mouth but the usher of the black rod knocked at the door, and the serjeant gave notice of it to the Speaker, who forbade sir Robert proceeding any farther.* The King's Speech.] The king made a short Speech to both houses as follows: 46 My lords and gentlemen; I need not tell you how unwillingly I call you hither at this time, being enough sensible what advantage my enemies both abroad and at home will reap by the least appearance of a difference betwixt me and my parliament; nay, being assured they expect more success from such a breach (could they procure it) than from their arms. This, I say, shall, whilst I live, be my chief endeavour to prevent; and for that reason I think it necessary to make a short recess, that all good men may recollect themselves against the next meeting, and consider whether the present posture of affairs will not rather require their applications to matters of Religion, "The Address (agreed to the day before) was to have been presented this afternoon; but the king disappointed all by coming unexpectedly to the house of lords, and ordering the commons to attend him. It happened that the Speaker and the usher both met at the door of the house of commons, and the Speaker being got within the house, some of the members suddenly shut the door, and cried out To the Chair! To the Chair!' while others cried, The Black Rod is at the door.' The Speaker was immediately hurried to the chair, and then it was moved, 1. That our Alliance with France was a Grievance. 2. That the Evil Counsellors about the king were a Grievauce. And 3. That the duke of Lauderdale was a Grievance, and not fit to be trusted or emploved in any office or place of trust. Upon which there was a general cry, To the Question! To the Question!' But the Black Rod knocking earnestly at the door, the Speaker leaped out of the chair, and the house rose in great confusion." Echard. "What a dreadful picture have we here of the disorders of these times! Though there was sufficient cause for a close enquiry into the state of the nation, and a firm opposition to the favourite views of the court: and though the alliance with France, and the ruin of Holland, were equally inconsistent with the interest and safety of England; yet surely such violence and fury, without any previous remonstrances or endeavours to bring the court to reason, more resembled the turbulence of a faction, than the regularity and decorum of a Senate." Ralph. and support against our only competitors at sea than to things of less importance; and in the mean while, I will not be wanting to let all my subjects see, that no care can be greater than my own, in the effectual suppressing of Popery; and it shall be your faults if, in your several countries, the laws be not effectually executed against the growth of it.-I will not be idle neither in some other things which may add to your satisfaction; and then I shall expect a suitable return from you. And so I shall give order to the Lord Chancellor to prorogue you to the 7th Jan. next."* * "During the interval, Shaftsbury, whose intrigues with the mal-content party were now become notorious, was dismissed from the office of Chancellor; and the great seal was given to sir Heneage Finch, by the title of Lord Keeper. The Test had incapacitated Clifford, and the white staff was conferred on sir Tho. Osborne, soon after created earl of Danby, a minister of great abilities, who had risen by his parliamentary talents. Clifford retired into the country and soon after died." Hume. According to archdeacon Echard, Shaftsbury was dismissed in the following remarkable manner: "The earl was sent for on Sunday morning to court, as was also sir Heneage. Finch, attorney general, to whom the Seals were promised. As soon as the earl came, he retired with the king into the closet, while the prevailing party waited in triumph to see him return without the purse. His lordship being alone with the king, said, Sir, I know you intend to give the Seals to the attorney general; but I am sure your maj. never designed to dismiss me with contempt.' The king, who could not do an ill-natured thing, replied, Cod's-fish, my lord, I will not do it 'with any circumstance as may look like an 'affront.' 'Then Sir,' said the earl, I desire your maj. will permit me to carry the Seals 'before you to chapel, and send for them af terwards from my own house.' To which his maj. readily complied; and the earl entertained the king with news, and other diverting stories, till the very minute he was to go to chapel, purposely to amuse the courtiers and his successor, who he believed was upon the rack for fear he should prevail upon the king to change his mind. The king and the still chancellor came out of the closet talking together and smiling, and went together to chapel, which extremely surprized them all, who could have have no opportunity to inform themselves what was to be expected; and some ran immeNext day a sermon was to have been preach- diately to tell the duke of York all their meaed before them by Dr. Stillingfleet. And Old-sures were broken, and the attorney general mixon asserts, "That some time this session, a wooden shoe, such as the peasants wear in France, with the arms of England drawn at one end of it, and those of France at the other with these words in the interval, Utrum horum mavis accipe, was laid in the house, near the Speaker's Chair." VOL. IV. was said to be inconsolable. After sermon the earl went home with the Seals, and that evening the king gave them to the attorneygeneral, a man of great parts and abilities, with the title of Lord-Keeper. And thus ended the reign of the great earl of Shaftsbury, the prevalency of which had continued above 2 R TWELFTH SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT. The King's Speech at the opening of the Session.] Jan. 7, 1673-4, Both houses met according to the prorogation; and the session was opened with the following Speech from the throne : "My Lords and Gentlemen; When I parted with you last, it was but for a little time, and with a resolution of meeting suddenly again. That alone was enough to satisfy my friends that they need not fear, and my enemies that they could hot hope for, a breach between us. I then told you, that the time of this short recess should be employed in doing such things as might add to your satisfaction: I hope I have done my part towards it; and if there be any thing else which you think wanting to secure Religion or Propriety, there is nothing which you shall reasonably propose, but I shall be ready to receive it. I do now expect you should do your parts too; for our enemies make vigorous preparations for war; and yet their chief hopes are to disunite us at home: it is their common discourse, and they reckon upon it as their best relief.-My Lords and Gentlemen; It is not possible for me to doubt your affections at any time, much less at such a time as this, when the evidences of your affection are become so necessary to us all. I desire you to consider that as the war cannot be well made without a Supply, so neither can a good peace be had without being in a posture of war. I am very far from being in love with war for war's sake; but, if I saw any likelihood of peace, without dishonour to myself and damage to you, I would soon embrace it: but no proposals of peace have yet been offered, which can be imagined with intent to conclude, but only to amuse. Therefore the way to a good peace is, to set out a good fleet; which we have time enough to do very effectually, if the Supply be not delayed: If, after this, a Peace should follow, yet the Supply would be well given; for whatever remains of it, I am willing it should be appropriated for building more ships.-To conclude: A speedy, a proportionable, and above all a chearful Aid, is now more necessary than ever; and I rely upon you for it. I lately put you in mind of my Debt to the Goldsmiths: I hope a fit time will come, to take that into consideration.-I cannot conclude without shewing the entire confidence I have in you. I know you have heard much of my alliance with France; and I believe it hath been very strangely misrepresented to you, as if there were certain secret Articles of dangerous consequence; but I will make no difficulty of letting the Treaties and all the Articles of them, without any the least reserve, to be seen by a small committee of both houses, who may report to you the true scope 3 years, but the grandeur of it, in which he had no equal, lasted, a few days less than one year." of them; and, I assure you, there is no other Treaty with France, either before or since, not already printed, which shall not be made known. And having thus freely trusted you, I do not doubt but you will have a care of my honour, and the good of the kingdom.-The rest I refer to my Lord Keeper." The Lord Keeper Finch's Speech.] Then the Lord Keeper came from his place where he stood, and kneeling received his majesty's direction; and returning again to his said place, made this Speech: "My lords; and you the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the house of commons; The king hath already in part told you what be hath done for you since the last recess, what he is still ready to do, and what it is he doth now expect from you; and this in terms so full and so obliging, so generous and so satisfactory, that he whose affections are not raised by that discourse, he who cannot acquiesce in the fulness of this assurance, he whose heart is not established by it in such a belief as may entirely dispose him to the service of the crown, will hardly he recovered to a better disposition by any other expedient: for indeed what better way can be found to undeceive those who have been abused? The king refers you to the time past, not to his promises, but to his performances; gives men leave to judge by what they see of what they hear, by what hath been done since the last session of what is offered you now, and what is likely to be done for the time to come. And doth not every man see that the king hath given new life and motion to such laws as were long dead, or fast asleep; that he hath once more repaired the hedge about our vineyard, and made it a fence indeed, against all those who are enemies to the planting of it, who would be glad to see it trodden down or rooted up, and study how to sap and undermine our very foundations ?— Do we not see that the king hath made it his care and his business to do all that is possible to preserve us in our civil rights too; that he makes the laws of his kingdom the measures, not only of his power, but his prudence; that he suffers no man to be wiser than the law; that he thinks he cannot judge of the health or sickness of his state by any better indication than the current of his laws, and suffers nothing to remain that may in the least measure hinder justice from flowing in its due and proper channels?-A very few instances, of many that might be used, will serve to demonstrate it: If the Conviction of all Recusants, and bringing them under the Penal Laws, can suppress Popery; If, without staying for the forms of law in points of conviction, the present forbidding all papists, or reputed papists, to come to court, and the extending this prohibition to his royal palace at St. James's, be enough to discountenance them; If the not extending his prerogative beyond its due limits can secure your liberties; If his majesty's lessening and reducing all his land forces, and maintaining so few extraordinary, that they will scarce be enough to help to man his fleet this summer, can extinguish the fears of a Standing Army; If a rigorous and severe prosecution at law, of all the officers and soldiers in his majesty's ordinary guards, when they misbehave themselves towards the meanest subject, can secure your properties; If the abrogation of all the privileges from arrests, which were claimed by his majesty's servants extraordinary, who are very numerous, can prevent the delays and obstructions of justice: Then surely his maj. hath reason to believe that nothing is wanting which can lawfully be done, or modestly be wished, either for your satisfaction or your security. These are not single and transient acts, but such acts as flow from habits; these are not leaves and blossoms, but true, solid, and lasting fruits. Long! long! may that royal tree live and flourish, upon which these fruits do grow! And yet his majesty's Indulgence to you rests not here: he gives you leave to study and contrive your own assurance; and if you think you want any further security, if any thing have escaped his majesty's care, who meditates nothing more than your preservation, you see you have free leave to make any reasonable proposition, and his gracious promise that he will receive it.-This is a satisfaction equal to all your wishes: now, if ever, your joys are full. There wants no more to the improvement of this happiness, but the wisdom of the parliament to use these advantages with a due moderation.If, therefore, upon enquiry, you shall think it needful to apply any other Remedies, it is extremely to be wished that those rentedies may be few, and withal, that they may be gentle and easy too: for they that are sick perish as often by too many remedies, as by none at all; but none fall so fatally and so finally, as they who, being entered into some degrees of convalescence, resolve to recover in an instant, and had rather make some great effort, or try some bold experiment upon themselves, than observe the methods, or attend those gradual progressions, which are necessary to perfect that health, and compleat that recovery. -I must not omit one instance more of his majesty's care for you; and that is, the great industry and application of mind which his maj. hath used all along, in hopes to have obtained by this time, if it had been possible, an honourable and a just peace.--A very few words will serve to give you the whole deduction of it, from the first original to this present moment. Much time was spent in agreeing the place of Treaty, wherein the Dutch were gratified in their desires, and the city of Cologne is accepted for the place. When his majesty's ambassadors arrived there, the very first meeting with those from the States General made it evident, that their plenipotentiaries came not with any intention to enter upon a serious Treaty, but only to draw the matter out into length, until their affairs might meet with a better and more pleasing conjuncture: for their very credentials or plenipotencies were so penned, that there were no less than four gross equivocations in the body of them; which was so manifest, and without all reply, that they were fain to send to their masters at the Hague, to get them amended.-But that which gave greatest offence of all, and was purposely done for that end, was the Preamble, wherein they take upon them to beg the question, to decide the justice of the cause, and to affirm such matters of fact, as they had reason to believe would never be admitted.-No arguments of our ambassadors, no instances of the mediators, though never so importunate, could prevail then, or yet can prevail, to have it altered. The Treaty should naturally have stopt here, but that his maj. was resolved to give a beginning to it, and (which was all that could be done) suffered his ambassadors to enter upon it with a protestation. Our demands are no sooner given in, but presently two of the Dutch ambassadors go away to the Hague on pretence to consult their masters, where they staid a full month, without any kind of Answer given, or exceptions taken to his majesty's demands, or any the least step made in this negotiation. When they came back, their Answer was a Remonstrance rather than an answer, and such a remonstrance as was fitter for a rupture than a treaty there was scarce one period in it which did not rather give occasion of new offence, than any satisfaction for what was passed. Their very conversation from that time forward wanted much of its former civility. They waited for the conclusion of a Treaty with Spain; wherein one Article was, That as soon as Spain had broke with France, they would presently break off the Treaty at Cologne. And now this Article is in effect performed; for two of their principal ambassadors are actually gone away from Cologne, as they long threatened they would do, leaving only two other for form sake, who in all probability either must not, or will not, conclude without their colleagues.—His majesty, notwithstanding, hath not suffered himself to be diverted from using all the ways and means that were possible, to facilitate a peace. To this end, he directed his ambassadors, from time to time, to moderate their demands in such particulars as were capable of it; and wholly relaxes some points which were of highest importance to the Dutch to gain, and very considerable abatements of his majesty's just satisfaction; a condescension well received and esteemed by the mediators, though it have not yet found any suitable reception from the Dutch ministers, or their superior lords.-By this time they began to hope that the subjects of England would grow weary of the war, and that they should be able to profit themselves very much by our impatience. To increase this as much as was possible, they prepare a Letter, which they send by a trumpeter, sitting the parliament, or very near it, and cause it to be given out that nothing more could be desired than they had offered.-His maj. quickly made that Letter, and his Answer to it, public; and for that time defeated the design of too; became him to send it back again, without offering to present it.-Nevertheless this Paper hath since stolen into the press, and is printed at the Hague as a Letter delivered, and hath been sent hither under covers to several meinbers of the house of commons, of that house of commons whom they libeled in the former war for their zeal, and now pretend to reverence for their deliberation; and all this in hopes you will not think them obstinate, who refuse to treat at the place of their own appointment, or to be well understood any where else.-How is it possible to understand these proceedings to be real, and with a true desire of peace? and if they should yet send during this session any new proposal (for who knows the designs of an enemy?), what form soever those overtures may be dressed in, we may justly suspect that their end is, if, they cannot divide us, at least to amuse us, and lessen our care in providing for the war. Perhaps it is more than an honourable war doth allow, to go about to raise sedition, though in the country of an enemy; but surely the artifice of appealing in a manner to the people, and making them the judges of peace and war, is a little too plain and open to take any effect here.-I have done with these few instances of his majesty's Care. Those of his Kindness are infinite; that which you have heard this morning is of a transcendent, and indeed a very surprising nature; it is an act of so entire a confidence on his majesty's part, that it can never be repaid by any other tribute on your part, but that of a true and humble affiance in him.-I must now proceed to put you in mind that there are some other things, which his maj. with great justice and great assurance doth expect from you again.-The first is, a speedy and a proportionable Supply; and this is of absolute necessity both for war and peace. His maj. is well assured, his fleet is in such a forwardness, that, if the Supply come in any reasonable time, you will find no time hath been lost in preparation; and it was no small matter to bring it to that pass, that we may be as forward as our enemies if we please, or very near it. If the Supply be at all delayed, it will have as ill effect almost as if it were denied; for we may chance to be found, like Archimedes, drawing lines in the dust, while the enemy is entering into our ports. And if the further progress of this fleet be stopt for want of your concurrence, make account all hopes of peace are stopt too; for, though the fruit of war be peace, yet it is such a fruit as we must not hope to gather without our arms in our hands. It is not the way to have a brave peace, to shew ourselves weary of the war. Who ever trusted to the good-nature of their enemies? It is a vigorous assistance of the crown, that must make not only your arms considerable, but your treaties too. On the other side, if the putting of yourselves into a good posture of war should produce a peace, as possibly it may do, yet you will have the best account of your Supply your hearts can this Paper Stratagem.-Their next recourse was, to such Proposals as they could procure the Spanish ambassador to deliver on their behalfs; wherein, besides the demands of Restitution of Prizes, which was wholly impracticable, there was a total omission of any regulation of trade in the Indies; no mention made of releasing his majesty's subjects at Surinam, where they remain in a state of bondage; no recompence offered in, or so much as leave asked for, the liberty of Fishing upon our coasts: and yet the Right of our sole Fishing is so clear, that we find in our ancient Rolls of Parliament, in the time of Rd. ii. a Tax laid upon all strangers who fish in our seas; and this not by way of custom when they come into our ports, but by way of Tribute for Fishing in our Seas; and this evidence of his majesty's Dominion within his own Seas hath been in all ages downward preserved in some measure, until the time of the late Usurper, who for private reasons first abandoned it.-As for that satisfaction in the Matter of the Flag which the Proposals mention, it is but reasonable to understand it in that sense wherein they sometimes used to express themselves at Cologne; that is, the thing shall be done, whole fleets shall strike their sails to single ships, and they shall do it out of his majesty's Seas but that of Right they ought so to do, will never be acknowledged. So they desire to change the ancient inheritance of the crown into a new purchase, and to turn that purchase into a matter of civility, which they may equally pay to all crowned heads, and equally resume, according to their good pleasure and occasions.-Now, though these Proposals have been backed with some kind of intimation of a war with Spain in case of a refusal; yet his majesty, who knows the Articles of Peace between himself and that king, and his own care to preserve them, who knows the usefulness of his alliance to that king, and the many good offices he hath been always ready to do for him, and withal considers the great wisdom and prudence of that council, and how carefully they use to deliberate before they come to great and important resolutions, will not easily believe it possible for that king to proceed to such extremities; the rather, because the Dutch themselves have since departed from those very Proposals which they procured the Spanish ambassador so earnestly to recommend; for they afterward sent the ambassador a Reply to his majesty's Answer to their Letter, wherein they abate much of what the ambassador had offered, and seek to reduce things to the state they were in at Breda. So that it is hard to know by what kind of Proposals they intend to be bound; but it is most reasonable to believe they intend those made by themselves, rather than those made for them. And yet this Reply, besides the disrespect it carried to Spain, whose Proposals it shrunk from, was so offensive to his inajesty, that the ambassador, like a wise and great minister, that is, like himself, thought it such a parliament to preserve it when it was restored. What may not the king now hope from you? what may not you assure yourselves from him? Can any thing be difficult to hearts so united, to interests so twisted and interwoven together, as the king's and yours are? Doubtless the king will surpass himself at this time, in endeavouring to procure the good of the kingdom. Do you but excel, yourselves too, in the continued evidences of your affections; and then the glory of reviving_this state will be entirely due to this session. Then they who wait for the languishing and the declination of the present government will be amazed to see so happy a crisis, so blest a revolution; and ages to come will find cause to celebrate your memories, as the truest physicians, the wisest counsellors, the noblest patriots, and the best session of the best parliament, that ever king or kingdom met with." wish; for his maj. is content it be appropriated there, better established than the most exalted to the building of more ships. Therefore, if sovereignty of those who tread upon the necks the discourse upon this subject be a little more of them that rise up against them. Since the pressing than ordinary, you may be sure the world stood, never any king had so great a occasion is so too.-There cannot be a higher cause to rest upon this security. They were gratification of your enemies, than to be back- your hearts that mourned in secret for the abward in this point. The very opinion they sence of the king. They were your hearts have that you would be so, hath already done and affections to the king, which tired out all us so much harm, that perhaps it is one great the late usurpations, by your invincible paticause of the continuance of the war. Had the ence and fortitude. It was you that taught enemy despaired of any division here, it is likely our English world to see and know, that no his proceedings had been more sincere, and our government could be settled here, but upon peace had not been so far off as now it seems to the true foundations of honour and allegiance. be.-There is one thing more the king hath This, this alone, made way for all the happy mentioned, and only mentioned to you; that is changes which have followed. And yet posthe consideration of the Goldsmiths, which in- terity will have cause to doubt, which was the volves so many persons and families, that the greater felicity of the two, that Providence concern is little less than national: it is an af-which restored the crown, or that which sent us fair the king lays very much to heart, and hopes a proper time will come when a favourable regard may be had of it.-My Lords and Gentlemen; The king doth not only assure himself of your affections to him at this time; but, from such affections so known and so tried as yours, he doth yet expect far greater things than these. He doth expect that you should do your endeavours to restore and improve the mutual confidence between him and his people, and that you should do it to such a degree, that it may recover its full strength, and quite extinguish all their Fears and Jealousies; for the king takes notice, that the malice of his enemies hath been very active, in sowing so many tares as are almost enough to spoil that harvest of love and duty which his maj. may justly expect to reap from the good seed which he himself had sown.-Among the many venomous insinuations which have been made use of, the Fears and Jealousies of Religion Address of both Houses for a Fast.] Notwithand Liberty are of the worst sort, and the most standing these Speeches, both houses soon madangerous impressions. Certainly malice was nifested their discontent at the continuance of never more busy than it hath been in these the War with Holland, at the exorbitant power reports, and it hath been assisted by a great of France, the prevalence of Popish Counsels, deal of invention. But it is to be hoped &c. which they took care to signify, by joining that no man's judgment or affections will be in an Address to his majesty for a General Fast, either misled or disturbed by such reports: using these very words: "We your majesty's for calumnies and slanders of this nature are most loyal and obedient subjects, &c. being like comets in the air; they may seem per- passionately sensible of the calamitous conhaps, especially to the fearful, to be ill prog-dition of this kingdom, not only by reason of nostics, and the direst forerunners of mischief; the war wherein it is at present involved, but but in themselves they are vain apparitions, many other intestine differences and divisions and have no kind of solidity, no permanence amongst us, which are chiefly occasioned by the or duration at all; for after a little while, the undermining contrivances of Popish Recusants, vapour spends itself, and then the base exha- whose numbers and insolencies are greatly of lation quickly falls back again into that earth late increased, and whose restless practices from whence it came.-Religion and Liberty threaten a subversion both of Church and stand secured by the most sacred ties that State; all which our sins have justly deserved; are; nay, the king hath a greater interest in and being now assembled in parliament as the the preservation of both than you yourselves; great council of this your kingdom to consult for, as Religion, the Protestant religion, com- on such means as we shall think fittest to mands your indispensable obedience, so it is a redress the present evils, wherewith we are just and lawful Liberty which sweetens that surrounded; we do, in the first place, humbly command, and endears it to you. Let other beseech your majesty, that, by your special princes therefore glory in the most resigned command, one or more days be solemnly set obedience of their vassals. His maj. values apart, wherein both ourselves and this your himself upon the hearts and affections of his kingdom may, by Fasting and Prayer, seek a people, and thinks his throne, when seated reconciliation at the hands of Almighty God; |