་

clude without telling you some news; that I think will be very acceptable to you; and therefore I should think myself unkind and illnatured, if I should not impart it to you. I have been often put in mind by my friends, That it was now high time to marry; and I have thought so myself ever since I came into England: but there appeared difficulties enough in the choice, though many overtures have been made to me: and if I should never marry till I could make such a choice, against which there could be no foresight of any inconvenience that may ensue, you would live to see me an old bachelor, which I think you do not desire to do. I can now tell you, not only that I am resolved to marry, but to whom I resolve to marry, if God please: and towards my resolution, I have used that deliberation, and taken that advice, as I ought to do in an affair of that importance; and, trust me, with a full considera

dom shewed to me this day twelve-mouth, made me desirous to meet you again this day, when I dare swear you are full of the same spirit, and that it will be lasting in you. I think there are not many of you who are no particularly known to me; there are very few of whom I have not heard so much good, that I am sure, as I can be of any thing that is to come, that you will all concur with me, and that I shall concur with you in all things which may advance the peace, plenty, and prosperity of the nation: I shall be exceedingly deceived else. My lords and gentlemen; you will find what method I think best for your proceeding, by two Bills I have caused to be prepared for you, which are for confirmation of all that was enacted at our last meeting: and above all, I must repeat what I said when I was last here; That next to the miraculous blessing of God Almighty, aud indeed, as an immediate effect of that blessing, I do imputetion of the good of my subjects in general, as the good disposition and security we are all in, to the happy Act of Indemnity and Oblivion: that is the principal corner-stone, which supports this excellent building, that creates kindness in us to each other, and confidence in our joint and common security.' I am sure I am still of the same opinion, and more, if it be possible, of that opinion, than I was, by the experience I have of the benefit of it, and from the unreasonableness of what some men say against it, though I assure you not in my hearing. In God's name, provide full remedies for any future mischiefs; be as severe as you will against new offenders, especially if they be so upon old principles, and pull up those principles by the roots. But I shall never think him a wise man who would endeavour to undermine or shake that foundation of our public peace, by infringing that Act in the least degree; or that he can be my friend, or wish me well, who would persuade me ever to consent to the breach of a promise I so solemnly made when I was abroad, and performed with that solemnity; because, and after I promised it, I cannot suspect any attempts of that kind by any men of merit and virtue. I will not con

of myself: it is with the daughter of Portugal. When I had, as well as I could, weighed all that occurred to me, the first resolution I took, was to state the whole overtures which had been made to me, and, in truth, all that had been said against it to my privy-council; without hearing whose advice, I never did, nor ever will, resolve any thing of public importance. And I tell you with great satisfaction and comfort to myself, that after many hours. debate in a full council, for I think there was not above one absent; and truly, I believe, upon all that can be said upon that subject, for or against it, my lords, without one dissenting voice, yet there were very few sate silent, advised me with all imaginable chearfulness to this Marriage; which I looked upon as very wonderful, and even as some instance of the approbation of God himself; and so took up my own resolution, and concluded all with the ambassador of Portugal, who is departing with the whole Treaty signed, which you will find

who had heretofore affronted them in those ways, because they were not the king's, and only because they knew they could obtain no justice against them. They could not with any pa* Lord Clarendon, in the Continuation of tience see those men, who not only during the his Life, p. 96. says, "That this warmth of war had oppressed them, plundered their his majesty upon this subject was not then houses, and had their own adorned with the more than needful: for the armies being now furniture they had robbed them of, ride upon disbanded, there were great combinations en- the same horses which they had then taken tered into, not to confirm the Act of Obli- from them upon no other pretence, but because vion; which they knew without confirmation they were better than their own; but, after the would signify nothing. Men were well enough war was ended, had committed many insolent contented that the king should grant indem- trespasses upon them wantonly, and to shew nity to all men that had rebelled against him; their power of Justice of Peace or Committee that he should grant their lives and fortunes to men, and had from the lowest beggars raised them, who had forfeited them to him: but great estates, out of which they were well able they thought it very unreasonable and unjust, to satisfy, at least in some degree, the damages that the king should release those debts which the other had sustained. And those and other were immediately due to them, and forgive passions of this kind, which must have invalithose trespasses which had been committed to dated the whole Act of Indemnity, could not their particular damage. They could not en-have been extinguished without the king's indure to meet the same men in the king's high-fluence, and indeed his immediate interposition way, now it was the king's highway again, and industry."

other instances of his greatness, and power, and offensive to their stomachs and appetite, and superiority, and dominion over us, nisi' or to their very fancy. Allay and correct (as he said) aut levatione periculi, aut acces- those humours, which corrupt their stomachs sione dignitatis;' by giving us peace, honour, and their appetites: if the good old known and security, which we could not have without tried laws he for the present too heavy for him; by desiring nothing for himself, but what their necks, which have been so many years is as good for us as for himself; and therefore, without any yoke at all, make a temporary I hope, we shall make no scruple of obeying provision of an easier and a lighter yoke, till, him in this particular.-My Lords and Gen- by living in a wholesome air, by the benefit of tlemen; Though the last parliament did great a soberer conversation, by keeping a better and wonderful things, indeed as much as in diet, by the experience of a good and just that time they could, yet they have left very government, they recover strength enough great things for you to do: you are to finish to bear, and discretion enough to discern, the structure, of which they but laid the foun- the benefit and the ease of those laws they dation; indeed they left some things undone, disliked. If the present Oaths have any which it may be they thought they had finished: terms or expressions in them that a tender you will find the Revenue they intended to conscience honestly makes scruple of subraise for the king very much short of what they mitting to, in God's name let other oaths be promised: you will find the Public Debts for formed in their places, as comprehensive of all the Discharge of the Army and the Navy, those obligations which the policy of governwhich they thought they had provided for suffi- ment must exact: but still let there be a yoke: ciently, to be still in arrear and unpaid: and let there be an Oath, let there be some law, here I am, by the king's special command, to that may be the rule to that indulgence, that, commend the poor Seamen to you, who, by under pretence of Liberty of Conscience, men the rules which were prescribed for their pay- may not be absolved from all the obligations ment, are in much worse condition than (with- of law and conscience.--I have besought your out question) was foreseen they would be; for, good-nature and indulgence towards some of by appointing them to be paid but from 1658 your weak patients, if by it they can be brought (which was a safe rule to the Army), very many to follow and submit to your prescriptions for are still in Arrear for 2, 3, or 4 years service; their health; nor is it reasonable to imagine and so his majesty's promise to them from Bre- that the distemper of 20 years can be rectida remains unperformed. Some other losses, fied and subdued in 12 months. There must which resulted from other rules given for their be a natural time, and natural applications, alpayment, have been supplied to them by the lowed for it. But there are a sort of patients king's own bounty. They are a people very that I must recommend to your utmost vigilworthy of your particular care and cherishing; ance, utmost severity, and to no part of your upon whose courage and fidelity very much of lenity or indulgence; such who are so far from the happiness and honour and security of the valuing your prescriptions that they look not nation depends; and therefore his majesty upon you as their physicians, but their patidoubts not you will see justice done towards ents; such who, instead of repenting any thing them with favour.-My Lords and Gentle- that they have done amiss, repeat every day men; You are now the great physicians of the the same crimes for the Indemnity whereof the kingdom; and God knows, you have many way- Act of Oblivion was provided. These are the ward, and froward, and distempered patients, seditious Preachers, who cannot be conwho are in truth very sick, and patients, who tented to be dispensed with for their full obethink themselves sicker than they are; and dience to some laws established, without resome who think themselves in health, and are proaching and inveighing against those laws, most sick of all. You must, therefore, use all how established soever; who tell their authe diligence, and patience, and compassion, ditories, that the Apostle meant, when he which good physicians have for their patients; bid them stand to their liberties, that they all the chearfulness, and complacency, and in- should stand to their arms; and who, by redulgence, their several habits, and constitu-peating the very expressions, and teaching the tions, and distempers of body and mind, may very doctrine, they set on-foot in the year require. Be not too melancholic with your 1610, sufficiently declare that they have no patients, nor suffer them to be too melancholic, mind that 20 years should put an end to the by believing that every little distemper will miseries we have undergone.-What good presently turn to a violent fever, and that fever christian can think without horrour of these will presently turn to the plague; that every Ministers of the Gospel, who by their funclittle trespass, every little swerving from the tfon should be the messengers of peace, and known rule, must insensibly grow to a neglect are in their practice the only trumpets of war, of the law, and that neglect introduce an ab- and incendiaries towards rebellion! solute confusion; that every little difference much more Christian was that Athenian nun in opinion, or practice in Conscience or Reli-in Plutarch, and how shall she rise up in gion, must presently destroy Conscience and judgment against these men, who, when AlReligion. Be not too severe and rough to- cibiades was condemned by the public juswards your patients, in prescribing remedies, tice of the state, and a decree made, that the how well compounded soever, too nauseous religious, the priests, and the nuns, should

How

* The Chancellor alludes to the Insurrection of the Fifth Monarchy Men, under Venner, of which Insurrection archdeacon Echard gives us the following account?" While the affairs of the nation seemed to be in peace and tranquility, in the beginning of the new year 1660-1, there happened a strange and unparalleled action in London, which strengthened the belief of those secret Plots and Conspiracies mentioned by the lord chancellor. This was occasioned by a small body of Fifth-Monarchy Men, who hating all monarchy, and the appearance of it, had formerly made an attempt against Cromwell's government, but escaped beyond expectation. The head of them was one Thomas Venner, sometime a wine-cooper, who by the king's indulgence held a conventicle in Coleman-street, where he, and others, used to preach to them out of the Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelations, and from thence drew strange inferences, persuading their congregations to take up arms for King Jesus,

revile and curse him, stoutly refused to per-¡ by them, had not prevented it; I say, it is form that office, saying, That she was pro- probable this fury would have not been extin*fessed religious, to pray and to bless, not to guished, before this famous city, or a great part 'curse and ban! And if the person and the of it, had been turned into ashes.-If you place can improve and aggravate the offence, as no doubt it doth before God and man, methinks the preaching rebellion and treason out of the pulpit should be as much worse than the advancing it in the market, as the poisoning a man at the Communion would be worse than killing him at a tavern and it may be, in the catalogue of those sins which the zeal of some men declares to be against the Holy Ghost, there may not be any one more reasonably thought to be such, than a Minister of Christ's turning rebel against his prince, which is a most notorious apostacy from his order; and his preaching rebellion to the people as the doctrine of Christ, adding blasphemy and pertinacy to his apostacy, bath all the marks by which good men are taught to know and avoid that sin against the Holy Ghost. If you do not provide for the thorough quenching these firebrands; king, lords, and commons, shall be their meanest subjects, and the whole kingdom kindled into one general flame.-My Lords and Gentlemen; When the king spake last in this place against the powers of the earth, the king, the before this day, He said, When he should 'duke of York, general Monk, &c.' assuring call the next parliament, he should receive them, That no weapons formed against them their thanks for what he had done since he 'should prosper, nor a hair of their heads be had dissolved the last; for he said, he should 6 touched; for one should chace a thousand, not more propose any one rule to himself, in and two put ten thousand to flight.' Upon 'his actions or his councils, than this, What is which they got a Declaration printed, entitled, 'a parliament like to think of this action, or of A Door of Hope opened;' in which they 'that council? and that it should be want of said, and declared, That they would never 'understanding in him, if it would not bear sheath their swords till Babylon, as they 'that test' He told you but now, That he 'called monarchy, became a hissing and a values himself much upon keeping his word,'curse, and there be left neither Remnant, upon performing all that he promises to his Son, nor Nephew: that when they had led 'people.' And he hath the worst luck in the captivity captive in England, they would go world, if he hath not complied with this pro- into France, Spain, Germany, &c. and rather mise, and if his understanding bath failed him die than take the wicked Oaths of Suprein it. It was in a very little time after the 6 macy and Allegiance that they would not Dissolution of that parliament, his majesty make any leagues with monarchists, but giving himself a few days to accompany his would rise up against the carnal, to possess royal mother to the sea side, the only time he 'the Gate, or the world, to bind their kings in, hath slept out of this town near these 12 'chains, and their nobles in fetters of iron.' months, that the most desperate, and prodi- And so to accomplish this heroic design, they gious Rebellion brake out in this city, that observed so much policy as to put it in exehath been heard of in any age; which conti- cution when the king was attending his mother Dued two or three nights together, with the and sister to embark at Portsmouth, for their murder of several honest citizens. Let no man return into France. Accordingly on Sunday undervalue the treason because of the con- the 6th of Jan. being fully animated by the temptibleness of the number engaged in it. sermon, which hinted to them, that they had No man knows the number; but, by the mul- been praying and preaching, but not acting titude of intercepted letters from and to all the for God,' they sallied out well armed from counties of England, in which the time was their Meeting-House, and marched to St. Paul's set down wherein the work of the Lord was to Church-Yard in the dark of the evening. Here be done, by the desperate carriage of the they mustered their party, amounting to above traitors themselves, and their bragging of their 50, and placed their centinels for the time, one friends, we may conclude the combination of whom killed a poor innocent man, who upon reached very far. And in truth we may rea-demand had answered, He was for God and sonably believe, that if the undaunted courage king Charles! This gave an alarm to the city, and the indefatigable industry of the lord and the lord-mayor, sir Rd. Brown, and the mayor, who deserves to be mentioned before trained-bands being upon the guard, some files king, lords, and commons, and to be esteemed of men were sent against them, whom these

6