PROPOSALS FOR Printing the TRANSLATION of a LATIN MANU­SCRIPT, written by Judge CRAIG, one of the Judges of Scotland, in the Reign of King James VI. before his Ac­cession to the Throne of England. ENTITULED De HOMINIS: OR, A Dispute against those who maintain, That Scotland is a Fee or Feu-liege of England, and that the King of Scots owes Ho­mage to the King of England upon that Account.

THE Manuscript above-mentioned, bearing date March 6. 1602. is supposed to have been by some unfair Methods taken out of some Publick Library, if not from the Archives of Scotland, it being Writ with more than ordinary Care and Curiosity. By the Margin of the same Page, it appears to have sometime belonged to the Great General, Sir Thomas Fairfax, his Name being writ up­on it with his own Hand, and a Line or two importing that it was presented to him by Christopher Irwin, Chyrurgion, March 20. 1656/7. the Registers of Scotland being about that time seiz'd and dispers'd by Oliver. The Opinion which that Great Person had of its Consideration and Weight, appears by a Note upon one of the blank Pages, signed with his own Hand, desiring Sir John Goodrick to return it after a full perusal. And there are also several Notes relating to the Subject-matter, writ by the said General up­on divers of the Margins. The Manuscript would seem to have been preserved by a special Providence, and generously communicated to the Publishers by a very Worthy Gentleman of Yorkshire, whose Name, if it be allowed, shall be inserted in the Pre­face, or Title-page, that the Publick may know to whom it is they are so much oblig'd.

The Parts, Quality, and Publick Station of the Author, who is very well known to the Learned in the Law, by his Book, de Feudis, &c. are sufficient to recommend it to any Man that ever heard of his Fame. The Subject-Matter is such, as will doubt­less render it highly Valuable to all Scots-men; and the great Variety of Learning, both in History and Law, which is discovered throughout the whole, will no doubt render it acceptable to all Ingenious and Curious Men of the Three Kingdoms: And therefore that the Publick may enjoy the benefit of such a Valuable Piece,

It is proposed, To Print the same in English, upon the same Paper, and in the same Character with these Proposals, in Octavo, at 4 s. per Book in Quires, the Book being to consist of about Thirty Sheets in Print. And for the Encouragement of Subscribers, those who Subscribe for Six, shall have a Seventh gratis. Those who will be pleased to encourage the Publishing of such a Curious Book, which is indeed a Critick upon most of the Common Historians, are desired to pay in half the Subscription-mo­ney to Mr. Bell and Mr. Luntly, at the Pestle and Mortar in Chancery-Lane, where they shall have Receipts as usual: And those in Scotland are desired to pay theirs to Mr. Alexander Henderson, Bookseller in the Lucken-booth at Edinburgh; and upon payment of the other half, the Books shall be delivered, God willing, about the 25th of December next, or sooner, if it meet with due Encouragement.

The CONTENTS are,
  • Chap. 1. CONCERNING the Occasion of this Writing, and the Assertors of the Homage
  • Chap. 2. The Definition and form of Homage.
  • Chap. 3. At what time Homage had its first rise in the World.
  • Chap. 4. At what time Monarchy began in that part of Britain which was a Roman Province.
  • Chap. 5. That the English have no certain History before the Conquest, except what was Writ by the Roman Historians, and Gildas, or Bede.
  • Chap. 6. That all the Witnesses adduced to prove this Homage, are suspected.
  • Chap. 7. That this Homage is inconsistent with the Feudal Law.
  • Chap. 8. That neither Brutus, Ebrancus, Clotenus, Mulmutius, or Dunwallo, did ever exact, or know any thing of this Superiority.
  • Chap. 9. Of Fergus the First King of Scots, Carlus King of the Britains, and other British Kings, till the Arrival of Caesar.
  • Chap. 10. What the Condition of the Scots was, and their Society with the Britans after the Arrival of [...]. Julius Caesar, and the Romans in Britain.
  • Chap. 11. Of the Departure of the Romans from Britain, and how the whole was subject to the Scots and Picts.
  • Chap. 12. Of Arthur, whether he subdued Scotland, and exacted Homage from the King of Scots,
  • Chap. 13. Of Malgo, and other Kings of the British Line, whether they could pretend to any Homage.
  • Chap. 14. Of the Saxon Monarchy, and its duration, and whether ever Scotland belonged to the King of England.
  • Chap. 15. The true delineation and description of the Saxon Monarchy.
  • Chap. 16. Whether Cadvan, Ethelfred, Oswald, Osuin, or Osbright, did demand this Ho­mage.
  • Chap. 17. Of Ethelwolf, Alured, and Edward, Kings of England.
  • Chap. 18. Of Athelstan, who was the first that received Homage from the King of Scots for Cumberland and Westmerland.
  • Chap. 19. Of Edmund, Eldred, and Edgar, Saxon Kings, whether they pretended to any Superiority over Scotland.
  • Chap. 20. Of Ethelred, Edmund Ironside, Canutus, and Edward, Kings of England, whether they ever pretended to any Right over Scotland.
  • Chap. 21. That no probable nor likely reason can be brought to prove that Homage was per­formed for Scotland during the Saxon Monarchy.
  • Chap. 22. Of William the Conqueror, whether he pretended any other Right to the Crown of England, than that of War.
  • Chap. 23. Of the Conqueror, and his Sons Rufus and Henry Kings of England, and whether Homage was performed to them for the Kingdom of Scotland.
  • Chap. 24. Of Henry II. and by what Arts he endeavoured to Establish the Homage to himself and his Heirs, and concerning the true form of this Homage.
  • Chap. 25. The Clergy of Scotland not subject in Spirituals to any English Archbishop.
  • Chap. 26. Of Richard and John Kings of England, and what was the form of the Homage performed to them.
  • Chap. 27. Of Henry III. and whether there was any Homage performed to him.
  • Chap. 28. By what Methods Edward I. sought to obtain the Sovereignty of Scotland.
  • Chap. 29. Whether or not the Sentence was Just which Edward I. gave for Baliol against Bruce.
  • Chap. 30. Whether a Sovereign Prince can make himself and his Subjects Vassals to another, and how by the practice of Edward I. this Superiority was entirely destroyed.
  • Chap. 31. A sharp Epistle of Pope Boniface the 8th. to King Edward, concerning the In­justice of his War against the Scots, and the said King Edward's Apology.
  • Chap. 32. Of the various Success in this War against the Scots, and how at last the English were thrown out of Scotland.
  • Chap. 33. Of Edward II. and III. and Henry IV. and whether they received any Homage from Scotland.
  • Chap. 34. A Brief and Summary Conclusion of the whole Dispute, and some new and strong Arguments against this Commentitious Homage.

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