24 UNION OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 



whether he be one or other, it is an essential dif 

 ference unto the definition of an alien, if he be not of 

 the king s allegiance ; as we see it evidently in the 

 precedent of Ireland, who since they were subjects 

 to the crown of England, have ever been inheritable 

 and capable as natural subjects ; and yet not by any 

 statute or act of parliament, but merely by the com 

 mon-law, and the reason thereof. So as there is no 

 doubt, that every subject of Scotland was, and is in 

 like plight and degree, since F your majesty s coming 

 in, as if your majesty had granted particularly your 

 letters of denization or naturalization to every of 

 them, and the &quot; post-nati&quot; wholly natural. But then 

 on the other side, for the time backwards, and for 

 those that were &quot; ante nati,&quot; the blood is not by law 

 naturalized, so as they cannot take it by descent 

 from their ancestors without act of parliament : and 

 therefore in this point there is a defect in the union 

 of subjection. 



For matter of religion, the union is perfect in 

 points of doctrine ; but in matter of discipline and 

 government it is imperfect. 



For the continent, it is true there are no natural 

 boundaries of mountains or seas, or navigable rivers ; 

 but yet there are badges and memorials of borders ; of 

 which points I have spoken before. 



For the language, it is true the nations are 

 &quot; unius labii,&quot; and have not the first curse of dis 

 union, which was confusion of tongues, whereby one 

 understood not another. But yet the dialect is 

 differing, and it remaineth a kind of mark of distinc- 



