King James I
Whole text
By the King
A Proclamation touching the Earles of Tyrone and Tyrconnell
p.1Seeing it is common and natural in all persons of what condition soeuer, to speake and iudge variably of all new and sudden accidents, And that the flight of the Earles of Tyrone and Tyrconell, with some others of their fellowes out of the North parts of our Realme of Ireland, may haply prooue a subject of like discourse: wee haue thought it not amisse to deliver some such matter in publique, as may better cleare mens iudgements concerning the same; not in respect of any worth or value in these mens persons, being base and rude in their Originall; but to take away all such inconveniences as may blemish the reputation of that friendship which ought to be mutually obserued betweene vs and other Princes. For although it is not vnlikely, that the report of their Titles and dignities, may draw from Princes and States some such courtesies at their first comming abroad, as are incident to men of extraordinary rancke and qualitie: Yet when wee haue taken the best meanes wee can to lay them open in euery condition, wee shall then expect from our friends and neighbours all such iust and noble Proceedings, as stand with the rules of Honour and friendship, and from our Subiects at home and abroad, that duety and obedience (in their carriage toward them) which they owe to vs by inseperable bonds and obligations of Nature and Loyaltie, whereof we intend to take streight accompt. For which purpose we do hereby first declare that these persons aboue mentioned, had not their creations or possessions in regard of any lineall or lawfull descent from Ancestors of Blood or Uertue, but were onely preferred by the late Queene our sister of famous memory, and by our selues for some reasons of State before others, who for their qualitie and birth (in those Provinces where they owell) might better haue challenged those Honours which were conferred vpon them. Secondly we doe professe, That it is both knowen to vs and our Counsell here, and to our Deputie and State there, and so shall it appeare to the world (as cleare as the Sunne) by euident proofes, That the onely ground and motive of this high contempt in these mens departure, hath bene the private knowledge and inward terrour of their owne guiltinesse: Whereof because we heare that they doe seeke to take away the blot and infamie by diuulging that they haue withdrawen themselues for matter of Religion, (a cloake that serues too much in these dayes to couer many euill intentions) adding also thereunto some other vaine pretexts of receiuing iniustice, when their rights and Claimes haue come in question betweene them and Us, or any of our Subiects and them, Wee thinke it not impertinent to say somewhat thereof.
And therefore, although we iudge it needlesse to seeke for many Arguments to confirme whatsoeuer shall be said of these mens corruption and falshood, (whose hainous offences remaine so fresh in memorie since they declared themselves so very monsters in nature, as they did not only whithdraw themselues from their personall obedience to their Soueraigne, but were content to sell ouer their Native Countrey to those that stood at that time in the highest termes of hostilitie with the two Crownes of England and Ireland) yet to make the absurditie and ingratitude of the Allegations aboue mentioned, p.2 so much the more cleare to all men of equall Judgement, we doe hereby professe in the worde of a King, that there was neuer so much as any shadowe of molestation, nor purpose of proceeding in any degree against them for matter concerning Religion: Such being their condition and profession, to thinke murder no fault, mariage of no vse, nor any man worthy to bee esteemed valiant that did not glorie in Rapine and Oppression, as we should haue thought it an vnreasonable thing to trouble them for any different point in Religion, before any man could perceiue by their conuersation, that they made truely Conscience of any Religion. So do we also for the second part of their excuse affirme, that (notwithstanding all that they can claime, must be acknowledged to proceed from meere Grace vpon their submission after their great and vnnaturall Treasons) there hath neuer come any question concerning their Rights or Possessions, wherein we haue not bene more inclinable to doe them fauour, then to any of their Competitours, except in those Cases wherein wee haue plainely discerned that their onely end was to haue made themselues by degrees more able then now they are, to resist all lawfull Authoritie (when they should returne to their vomit againe) by vsurping a power ouer other good Subiects of Ours, that dwell among them better borne then they, and vtterly disclaiming from any dependancie vpon them.
Hauing now deliuered thus much concerning these mens Estates and their proceedings, wee will onely end with this conclusion, That they shal not be able to denie, whensoeuer they should dare to present themselues before the Seate of Justice, that they haue (before their running out of our kingdom) not onely entred into combination for stirring Sedition and intestine Rebellion, but haue directed diuers Instruments, as well priestes as others, to make offers to forreine States and Princes (if they had beene as ready to receiue them) of their readinesse and resolution to adhere to them, whensoever they would seeke to inuade that kingdome. Wherein amongst other things, this is not to be forgotten, That vnder the condition of being made free from English gouerment, they resolued also to comprehend the vtter extirpation of all those Subiects that are nowe remayning aliue within that kingdome, formerly descended from the English race. In which practises and propositions, followed and fomented by Priestes and Jesuites (of whole function in these times the practise and perswasion of subiects to rebell against their Soueraignes, is one speciall and essentiall part and portion) as they haue found no such incouragement as they expected and haue boasted of: so We doe assure our selues, that when this declaration shall bee seene and duely weighed with all due circumstances, it will bee of force sufficient to disperse and to discredit all such vntrueths, as these contemptible creatures to full of infidelity and ingratitude, shall disgorge against Us, and our iust and moderate proceeding, and shall procure vnto them no better vsage then they would wish should be afforded to any such packe of Rebels, borne their Subiects, and bound vnto them in so many and so great obligations.
Giuen at our Place of Westminster the fifteenth day of Nouember, in the fifth yeere of our reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.
God saue the King.
Imprinted at London by Robert Barker,
Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie.
ANNO DOM. 1607.
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Title (uniform): A Proclamation touching the Earles of Tyrone and Tyrconnell
Author: King James I
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Electronic edition compiled by: Beatrix Färber and Miriam Trojer
Proof corrections by: Beatrix Färber
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1. First draft, revised and corrected.
Extent: 2410 words
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Publisher: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of the History Department, University College Cork
Address: College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt
Date: 2009
Distributor: CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.
CELT document ID: E600001-002
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Literature (a selection)
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The edition used in the digital edition
A Proclamation touching the Earles of Tyrone and Tyrconnell (1607). 2 pages. London: Robert Barker.
You can add this reference to your bibliographic database by copying or downloading the following:
@book{E600001-002,
title = {A Proclamation touching the Earles of Tyrone and Tyrconnell},
note = {2 pages.},
publisher = {Robert Barker},
address = {London},
date = {1607}
}
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Project description: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
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Profile description
Creation: by King James I
Date: 1607
Language usage
- The text is in seventeenth-century English. (en)
Keywords: histor; political; proclamation; 17c; Flight of the Earls
Revision description
(Most recent first)
- 2010-03-25: New wordcount made; tags for StdVals added. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
- 2009-08-20: File parsed; SGML and HTML files created. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
- 2009-08-19: Header created, file proofed (1); structural markup applied. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
- 2009-08-18: Text transcribed. (ed. Miriam Trojer)