DIE Sabbati, videlicet, 21 die Februarii,
Domini
tam Spirituales quam Temporales, quorum no
mina subscribuntur, præsentes fuerunt:
p. Carolus Princeps Walliæ, etc.
|
|
p. Archiepus. Cant.
Archiepus. Eborum.
p. Epus. London.
p. Epus. Dunelme.
p. Epus. Winton.
Epus. Petriburg.
p. Epus. Heresorden.
p. Epus. Wigorn.
Epus. Norwicen.
p. Epus. Roffen.
Epus. Glocestren.
Epus. Carlien.
Epus. Covent. et Lichs.
p. Epus. Bathon. et Wells.
p. Epus. Bangor.
p. Epus. Elien.
Epus. Cicestren.
p. Epus. Oxon.
p. Epus. Cestren.
p. Epus. Landaven.
p. Epus. Sarum.
p. Epus. Exon.
p. Epus. Meneven.
p. Epus. Bristol.
Epus. Asaphen. |
p. Epus. Lincoln, Ds. Custos Mag. Sigilli.
Comes Middlesex, Magn. Thes. Angliæ.
p. Vicecomes Maundevill, Præs. Conc. Domini. Regis.
Comes Wigorn. Ds. Custos Privati Sigilli.
p. Dux Buckingham, Mag. Adm. Angliæ.
Marchio Winton.
p. Comes Oxon. Mag. Camer. Angliæ.
p. Comes Arundeller Surr. Comes Mar. Angliæ.
p. Comes Cantabr. Sen. Hospitii.
p. Comes Pembroociæ, Cam. Hospitii.
Comes Northumbriæ.
Comes Nottingham.
Comes Salop.
p. Comes Kancii.
Comes Derbiæ.
p. Comes Rutland.
Comes Cumbriæ.
p. Comes Sussex.
Comes Huntingdon.
Comes Bath.
p. Comes South'ton.
Comes Bedford.
Comes Hertford.
p. Comes Essex.
p. Comes Lincoln.
p. Comes Suffolciæ.
p. Comes Dorsett.
p. Comes Sarum.
p. Comes Exon.
p. Comes Mountgomery.
p. Comes Bridgwater.
Comes Leicestrie.
p. Comes North'ton.
p. Comes Warwiciæ.
p. Comes Devon.
Comes March.
p. Comes Holdernesse.
p. Comes Carlile.
p. Comes Denbigh.
Comes Bristol.
p. Comes Angles.
p. Vicecomes Mountague.
p. Vicecomes Wallingford.
Vicecomes Purbeck.
p. Vicecomes Maunsfeild.
p. Vicecomes Colchester.
p. Vicecomes Rochford.
p. Vicecomes Andever.
p. Ds. Abergaveny.
Ds. Audeley.
Ds. Zouch.
p. Ds. Willoughby de Er.
Ds. Delawarr.
Ds. Berkley.
p. Ds. Morley et Mount.
Ds. Dacres de Herst.
p. Ds. Stafford.
Ds. Scroope.
p. Ds. Duddeley.
p. Ds. Stourton.
Ds. Herbert de Sh.
p. Ds. Darcy de Men.
p. Ds. Vaux.
p. Ds. Windsore.
p. Ds. Wentworth.
p. Ds. Mordant.
p. Ds. St. John de Bas.
p. Ds. Cromewell.
p. Ds. Evre.
Ds. Sheffeild.
p. Ds. Pagett.
p. Ds. North.
p. Ds. St. John de Blet.
p. Ds. Howard de W.
Ds. Wootton.
p. Ds. Russell.
p. Ds. Grey of Groby.
p. Ds. Petre.
Ds. Danvers.
p. Ds. Spencer.
p. Ds. Say et Seale.
p. Ds. Denny.
p. Ds. Stanhope de H.
p. Ds. Carewe.
Ds. Arundell de W.
p. Ds. Haughton.
p. Ds. Teynham.
Ds. Stanhope de Sh.
p. Ds. Noel.
p. Ds. Brooke.
p. Ds. Mountague.
p. Ds. Cary de Lepp.
Ds. Kensington.
Ds. Grey de W. |
Speaker of the House of Commons presented.
THIS Day, the King being sat in His Royal
Throne, the Commons presented unto His Majesty
Sir Thomas Crewe, Knight, Serjeant at Law, for their
Speaker, who, being brought to the Bar, with great
Reverence began his Speech on this Manner: videlicet,
"Most Gracious Sovereign,
"The Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, Your Majesty's obedient and loyal Subjects, the Representative
Body of Your Commons, according to their ancient
Privilege, and Your Majesty's Gracious Directions,
have chosen a Speaker; and, amongst so many Cedars
of their Libanon, have looked down upon me, a low
Shrub, who am not able to take upon me the Weight
of such Services: Wherefore I desired them to take
into their Consideration my Weakness and Disabilities, best known unto myself, and not unknown unto
them; and that I might be excused; which I did not
to decline public Duty, but out of a true Insight of
my own Insufficiencies; which being not granted by
them, I humbly appeal to Your High Throne; desiring Your Majesty to spare me, and to command them
to proceed to a new and better Election."
This being said, the Lord Keeper, having first conferred with His Majesty, answered to this Effect: videlicet,
"Mr. Speaker,
Approved of.
"His Majesty observes that in you, which Gorgias
did in Plato: Quod in Oratoribus eridendis se monstrabat esse Oratorem, That in speaking against Orators,
he shewed himself the greatest Orator: Even so it fares
with you in this Appeal to His Majesty; descendendo
ascendis, your falling down in your own Conceipt hath
raised you in all other Men's Opinions; by excusing
yourself, you shew that there is nothing in you to be
excused. His Majesty doth not only approve, but
commend the Judgement of the Knights, Citizens, and
Burgesses, in their Choice of you; et quod felix faustumque sit for an Omen, and good Luck to all their
future Proceedings, hath crowned this first Work of
theirs with the old Parliamentary Stile, Le Roy voet;
exivit verbum ex ore Regis; His Majesty approves
their Choice."
His Majesty having thus denied Mr. Speaker's Excuse, and approved of the Commons Choice of him,
Mr. Speaker proceeded, and said:
His Speech.
"Since I cannot bring an Olive Branch in my Hand,
as a Sign of my Peace and Liberty, and that God,
in whose Hands are the Hearts of Kings, et qui impellit, and no Man can resist, hath inclined Your Majesty to cast Your Eye of Grace upon me, and to confirm me in this Place, I am taught in the best School,
that Obedience is better than Sacrifice, and will only
say with a learned Father, Da, Domine, quod jubes, et
jube quod vis; otherwise I have great Cause to be afraid
of so great a Charge, to be executed before so great a
Majesty, and in so great an Assembly, but that I hope
Your Majesty will extend Your Sceptre of Grace, as
Assuerus did, to sustain me in my Fainting. Your
Majesty is Princeps Hæreditarius, descended from both
the Roses, and have united both the Kingdoms: At
Your first Entrance, You wrought a Wonder in the
Tumult of our Cares, and Cloud of our Fears happening upon the Death of our late Queen, of Famous
Memory, by the bright Beams of Your Sunshine, which
a Poet elegantly expressed:
"Mira cano; sol occubuit, nox nulla sequuta est.
"There was a David in Hebron, and no Ishboseth to
disturb your peaceable Entrance; but the Acclamation of all your Subjects, Nobles and Commons, concurring to express their great Contentment. This was
no sudden Flash of Joy, but a constant Blessing, by
Continuance of the Gospel and true Religion, maugre
the Malice and hellish Inventions of those who would
have blown up all at once. But God laughed them to
Scorn, and they were taken in their own Trap. These
Things I leave to your Royal Remembrance, as a
Duty to be practised and to be expressed by our Thankfulness to our Holy God; for it is a good Thing to
be thankful;
"Non est dignus dandis, qui non agit gratias datis.
"Since my Designment of this Place, I call to Mind
the Statutes of latter Times, and find Two of special
Note, the One 32d of Henry the Eighth, that was
called Parliamentum doctum, for the many good Laws
for the settling of Possession; the other is 39th of Eliz.
which, by a Reverend Bishop, was called Parliamentum
pium, because the Subjects were thereby enabled to
found Hospitals without a Licence of Mortmain, or
a Writ of Ad quod dampnum, and other Charitable
Laws, which I omit, being not perpetual, but Probationers.
"And I likewise call to Mind many Gracious Offers,
which came from Your Majesty, and other good Provisions, at the Two last Meetings.
"Now Your Majesty hath stretched forth your Sceptre
to call us to You again, and hath made a Declaration,
That all Jealousies and Distractions might be removed,
and the Memory of Parliament Nullities might be
buried. And my Desire is, that Your Majesty's Influence may distill upon us, and we proceed in such a
sweet Harmony and Conjunction, that Mercy and Truth
may meet together, Righteousness and Peace may kiss each
other; and the World may say, Ecce quam bonum et
quam jucundum Regem et Populum convenire in unum;
and then, for the perfecting of this Work, the good
Bills against Monopolies, Informers, and Concealers,
may now be passed, and receive Strength, with a general, liberal, and Royal Pardon, according to the Bounty
of the late Queen; that so this Parliament may be
called, Felix, Doctum, et Pium, which will be good for
Your Subjects, and no Diminution to Your Revenue, or
Derogation unto Your Prerogative, which, in Your Majesty's Hands, is a Sceptre of Gold, but in the Hands of
others a Rod of Iron. I need not speak in the Practice of the fundamental common Law, Veritas Temporis filia, Time hath sufficiently justified them; Monarchy is the best Government; and of Monarchies
those which are Hereditary. Parliaments are the best
Way to supply for Your Majesty's Wants; that which
proceeds from them is Subject's Love and Loyalty;
other Courses of Benevolence come from them more
heavily and unwillingly. Your Subjects enjoy the
Gospel free by Your Protection, and Your Majesty may
be safe in their Loyalties; other Safeties are like Ajax's
Shield, a Weight rather than a Defence. Their Desire is, that the good Laws for establishing of Religion
may be confirmed; and that the Generation of Locusts, the Jesuits and Seminary Priests, which were
wont to creep in Holes and Corners, and do now come
abroad, may, by the Execution of those good Laws,
as with an East Wind, (fn. *) be blown away into the Seas.
"Elizabeth, our late Queen, lived and died in Peace;
the Pope curst Her, but God blest Her; and so shall
Your Majesty, having God your Friend, find Safety in
the Ark of True Religion, which will keep you when
you are old and full of Days, safe in the Way, and
shall land you in Heaven. And then our hopeful
Prince, that sprung out of Your own Loins, shall sway
that Sceptre, which You must leave to enjoy a Crown
Celestial. And that God, in his due Time, will restore the distressed Princess, her Husband, and Royal
Issue, to that Inheritance, which is now possessed by
the usurping Sword of their Enemies; as Cato was
wont to say, Hoc sentio, et Carthago destruenda, so all
say, Hoc sentio, et Palatinatus recuperandus; whereof we
are the more confident, because that Country was a
Sanctuary to us in our Distress, when Religion was
here persecuted. The Question put to a Lacedemonian,
why their City wanted Walls? he answered, Concord
was their Walls. Your Majesty, under God, is a sole
and entire Monarch, whose outward Wall is the Ocean,
and fortified within with a Wall of Brass, the Bond and
Unity of the Religion; and happy is that Place of
(fn. *) which it may be said, as of Jerusalem, that it is a City
at Unity within itself; neither is Your Government
confined within the Limits of this Kingdom, but extends itself to Ireland, where Your Majesty's Pains and
Care hath abandoned the Disturbers of the Peace,
where, by our late Employment, and Your Majesty's
provident Direction, Courses have been taken, for the
setting forth of Religion, and reforming the Courts of
Justice, and by public abandoning of those that were
Disturbers of the Peace; and I am ocularis Testis, that
You have made those apt Endowments of Churches
out of Your own Revenue, as will be to Your Honour in all Posterity. But my Desire is, as well in this
Beginning, as in all other our Proceedings, our Words
may be vera, pauca, et ponderosa. Therefore, with
Your Gracious Favour, according to ancient Precedents, we are humble Suitors, You would be pleased
to allow us our ancient Privileges; that we may attend our Employments; our Persons, Goods, and necessary Attendants, may be freed from Arrests; and
that we may have Liberty of free Speech; not doubting but we shall confine ourselves within the Limits
of Duty. But, because these great Businesses may give
us often Occasion to resort unto Your Majesty, that,
upon our humble Suit, You would be pleased to give
us Your own fit Time of Access; and that all our
Actions may have a benign Interpretation, good Acceptation, and Opinion.
"Lastly, That I may not only be a Speaker, but an
humble Suitor; protesting, by the great God by whom
Kings do reign, that whatsoever I have said proceeded
from a loyal Heart; and therefore I desire that it may
be covered with the Veil of a Gracious Construction,
or quitted by Your Majesty's Pardon."
Lord Keeper's Answer.
Mr. Speaker's Speech ended, the Lord Keeper again
conferred with His Majesty; and answered:
"Mr. Speaker,
"His Majesty hath heard your Speech with no more
Patience than Approbation. As you have not cast it
out into any general Parts, no more will I: It is Pity to
pull down a Frame, which cannot be set up in so excellent a Form again.
"A Mathematician writes, that nothing may be so
round, but that Stops and Points may be found therein; so I may observe, in your round and voluble
Speech, these distinct Parts and Articles.
"You speak something of yourself, something of the
King, something of Acts of Parliament, which are of
Two Natures, some striving for Life, others dropping
into their Grave, something of the Common Law in
general, something for the ordinary Supply of Princes,
somewhat of Benevolence, somewhat of the Increase
of True Religion, somewhat of regaining that which
is lost to our Enemies, somewhat of preserving of our
own, and somewhat of the Reformation of Ireland.
"These were your Materials; the Formals were Four;
Privileges from Arrest, Freedom of Speech in your
House, and a good Interpretation of all when you have
left the House.
"I should, from His Majesty, give Answer to them
all; and will proceed Stop by Stop.
"First, for yourself, Mr. Speaker; His Majesty hath
not only stretched out His Sceptre with Assuerus, but
lifted up His Voice. Quæ est Petitio tua, dabitur tibi.
He hath granted all your Petitions, and doth assure
you by me of His especial Favour.
"Secondly, For the King; we cannot deny God's
Blessing of us, and our Blessing of God, for His Royal
Descent, His peaceable Access to the Crown, miraculous Preservation in this Place, and our comfortable
Hope of the Future. All these ibunt in secula seculorum.
"Thirdly, For those Laws for settling of Possessions,
that were enacted in the 32d of Henry the Eighth,
which you call Parliamentum doctum; and those Laws
of Charity, made in the 39th of the Queen, which you
call Parliamentum pium; and those Statutes of Grace,
which were provided in the last Convention (which
His Majesty would have made Parliamentum gratiosum); and the Pardon, which may make this Parliamentum munificum; His Majesty will take such fit and
convenient Courses as shall preserve Life in the one,
and give Life to the other, so that you do cito obstetricari, play the good Midwife in their Birth.
"Fourthly, for the Abortives of the late Assembly,
which you call Parliament Nullities; quam Animus
meminisse horret! a strange Chimæra, such as I never
read of, but in the Article of the new Creed: Credo
Ecclesiam Romanam Catholicam. Parliaments naturally
beget Entities; God and the King are averse to Nullities. The First Parliament was the Three Persons
consulting together: Faciamus Hominem. God is a
Maker, and not a Destroyer; every Consultation is
for some Good; others may commend the former
Laws; you have kept the best Law till now in my
Opinion. Lex oblivionis is the best; let the Memory
of these Abortions be buried in the River Lethe, never
to be remembered. I will put you in Mind of a Story,
which Tully relateth out of Thucydides: The Thebans,
having overcome the Lacedemonians, in Memory thereof erected a Brazen Trophy, whereof a Complaint was
made (eo quod æternum) before the Common Council
of the Amphictyons, that, by that Trophy, the Memory
of their Discord was made eternal. And their Judgement was, That it should be demolished, because it
was not fitting that any Record should be of Discord
between Greek and Greek. I leave the Application.
"Fifthly, For the Common Law in general; it is of a
convenient Composition, and fit for the Climate, approved by His Majesty, that He would never allow any
Project which was not justifiable by the Common Law.
"Sixthly, For the ordinary Supply of Princes in
Parliament, Subsidies are most comfortable to the
King, and favourable to the Subjects, because they issue
from the Heart, and are brought in by the Hands of the
People: Benevolence is but an Anchor, and a Help at
a dead List, because Parliaments are a great Body, and
of slow Motion: The King was averse to that Way,
and had never assented thereunto, but compelled by an
intolerable Provocation without, and Invitation at
Home; and it was bestowed for that immutable Paragon, once of Majesty, now of Patience, that no Man
without Malevolence can find Fault with that Benevolence.
"Seventhly, In the next Place, His Majesty (fn. *) returneth
Thanks to you, for your Care of Religion; your House
was anciently a Chapel, and still it may be said non Domus, sed Templum; so many Men as ye are, so many
Churchmen. His Majesty gives full Assurance, that
He esteems no Estate or Dignity so like unto that inestimable Jewel of Religion; and, if any Scandal hath
been, it hath been taken, not given; and He wisheth,
with Alphonsus, the Great King of Arragon, that all His
Subjects were Kings, that then they might understand
and be satisfied. He never spared the Execution of
any Law, but for a great Law, Salus Reipublicæ: All
the rest are fines sub fine. Our Observation of Laws
are not for the Written Laws, but for the Commonwealth. All the Laws are yet in Force, no Connivance
but for Propagation of True Religion: What knowest
thou, O Man, whether the believing Husband may save
the unbelieving Wife?
"You have heard His Majesty's Simile, touching a
skilful Horseman, which in Zacharie is God's Simile:
Kings are like Riders, the Commonwealth is the Horse,
and the Law is the Bridle, which must be held always
with a sure Hand, not always with a hard Hand; but
aliquando remittit, fertur Equus, non amittet habenas; yet,
if Hagar grow insolent, cast out the Bond-woman and
her Son. His Majesty's Resolution is, the Son of the
Bond-woman shall never inherit with the Son of the
Free-woman. His Royal Majesty hath given Leave
to us that are His Chaplains, to put Him in Mind of
this. God is ever careful of Kings, and Kings cannot
be too careful of Him.
"His Majesty giveth you Thanks for your just Feeling
and Relenting at the Usurpation of that sweet Princess
for her Jointure, and expelling her Olive Branches
from their Inheritance. Good Causes make good
Soldiers: Attollit vires militis causa. It is not impossible to recover the Palatinate. Therefore you do well
to sort Cato's Carthago evertenda with Palatinatus deglutinanda; it ought to be unglued again, and pulled out
of the Clutches of those Enemies, who, by Force and
cunning Treaties, usurp the same. The King knows,
and we know, and would have all the People know,
the Care He hath taken in this Business, Patrias deprehendere curas.
"In the next Place, you observe very well the Wooden
Walls of this Kingdom, the Navy, being His Majesty's
special Care; and, as the Carver which beautified
Diana's Temple, though it were at the Costs of other
Men, yet was allowed in divers Places to stamp his
own Name; so can it not be denied, that that Noble
Lord, that hath now spent Seven Years Study, and is
become a Master in that Art, may grave his Name upon
this Work, yet with a fitting Distance from his Master.
"Lastly, for the Reformation of Irelande, as Pliny said
of Trajan, that his Care extended not to Italy alone;
He hath not only shewed his Beams upon this, but
upon other Countries; His Majesty shines upon them
by His good Laws; and, though that Kingdom add
little to the Crown, it adds much to His Glory.
"And now, Mr. Speaker, what Liberties, Privileges,
and Access, was ever yielded to any of your Predecessors, His Majesty now granteth it fully and freely,
without the least Jealousy or Diminution. I will only
add out of Valerius Maximus, Quid Cato sine Libertate?
quid Libertas sine Catone? What is Wisdom without
Liberty to shew it ? and what is Liberty without Wisdom to use it?"
Adjourn.
Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli, ex Jussu Domini
Regis, continuavit præsens Parliamentum usque in diem
Lunæ proximum, videlicet, 23m diem instantis Februarii,
hora 9a.