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The King having given his royal assent to 31
Public, and 39 Private Bills, made this gracious
Speech following:

inclined, but that the people may be without reasonable apprehension of such insecurity.You will easily believe, that it is very necessary for the public justice of the kingdom, and even for the preservation of the reverence due to parliaments, that I make this a session. And it will be worthy of your wisdoms, when you come together again, to provide that there be not so great clamour against the multitude of Protections. I will say no more; but renew my hearty thanks to you all, and refer the rest to the Chancellor."

The Lord Chancellor's Speech at the end of the Session.] The King's Specch being ended, the Lord Chancellor Clarendon came from his place, and kneeled to the king, and, having received directions, returned to his place, and made this ensuing Speech:

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"My lords; and you, the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the house of commons; It is now little more than a year that the king first called you to attend him here, at the opening of the parliament: then, you may remember, he told you, That he thought there were not many of you, who were not particularly known to him; that there were very few of whom he had not heard so much good, that he was (he said) as sure as he could be of any thing that was to come, that you would all concur with him, and that he should concur with you, in all things which might advance the peace, plenty, and prosperity of the nation.' His majesty said, He should be exceedingly deceived else. It was a princely declaration, and a rare confidence, which could flow from no other fountain but the sincerity and purity of his own conscience, which, admitting no other designs or thoughts into his royal breast, but such as must tend to the unquestionable prosperity and greatness of his people, could not but be assured of your full concurrence and co-operation with him. It was a happy and a blessed omen, which at the instant struck a terror into the hearts of those who promised themselves some advantages from the differences and divisions in your counsels, and hoped from thence to create new troubles and molestations in the kingdom. And, God be thanked! the king hath been so far from being exceed

"My Lords, and you Gentlemen of the House of Commons; I think there have been very few sessions of parliament in which there have been so many Bills as I have passed this day. I am confident, never so many Private Bills; which I hope you will not draw into example. It is true, these late ill times have driven men into great straits, and may have obliged them to make conveyances colourably, to avoid inconveniences, and yet not afterwards to be avoided. And men have gotten estates by new and greater frauds than have been heretofore practised; and therefore, in this conjuncture, extraordinary remedies may be necessary, which hath induced me to comply with your advice, in passing these bills. But I pray let this be very rarely done hereafter. The good old rules of the law are the best security. And let not men have too much cause to fear that the settlements they make of their estates shall be too easily unsettled when they are dead, by the power of parliaments. My Lords and Gentlemen; You have so much obliged me, not only in the matter of those Bills which concern my Revenue, but in the manner of passing them with so great affection and kindness to me, that I know not how to thank you enough. I do assure you, and I pray assure your friends in the country, that I will apply all you have given me to the utmost improvement of the peace and happiness of the kingdom, and will, with the best advice and good husbandry, I can, bring my expences within a narrower compass.-Now I am speaking to you of my own good husbandry, I must tell you, that will not be enough: I cannot but observe to you, that the whole nation seems to me a little corrupted in their excess of living. Sure all men spend much more, in their cloaths, in their diet, in all their expences, than they have used to do. I hope it hath only been the excess of joy, after so long sufferings, that hath transported us to these other excesses. But let us take heed, that the continuance of them doth not indeed corrupt our natures. I do believe I have been faulty that way myself: I promise you, I will reform: and if you willingly deceived, that he doth acknowledge he join with me in your several capacitics, we shall by our examples do more good, both in city and country, than any new laws would do. I tell you again, I will do my part; and I will tell some of you, if you do not yours. I hope "Mr. Speaker, and you Gentlemen of the the laws I Lave passed this day will produce House of Commons; You have, like the richest some reformation with reference to the multi-and the noblest soil, a soil manured and entude of Beggars and poor people which infest the kingdom. Great severity must be used to those who love idleness, and refuse to work; and great care and charity towards those who are willing to work. I do very heartily recommend the execution of those good laws to your utmost diligence; and I am sure I need not put you in mind so to settle the Militia, that all seditious Insurrections may not only be prevented, to which the minds of too many are

hath been exceedingly complied with, exceedingly gratified in all he hath desired; and he hopes, he hath not in the least degree disappointed your expectation.

riched by the bountiful hearts of the best subjects in the world, yielded the king two full harvests in one year; and therefore it is but good husbandry to lie fallow for some time. You have not only supplied the crown to a good degree, for discharging many debts and pressures under which it even groaned, and enabled it to struggle with the present straits and necessities; debts not contracted, and necessities not run into, by improvidence and

excess; you may, when you please, receive such an accompt, as will clear all such reproaches: but you wisely, very wisely, provided such a constant growing revenue, as may with God's blessing preserve the crown from those scandalous wants and necessities as have heretofore exposed it and the kingdom to those dismal miseries, from which they are but even now buoyed up; for, whatsoever other human causes may be assigned, according to the several fancies and imaginations of men, of our late miserable distractions, they cannot be so reasonably imputed to any one cause, as to the extreme poverty of the crown: the want of power could never have appeared, if it had not been for the want of money.-You have, my lords and gentlemen, worthily provided for the vindication and manifestation of the one, by the bill of the Militia; and for the Supply of the other, by the act for the additional Revenue: and I am confident, both the present and succeeding ages will bless God, and celebrate your memories, for those two Bills, as the foundation of their peace, quiet, and security, how froward and indisposed soever many are at present, who, finding such obstructions laid in their way to mutiny and sedition, use all the artifice they can to persuade the people, that you have not been solicitous enough for their liberty, nor tenacious enough for their profit; and wickedly labour to lessen that reverence towards you, which sure was never more due to any parliament.-It was a very natural and an ingenious animadversion and reflection, which the late incomparable lord viscount of St. Albans made upon that old Fable of the Giants, who were first overthrown in the war against the Gods, when the earth, their mother, in revenge thereof, brought forth Fame: which, he said, is the same when princes and monarchs have suppressed actual and open rebellion, then the malignity of the people, the mother of rebellion, doth bring forth libels, slanders, and taxation of the state; which, he says, is of the same kind with rebellion, but more feminine. And without doubt this seditious daughter of the earth, this spirit of libelling, was never more pregnant than it is now; nor king, nor parliament, nor church, nor state, ever more exposed to those flagella lingua, those strokes of the tongue, from which God Almighty can only preserve the most innocent and most excellent persons; as if repining and murmuring were the peculiar exercise of the nation, to keep it in health; as if England had so much of the merchant, Nunquam habendi fructu felix, semper autem quærendi cupiditate miserrima.'-Men are in no degree disposed to imitate or remember the general excellent temper of the time of queen Elizabeth; the blessed condescension and resignation of the people then to the crown, the awful reverence they then had to the government, and to the governors both in church and state. This good and happy spirit was in a time beyond our memory; but they remember, as if it were but yesterday, how few Subsidies

parliaments then gave to that queen, how smalı supplies the crown then had from the people; and wonder that the same measures should not still fill the coffers, and give the same repution, and make the same noise in Christendom.-But, my Lords and Gentlemen, how bold soever some unquiet spirits are with you, upon this argument, you are much superior to those reproaches. You know well, and you can make others know, without breaking the Act of Indemnity, how the crown hath been since used; how our sovereign lord the king found it at his blessed return to it. You can tell the world, that as soon as he came hither, besides the infinite that he forgave, he gave more, more money to the people, than he hath since received from them; that at least two parts of three, that they have since given him, have issued for the disbanding Armies never raised by him, and for paying of Fleets never sent out by him, and of debts never incurred by him. You will put them in mind of the vast disparity between the former times and these in which we live; and consequently of the disproportion in the expence the crown is now at for the protection and benefit of the subject to what it formerly underwent: how great a difference there is in the present greatness and power of the two crowns, and what they were then possessed of, is evident to all men; and if the greatness and power of the crown of England be not in some proportion improved too, it may be liable to inconveniencies it will not undergo alone. How our neighbours and our rivals, who court one and the same mistress, trade and commerce, with all the world, are advanced in shipping, power, and an immoderate desire to engross the whole traffic of the universe, is notorious enough; and this unruly appetite will not be restrained or disappointed, nor the trade of this nation supported and maintained, with the same fleets and forces which were maintained in the happy times of queen Elizabeth. Not to speak of the naval power of the Turks, who, instead of sculking abroad in poor single ships as they were wont to do, domineer now on the ocean in strong fleets, make naval fights, and have brought some Christians to a better correspondence, and another kind of commerce and traffic with them, than was expected; insomuch as they apprehend no enemy upon the sea, but what they find in the king of England's ships, which hath indeed brought no small damage upon them, with no small charge to the king, but a great reputation to the nation.My Lords and Gentlemen; You may with a very good conscience assure yourselves, and your friends and neighbours, that the Charge the crown is now at, by sea and land, for the peace and security and wealth and honour of the nation, amounts to no less than 800,000l. a year, all which did not cost the Crown before these troubles fourscore thousand pounds the year; and therefore they will never blame you for any Supply you have given, or addition

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had more experience of the nature and humour of mankind, than any prince living, can best distinguish between the tenderness of conscience and the pride of conscience, between the real effects of conscience and the wicked pretences to conscience, who having fought with Beasts at Ephesus,' knows how to guard himself and the kingdom from the assaults and violence of a strong, malicious, corrupted understanding and will, and how to secure himself and the kingdom from the feeble traps and nets of deluded fancies and imaginations: In a word, a prince of so excellent a nature and tender a conscience himself, that he hath the highest compassion for all errors of that kind, and will never suffer the weak to undergo the punishment ordained for the wicked, and knows and understands better than any man that excellent rule of Quintilian, Est aliquid quod non oportet, etiamsi licet, et aliud est jura spectare, aliud justitiam.'-My Lords and Gentlemen; Machiavel, who, they say, is an author much

you have made to the Revenue of the crown. | signal indulgence and condescensions, the temAnd whosoever unskilfully murmurs at the ex-porary suspension of the rigour of former laws, pence of Dunkirk, and the other new acquisi- hath not produced that effect which was extions, which ought to be looked upon as jewels pected; that the humours and spirits of men of an immense magnitude in the royal diadem, are too rough and boisterous for those soft redo not enough remember what we have lost medies; you have prepared sharper laws and by Dunkirk, and should always do if it were penalties, to contend with those refractory in an enemy's hands; nor duly consider the persons, and to break that stubbornness which vast advantages those other dominions are will not bend to gentler applications; and it like, by God's blessing, in a short time, to is great reason, that they upon whom clemency bring to the trade, navigation, wealth, and ho- cannot prevail, should feel that severity they nour of the king and kingdom. His majesty have provoked. You have done your parts hath enough expressed his desire to live in a like good physicians, made wholesome preperfect peace and amity with all his neigh- scription for the constitution of your patients; bours; nor is it an ill ingredient towards the well knowing, that the application of these firmness and stability of that peace and amity, remedies, the execution of these sharp laws, which his royal ancestors have held and main- depends upon the wisdom of the most discerntained with them, that he hath some advan-ing, generous, and merciful prince, who, having tages in case of a war, which they were without. It was a right ground of confidence, such an one as seldom deceives men, that the great law-maker, the wise Solon, bad, when he concluded that reverence and obedience would be yielded to his laws, because he had taken the pains to make his citizens know, and understand, that it was more for their profit to obey law and justice, than to contemn and break it. The extravagant times of license, which I hope we have almost out-lived, have so far corrupted the minds, and even the nature of too many, that they do not return with that alacrity they ought to do, into the road and paths of order and government, from which they have so long been led astray; nor, it may be, is there pains enough taken to make them understand the profit, benefit, and ease, which always attends a chearful obedience and submission to laws and government. I am persuaded, a little paius and kindness, and condescension, in the wise towards the weak, half the diligence and dexterity in conver-studied of late in this kingdom, to extol his sation and example which hath been used to own excellent judgment and insight in history, corrupt the people in their loyalty and under- in which indeed he was a master, would perstanding, will quickly reduce them to their pri- suade men to believe that, the true reason mitive temper; which is, to be the best neigh- why so many unexpected accidents and misbours, and the best friends, and the best sub-chiefs fall out to the destruction of states jects of the world: and I make no question, but the great piety and devotion, the moderation, wisdom, charity, and hospitality, of my lords the Bishops, in their several dioceses, will in a short time recover the poor misled people. And though the frowardness and pride of some of their teachers may not be yet enough subdued, though some of the clergy still repeat their old errors, for which they have been glad to receive pardon, and do in truth discredit all their other doctrine with the absence of any visible repentance for what mischief they have formerly done; yet I hope the laity will soon return into the bosom of their dear mother the Church, and easily discern the fraud and im-jealousies have produced. Remember how posture of their seducers; and that all diligence and dexterity will be used, seriously and heartily to reconcile both clergy and laity, by all means which may prove effectual.-You have, my Lords and Gentlemen, likewise patriots. Upon your observation, that the most

and empires is, because their governors have not observed the same mischiefs heretofore in story, and from whence they proceeded, and what progress they made; which, he says, if they had done, they might easily have preserved themselves from ruin, and prevented the inconveniencies which have fallen out. I am sure, you are all good historians, and need only to resort to the records of your own memories. Remember how your peace hath been formerly disturbed, by what contrivance and artifices the people have been alarmed with unreasonable and unnatural Fears and Jealousies, and what dismal effects those fears and

near monarchy hath been dissolved, and the law subverted, under pretence of reforming and supporting government, law, and justice. And remember how many honest persons were misled by not discerning consequences, who would as soon have renounced their part in

Heaven as have concurred in the first unwarrantable action if they had suspected what did follow. And if we suffer the same enemy to break in upon us at the same avenues, if we suffer our peace to be blown up by the same trains and machinations, we shall be held very ill bistorians, and worse politicians.-There is an enemy amongst us, of whom I doubt we are not jealous enough, and towards whom we cannot be too vigilant, and, in truth, in comparison of whom we may reasonably under-value all other enemies; that is the Republicans and Commonwealth's Men, who are every day calling in aid of the law, that they may overthrow and abolish the law, which they know to be their irreconcileable enemy. Indeed, my lords and gentlemen, there is a very great party of those men in every faction of religion, who truly have no religion but as the pretence serves to advance that faction. You cannot be too solicitous, too inquisitive after these men, who are restless in their councils, and wonderfully punctual and industrious in their correspondencies, which they maintain abroad as well as at home; and you cannot doubt they have encouragement enough from abroad. Few of our neighbours love us so exceeding well, but that they would be glad to see us entangled in domestic broils. These men are worthy of your care and diligence, in your speedy settling the Militia which the king hath even now so particularly recommended unto you. I shall conclude with ouly putting you in mind, that there was scarce ever a more dangerous sedition in the Republic of Rome, than in a time of full peace: when the citizens were sullen, when there was no noise but in whispers, when men neglected their trades, and stayed idle in their own houses, as if they cared not which way the world went; from whence alone their neighbours the Etrurians were encouraged to make a war upon them. Novum seditionis genus' says Livy, silentium otiumque inter cives. Never any nation under Heaven has less cause of sullenness than we, never more of joy and thanksgiving. We all know that God Almighty loves a chearful giver, and we may as well know that he loves a chearful receiver. Besides all other stupendous blessings conferred upon us, he hath given us the most chearful giver that ever people hath been blest withal; a king that bath with all imaginable chearfulness given us all we have asked of him, all he hath to give; who would not take or retain any thing we give to him, but for our own sakes; that by receiving and retaining it, be may give it to us again in more abundance in abundance of peace and plenty, and honour, and all the comforts which can make a nation happy. This time bath made a glorious addition to our happiness, which ought proportionably to increase our chearfulness. We wanted only one blessing, the Arrival of our Queen, whom God bath now safely brought to us; a queen of such a rare perfection in body and raind, of such endowments of wisdom, virtue

and piety, that we may reasonably promise ourselves from her all the happiness we are capable of, and a succession of princes to govern us till the end of the world and there cannot be a more transcendent instance of the king's love and passion for his people, than that he hath staid these four days to take his leave of you; and that he might give you this day's work, all these good laws, hath denied himself so long the enjoying the greatest comfort he is assured of in this world.-If there be not the most universal joy in the reception of these blessings, if there be not an universal contentedness, and satisfaction in the hearts of all men, and if that contentedness and satisfaction do not break out, and is not visible, in the looks, and thoughts, and words, and actions of the whole nation, to the inflaming the hearts of the other nations under his majesty's obedience by our example; we are guilty of an ingratitude that is worthy to deprive us of all we enjoy, and to disappoint us of all we pray for. And therefore I do most humbly beseech you, my lords and gentlemen, that, as there is a most noble chearfulness and alacrity visible in you, and hath shed itself over all your countenances, so that you will think it worthy of your pains, to infuse the same good spirit into city and country, that they may all express that joy and delight in the blessings they are possessed of, and chearfully endeavour to improve those blessings by their chearful enjoying them, that God may continue those blessings to us, and the king's comfort may be increased, by the comfort he sees we have in him, and in what he hath done for us; and as all princes may take a pattern from him to govern, and make their subjects happy, so that all subjects may learn from us how to obey, by an eminent and innocent alacrity in their acknowledgment.— I am, by the king's express command, to add one particular, which his majesty meant, but forget to say himself: you cannot but observe, that his majesty hath not passed the Bill that concerns the earl of Derby; which you cannot imagine proceeds from his majesty's want of care of, and kindnesss to, that noble family, which hath served him so faithfully, and suffered so much for so doing; but all parties having referred the matter to his majesty, he doubts not but to make a better end for that noble earl, than he would attain if the Bill had passed.-I shall only add the king's commands for the Prorogation of this parliament till the 18th day of Feb. And this parliament is prorogued till the 18th day of Feb. next."

Occurrences during the Recess.] As a short account of what took place during the recess of parliament may not be unacceptable to the reader, we shall present him with the following extract from Mr. Hume. "On the 21st of May was concluded, seemingly with universal consent, the inauspicious marriage with Catherine, a princess of virtue, but who was never able, either by the graces of her person or humour, to make herself

the most popular preachers. The catholic party at court, who desired a great rent among the protestants, encouraged them in this obstinacy, and gave them hopes that the king would protect them in their refusal. The king himself, by his irresolute conduct, contributed, either from design or accident, to increase this opinion. Above all, the terms of subscription had been made strict and rigid, on purpose to disgust all the zealous and scrupulous among the presbyterians, and deprive them of their livings. About 2000 of the clergy, in one day, relinquished their cures; and to the astonishment of the court, sacrificed their interest to their religious tenets. Fortified by society in their sufferings, they were resolved to undergo any hardships, rather than openly renounce those principles, which, on other occasions, they were so apt, from interest, to warp or elude. The church enjoyed the pleasure of retaliation; and even pushed, as usual, the vengeance farther than the offence. During the dominion of the parliamentary party, a

agreeable to the king. The report, however, of her natural incapacity to have children, seems to have been groundless; since she was twice declared to be pregnant.-The festivity of these espousals was clouded by the trial and execution of criminals. Berkstead, Cobbet, and Okey, three regicides, had escaped beyond sea; and after wandering some time concealed in Germany, came privately to Delft, having appointed their families to meet them in that place. They were discovered by Downing, the king's resident in Holland, who had formerly served the Protector and Commonwealth in the same station, and who once had even been chaplain to Okey's regiment. He applied for a warrant to arrest them. It had been usual for the States to grant these warrants; though, at the same time, they had ever been careful secretly to advertise the persons, that they might be enabled to make their escape. This precaution was eluded by the vigilance and dispatch of Downing. He quickly seized the criminals, hurried them on board a frigate which lay off the coast, and sent them to Eng-fifth of each living had been left to the ejected land. These three men behaved with more moderation and submission than any of the other regicides, who had suffered. Okey in particular, at the place of execution, prayed for the king, and expressed his intention, had he lived, of submitting peaceably to the established government. He had risen during the wars from being a chandler in London to a high rank in the army; and in all his conduct appeared to be a man of humanity and honour. In consideration of his good character and of his dutiful behaviour, his body was given to his friends to be buried.-The attention of the public was much engaged by the trial of two distinguished criminals, Lambert and Vane. These men, though none of the late king's judges, had been excepted from the general indemnity, aud committed to prison. The convention parliament, however, was so favourable to them, as to petition the king, if they should be found guilty, to suspend their execution but this new parliament, more zealous for monarchy, applied for their trial and condemnation. Not to revive disputes, which were better buried in oblivion, the indictment of Vane did not comprehend any of his actions during the war between the king and parliament: it extended only to his behaviour after the late king's death, as member of the council of state, and secretary of the navy, where fidelity to the trust reposed in him required his opposition to monarchy.-However odious Vane and Lambert were to the presbyterians, that party had no leisure to rejoice at their condemnation. The fatal St. Bartholomew approached; the day, when the clergy were obliged by the Act of Uniformity, either to relinquish their livings, or to sign the articles required of them. A combination had been entered into by the most zealous of the presbyterian ecclesiastics to refuse the subscription; in hopes that the bishops would not venture at once to expel so great a number of

the

clergyman: but this indulgence, though at first
insisted on by the house of peers, was now re-
fused to the presbyterians. However difficult
to conciliate peace among theologians, it was
hoped by many, that some relaxation in the
terms of communion might have kept the pres
byterians united to the church, and have cured
those ecclesiastical factions, which had been
so fatal, and were still so dangerous. Bishoprics
were offered to Calamy, Baxter, and Rey-
nolds, leaders among the presbyterians;
last only could be prevailed on to accept.
Deaneries and other preferments were refused
by many. The next measure of the king has
not had the good fortune to be justified by any
party; but is often considered, on what grounds
I shall not determine, as one of the greatest
mistakes, if not blemishes, of his reign. It is
the Sale of Dunkirk to the French. The par-
simonious maxims of the parliament, and the
liberal, or rather careless disposition of Charles,
were ill suited to each other; and notwith-
standing the supplies voted him, his treasury
was still very empty and very much indebted.
He had secretly received the sum of 200,000
crowns from France for the support of Por-
tugal; but the forces sent over to that coun-
try, and the fleets maintained in order to de-
fend it, had already cost the king that sum;
and together with it, near double the money,
which had been payed as the queen's por-
tion. The time fixed for payment of his sister's
portion to the duke of Orleans was approach-
ing. Tangiers, a fortress from which great
benefit was expected, was become an addi-
tional burden to the crown; and Rutherford,
who now commanded in Dunkirk, had in-
creased the charge of that garrison to 120,000/
a year.
These considerations had such in-
fluence, not only on the king, but even on
Clarendon, that this uncorrupt minister was
the most forward to advise accepting a sum of
money in lieu of a place which he thought the

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