This reply to Henry VIII's "Rough Wooing" of Scotland appeared anonymously in 1549, and is generally attributed to a Catholic priest from Dundee, one Robert Wedderburn. It is an allegory, in which Dame Scotia addresses her three sons - the nobility, the clergy, and the commonality. She urges them to cease their strife and work together for the sake of Scotland's independence. The best known passage is here reproduced - it deals with the contrast between the peoples of the two nations: There is no thing that is occasioun (O, ye my three sonnis!) of your adhering to the opinion of Ingland contrar your native country, bot the grit familiarity that Inglis men and Scottis hes hed on baitht the Bordours, ilk ane with otheris, in marchandise, in selling and buying horse and nolt and scheip, outfang and infang, ilk ane amang otheris, the quhilk familiarity is express contrar the lawis and consuetudis baitht of Ingland and Scotland. In the dayis of Moses, the Jewis durst nocht have familiarity witht the Samaritanis, nor witht the Philistians, nor the Romans witht the Africans, nor the Greikis witht the Persans, be raisoun that ilk ane repute otheris to be of ane barbour nature; for every natioun reputis otheris natiouns to be barbarians, quhen ther twa naturis and complexiouns are contrar till otheris; and ther is nocht twa natiouns under the firmament that are mair contrar and different fra otheris nor is Inglis men and Scottis men, quhoubeit that thay be withtin ane ile, and nichtbours, and of ane langage. For Inglis men are subtil, and Scottis men are facile. Inglis men are ambitious in prosperity, and Scottis men are humain in prosperity. Inglis men are hummil quhen thay are subjeckit be force and violence, and Scottis men are furious quhen thay are violently subjeckit. Inglis men are cruel quhen thay get victory, and Scottis men are merciful quhen thay get victory. And to conclude, it is unpossible that Scottis men and Inglis men can remain in concord under ane monarchy or ane prince, because ther naturis and conditiouns are as indefferent as is the nature of scheip and wolvis... I trou it is as unpossible to gar Inglis men and Scottis men remain in gude accord under ane prince, as it is unpossible that twa Sunnis and twa Munis can be at one tyme togidder in the lift, be raisoun of the grit difference that is betwix ther naturis and conditiouns. Quharfore, as I haiff before rehearsit, ther suld be na familiarity betwix Inglis men and Scottis men, because of the grit difference that is betwix ther twa naturis... Return to History Index |
