpon they withdrew into the mounteins, and there kept them|selues, making raises vpon the nobilitie, and fet|ching booties awaie from the heards and flocks of cattell belonging to the lords and gentlemen: but fi|nallie through famine which began to oppresse both parties, they perceiued what néed the one had of the One estate of men cannot liue without helpe of ano|ther. others helpe, and so they agréed. This ciuill warre sore decaied the force of the Britains, for beside the great slaughter that was made betwixt them, by the auoiding of the commons out of their houses, the ground laie vntilled, whereof insued a maruellous great scarsitie and dearth of all things, by reason whereof an innumerable sort of people died. Yet shortlie after followed such plentie, that those that Superfluous welth occasion of vice. were left aliue forgetting the passed miseries, gaue themselues to all kind of vice, which tooke such root in the hearts of the more part of them, that for anie man to vse anie maner of vertue amongst them, was a readie meane to procure great enuie and hatred.

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