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MONUMENTA CALEDONICA
I. The Declaration of Arbroath (1320) – in part
(downloaded from http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_latin.html 8/6/09) This document is a letter sent by the nobles of Scotland to Pope John XXII and thus roughly equivalent in modern terms to an appeal to the secretary-general of the United Nations. King Edward II of England was at this time attempting to annex Scotland and the signatories were appealing for recognition both of Robert the Bruce as their rightful king and of their country’s right to remain independent. The letter is important both as a pre-modern example of nationalist ideology and for its assertion that a king’s right to rule depended ultimately on the consent of his subjects. The last two sentences are particularly well-known and the final one, adapted from a passage from the Roman historian Sallust (1st. cent. B.C),[1] was reportedly seen written (in English translation) on a wall in Hong Kong in summer 1989 during demonstrations in support of the Tiananmen student protests. The document was probably drafted by Bernard abbot of Arbroath Monastery, who was then chancellor of Scotland and, ironically, may have been more comfortable speaking French than either Scots (the Scottish dialect of English) or Gaelic (the old Celtic language of western Scotland). The text has been given here without marking vowel length and in the original medieval spelling. Note particularly the use of `e’ for `ae’ and of `c’ (pronounced as an `s’) for `t’ before `i’ (e.g. Romane for Romanae and Scocia for Scotiae (`of Scotland’). The manuscript also uses initial capitals inconsistently and has `u’ for `v’ as the letter `v’ was not invented until late medieval times.
For full Latin text, with an English translation, see now http://www.tom-hanna.org/?page_id=1301
Arbroath itself is on the east coast of Scotland, north-east of Dundee.
Sanctissimo Patri in Christo ac Domino, domino Johanni, diuina prouidiencia Sacrosancte Romane et Vniuersalis Ecclesie Summo Pontifici, Filii Sui Humiles et deuoti Duncanus Comes de Fyf, ….. et Alexander de Stratoun, Ceterique Barones et Liberetenentes ac tota Communitas Regni Scocie, omnimodam Reuerenciam filialem cum deuotis Pedum osculis beatorum.
Scimus, Sanctissime Pater et Domine, et ex antiquorum gestis et libris Colligimus quod inter Ceteras naciones egregias nostra scilicet Scottorum nacio multis preconijs fuerit insignita, que de Maiori Schithia per Mare tirenium et Columnas Herculis transiens et in Hispania inter ferocissimas gentes per multa temporum curricula Residens a nullis quantumcumque barbaricis poterat allicubi gentibus subiugari. Indeque veniens post mille et ducentos annos a transitu populi israelitici per mare rubrum sibi sedes in Occidente quas nunc optinet, expulsis primo Britonibus et Pictis omnino deletis, licet per Norwagienses, Danos et Anglicos sepius inpugnata fuerit, multis cum victorijs et Laboribus quamplurimis adquisuit, ipsaque ab omni seruitute liberas, vt Priscorum testantur Historie, semper tenuit. In quorum Regno Centum et Tredecim Reges de ipsorum Regali prosapia, nullo alienigena interueniente, Regnauerunt.
Quorum Nobilitates et Merita, licet ex aliis non clarerent, satis patenter effulgent ex eo quod Rex Regum et dominancium dominus Jhesus Christus post passionem suam et Resurreccionem ipsos in vltimis terre finibus constitutos quasi primos ad suam fidem sanctissimam conuocauit. Nec eos per quemlibet in dicta fide confirmari voluit set per suum primum apostolum vocacione quamuis ordine secundum vel tercium, sanctum Andream mitissimum beati Petri Germanum, quem semper ipsis preesse voluit vt Patronum.
Hec autem Sanctissimi Patres et Predecessores vestri sollicita mente pensantes ipsum Regnum et populum vt beati Petri germani peculium multis fauoribus et priuilegijs quamplurimis Munierunt, Ita quippe quod gens nostra sub ipsorum proteccione hactenus libera deguit et quieta donec ille Princeps Magnificus Rex Anglorum Edwardus, pater istius qui nunc est, Regnum nostrum acephalum populumque nullius mali aut doli nec bellis aut insultibus tunc assuetum sub amici et confederati specie inimicabiliter infestauit. Cuius iniurias, Cedes, violencias, predaciones, incendia, prelatorum incarceraciones, Monasteriorum combustiones, Religiosorum spoliaciones et occisiones alia quoque enormia et innumera que in dicto populo exercuit, nulli parcens etati aut sexui, Religioni aut ordini, nullus scriberet nec ad plenum intelligeret nisi quem experiencia informaret.
A quibus Malis innumeris, ipso Juuante qui post uulnera medetur et sanat, liberati sumus per strenuissimum Principem, Regem et Dominum nostrum, Dominum Robertum, qui pro populo et hereditate suis de manibus Inimicorum liberandis quasi alter Machabeus aut Josue labores et tedia, inedias et pericula, leto sustinuit animo. Quem eciam diuina disposicio et iuxta leges et Consuetudines nostras, quas vsque ad mortem sustinere volumus, Juris successio et debitus nostrorum omnium Consensus et Assensus nostrum fecerunt Principem atque Regem, cui tanquam illi per quem salus in populo nostro facta est pro nostra libertate tuenda tam Jure quam meritis tenemur et volumus in omnibus adherere.
Quem si ab inceptis desisteret, regi Anglorum aut Anglicis nos aut Regnum nostrum volens subicere, tanquam inimicum nostrum et sui nostrique Juris subuersorem statim expellere niteremur et alium Regem nostrum qui ad defensionem nostram sufficeret faceremus. Quia quamdiu Centum ex nobis viui remanserint, nuncquam Anglorum dominio aliquatenus volumus subiugari. Non enim propter gloriam, diuicias aut honores pugnamus set propter libertatem solummodo quam Nemo bonus nisi simul cum vita amittit.
[1] Sallust, Catalīnae Coniūrātiō, 33.4:: `at nōs nōn imperium neque dīvitias petimus, quārum rērum causā bella atque certāmina omnia inter mortālis sunt, sed lībertātem, quam nēmō bonus nisi cum animā simul āmittit.’
(downloaded from http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_latin.html 8/6/09) This document is a letter sent by the nobles of Scotland to Pope John XXII and thus roughly equivalent in modern terms to an appeal to the secretary-general of the United Nations. King Edward II of England was at this time attempting to annex Scotland and the signatories were appealing for recognition both of Robert the Bruce as their rightful king and of their country’s right to remain independent. The letter is important both as a pre-modern example of nationalist ideology and for its assertion that a king’s right to rule depended ultimately on the consent of his subjects. The last two sentences are particularly well-known and the final one, adapted from a passage from the Roman historian Sallust (1st. cent. B.C),[1] was reportedly seen written (in English translation) on a wall in Hong Kong in summer 1989 during demonstrations in support of the Tiananmen student protests. The document was probably drafted by Bernard abbot of Arbroath Monastery, who was then chancellor of Scotland and, ironically, may have been more comfortable speaking French than either Scots (the Scottish dialect of English) or Gaelic (the old Celtic language of western Scotland). The text has been given here without marking vowel length and in the original medieval spelling. Note particularly the use of `e’ for `ae’ and of `c’ (pronounced as an `s’) for `t’ before `i’ (e.g. Romane for Romanae and Scocia for Scotiae (`of Scotland’). The manuscript also uses initial capitals inconsistently and has `u’ for `v’ as the letter `v’ was not invented until late medieval times.
For full Latin text, with an English translation, see now http://www.tom-hanna.org/?page_id=1301
Arbroath itself is on the east coast of Scotland, north-east of Dundee.
Sanctissimo Patri in Christo ac Domino, domino Johanni, diuina prouidiencia Sacrosancte Romane et Vniuersalis Ecclesie Summo Pontifici, Filii Sui Humiles et deuoti Duncanus Comes de Fyf, ….. et Alexander de Stratoun, Ceterique Barones et Liberetenentes ac tota Communitas Regni Scocie, omnimodam Reuerenciam filialem cum deuotis Pedum osculis beatorum.
Scimus, Sanctissime Pater et Domine, et ex antiquorum gestis et libris Colligimus quod inter Ceteras naciones egregias nostra scilicet Scottorum nacio multis preconijs fuerit insignita, que de Maiori Schithia per Mare tirenium et Columnas Herculis transiens et in Hispania inter ferocissimas gentes per multa temporum curricula Residens a nullis quantumcumque barbaricis poterat allicubi gentibus subiugari. Indeque veniens post mille et ducentos annos a transitu populi israelitici per mare rubrum sibi sedes in Occidente quas nunc optinet, expulsis primo Britonibus et Pictis omnino deletis, licet per Norwagienses, Danos et Anglicos sepius inpugnata fuerit, multis cum victorijs et Laboribus quamplurimis adquisuit, ipsaque ab omni seruitute liberas, vt Priscorum testantur Historie, semper tenuit. In quorum Regno Centum et Tredecim Reges de ipsorum Regali prosapia, nullo alienigena interueniente, Regnauerunt.
Quorum Nobilitates et Merita, licet ex aliis non clarerent, satis patenter effulgent ex eo quod Rex Regum et dominancium dominus Jhesus Christus post passionem suam et Resurreccionem ipsos in vltimis terre finibus constitutos quasi primos ad suam fidem sanctissimam conuocauit. Nec eos per quemlibet in dicta fide confirmari voluit set per suum primum apostolum vocacione quamuis ordine secundum vel tercium, sanctum Andream mitissimum beati Petri Germanum, quem semper ipsis preesse voluit vt Patronum.
Hec autem Sanctissimi Patres et Predecessores vestri sollicita mente pensantes ipsum Regnum et populum vt beati Petri germani peculium multis fauoribus et priuilegijs quamplurimis Munierunt, Ita quippe quod gens nostra sub ipsorum proteccione hactenus libera deguit et quieta donec ille Princeps Magnificus Rex Anglorum Edwardus, pater istius qui nunc est, Regnum nostrum acephalum populumque nullius mali aut doli nec bellis aut insultibus tunc assuetum sub amici et confederati specie inimicabiliter infestauit. Cuius iniurias, Cedes, violencias, predaciones, incendia, prelatorum incarceraciones, Monasteriorum combustiones, Religiosorum spoliaciones et occisiones alia quoque enormia et innumera que in dicto populo exercuit, nulli parcens etati aut sexui, Religioni aut ordini, nullus scriberet nec ad plenum intelligeret nisi quem experiencia informaret.
A quibus Malis innumeris, ipso Juuante qui post uulnera medetur et sanat, liberati sumus per strenuissimum Principem, Regem et Dominum nostrum, Dominum Robertum, qui pro populo et hereditate suis de manibus Inimicorum liberandis quasi alter Machabeus aut Josue labores et tedia, inedias et pericula, leto sustinuit animo. Quem eciam diuina disposicio et iuxta leges et Consuetudines nostras, quas vsque ad mortem sustinere volumus, Juris successio et debitus nostrorum omnium Consensus et Assensus nostrum fecerunt Principem atque Regem, cui tanquam illi per quem salus in populo nostro facta est pro nostra libertate tuenda tam Jure quam meritis tenemur et volumus in omnibus adherere.
Quem si ab inceptis desisteret, regi Anglorum aut Anglicis nos aut Regnum nostrum volens subicere, tanquam inimicum nostrum et sui nostrique Juris subuersorem statim expellere niteremur et alium Regem nostrum qui ad defensionem nostram sufficeret faceremus. Quia quamdiu Centum ex nobis viui remanserint, nuncquam Anglorum dominio aliquatenus volumus subiugari. Non enim propter gloriam, diuicias aut honores pugnamus set propter libertatem solummodo quam Nemo bonus nisi simul cum vita amittit.
[1] Sallust, Catalīnae Coniūrātiō, 33.4:: `at nōs nōn imperium neque dīvitias petimus, quārum rērum causā bella atque certāmina omnia inter mortālis sunt, sed lībertātem, quam nēmō bonus nisi cum animā simul āmittit.’
II Adventus Principis Caroli in Scottiam
An extract from 18th century Jesuit scholar Giulio Cesare Cordara’s account of the 1745 rebellion led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (`The Young Pretender', `Bonnie Prince Charlie') against King George II of great Britain, with support primarily from the Scottish Highlands. The Stuarts, kings of Scotland for many generations, had ruled England also from the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 to the defeat of Charles I by Oliver Cromwell in 1646 and again from 1660 to the `Glorious Revolution' of 1688. Cordara was associated with the Stuarts in exile and his account, entitled Caroli Odoardi Stuardii Principis Walliae Expeditio in Scottiam and published in 1804, is written from a strongly Jacobite (pro-Stuart) standpoint. The passage (starting from Solvit Odoardus on line 3 of page 145) describes the prince’s voyage from France to the West coast of Scotland, during which he was intercepted by a British warship. The whole book can be downloaded from http://books.google.it/books?id=OCyrqrF9zDQC&pg Ebudae (-ārum f.pl.) are the Hebrides (islands off the west coast of Scotland) Mula/Maleum is the Isle of Mull, Loquabria the district of Lochaber and Vallis Finanensis perhaps refers to Fuinary on the coast opposite Mull (see symbol on map below the extract). myoparō ( -ōnis f) is a Greek word originally used for a vessel smaller than a normal warship and typically used by pirates. It might be translated here as `cutter’ but the classical myoparō was larger and may have had one-and-a-half banks of oars
An extract from 18th century Jesuit scholar Giulio Cesare Cordara’s account of the 1745 rebellion led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (`The Young Pretender', `Bonnie Prince Charlie') against King George II of great Britain, with support primarily from the Scottish Highlands. The Stuarts, kings of Scotland for many generations, had ruled England also from the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 to the defeat of Charles I by Oliver Cromwell in 1646 and again from 1660 to the `Glorious Revolution' of 1688. Cordara was associated with the Stuarts in exile and his account, entitled Caroli Odoardi Stuardii Principis Walliae Expeditio in Scottiam and published in 1804, is written from a strongly Jacobite (pro-Stuart) standpoint. The passage (starting from Solvit Odoardus on line 3 of page 145) describes the prince’s voyage from France to the West coast of Scotland, during which he was intercepted by a British warship. The whole book can be downloaded from http://books.google.it/books?id=OCyrqrF9zDQC&pg Ebudae (-ārum f.pl.) are the Hebrides (islands off the west coast of Scotland) Mula/Maleum is the Isle of Mull, Loquabria the district of Lochaber and Vallis Finanensis perhaps refers to Fuinary on the coast opposite Mull (see symbol on map below the extract). myoparō ( -ōnis f) is a Greek word originally used for a vessel smaller than a normal warship and typically used by pirates. It might be translated here as `cutter’ but the classical myoparō was larger and may have had one-and-a-half banks of oars
