I am fure I venture more than five hundred of them; and the most I can look for, is to "fcape Undoing; what between being a Traitor, and being a Malignant, we have but a narrow Way to walk in: We hear every bafe Fellow fay in the Street, as we pafs by in our Coaches, that they hope to fee us a Foot fhortly, and to be as good Men as the Lords; and I think they will be as good as their Words, if we take this Courfe.

They fay they will have no Peace without Truth: Death! Have we no Truth? Have we lived all this while in Ignorance? I think our Fathers were as wife Men as they. Had we no Truth in Queen Elizabeth's time? Have not all our famous, learned Divines been able to teach us Truth, but muft we learn it only out of Tubs?

My Lords, I am no Scholar, but I underftand Men, and I had rather continue Ignorant ftill, than enjoy the Truth thefe Men would have: I have ferved the King's Father, and Himself, and though I have been fo unhappy to fall into his Difpleafure, no Body fhall perfwade me to turn Traitor, I have too much to lofe.

I am a true Proteftant, and I love the King and Kingdom, and I am fure War is good for neither of them. I would every Bodies Faults were forgiven them, and I think we fhould all then take heed how we committed new.

Good

Good my Lords, let us have Peace; and if thefe Men will not confent to it, let us think of some other Way to get it.

A Speech of Bulftrode Whitlock, Efq; Spoken in the House of Commons, in 1642. for an Accommodation with the King.

Mr. Speaker,

T

HE Question which was laft propounded, about raifing of Forces, naming a General and Officers of an Army, hath been very rare before this Time in this Affembly; and it seems to me to fet us at the Pit's Brink, ready to plunge our felves into an Ocean of Troubles and Miseries, and if it could be, into more than a Civil War brings with it. Give me leave, Sir, to confider this unhappy, Subject in the Beginning, Progrefs and Iffue of it.

CESAR tells us, (and he knew as much of Civil War as any Man before him) That it cannot be begun, fine malis artibus. Surely, Sir, Our Enemies of the Popish Church have left no evil Arts uneffay'd to bring us to our present Pofture, and will yet leave none unattempted to make our Breaches wider, well knowing that nothing will more advance their Empire than our Divifions.

Our

Our Mifery, (whom they count Hereticks) is their Joy, and our Diftractions will be their Glory; and all evil Arts and Ways to bring Calamities upon us, they will efteem Meritorious.

But, Sir, I look upon another Beginning of our Civil War. God blessed us with a long and flourishing Peace, and we turned his Grace into Wantonnefs, and Peace would not fatisfie us without Luxury, nor our Plenty without Debauchery: Inftead of Sobriety and Thankfulness for our Mercies, we provoked the Giver of them by our Sins and Wickednefs, to punish us (as we may fear) by a Civil War, to make us Executioners of Divine Vengeance upon our felves.

It is ftrange to note, how we have infenfibly flid into this Beginning of a Civil War, by one unexpected Accident after another, as Waves of the Sea, which have brought us thus far: Aud we fcarce know how, but from Paper-Combats, by Declarations, Remonftrances, Proteftations, Votes, Meffages, Anfwers, and Replies. We are now come to the Questions, of raifing Forces, and naming a General and Officers of an Army.

*

But what, Sir, may be thre Progress hereof? The Poet tells you,

Fufq; datum fceleri canimus, populumq; po

tentem

In fua victrici Converfum vifcera dextra.

We

We must furrender our Laws, Liberties, Properties and Lives, into the Hands of infolent Mercenaries, whofe Rage and Vio lence will command us, and all we have, and Reason, Honour and Juftice will leave our Land; the Ignoble will rule the Noble, and Bafenefs will be preferred before Virtue, Prophaneness before Piety.

Of a potent People, we fhall make our felves weak, and be the Inftruments of our own Ruine, perditio tua ex te, will be faid of us; We fhall burn our own Houses, lay wafte our own Fields, pillage our own Goods, open our own Veins, and eat out our Own Bowels. You will hear other Sounds, befides thofe of Drums and Trumpets, the clattering of Armour, the roaring of Guns, the Groans of wounded and dying Men, the Shrieks of defloured Women, the Cries of Widows and Orphans, and all on your Account, which makes it the more to be lamented.

Pardon, Sir, the Warmth of my Expreffion on this Argument; it is to prevent a Flame, which I fee kindled in the midft of us, that may confume us to Afhes. The fum of the Progrefs of a Civil War, is the Rage Fire and Sword, and (which is worfe) of brutish Men: What the Iffue of it will be, no Man can tell, probably fome of us now here may live to fee the End. It has been faid, He that draws his Sword against his X Prince,

Prince, muft throw away his Scabbard : Those differences are scarce to be reconciled; these Commotions are like the deep Seas, being once ftirred, are not foon appeafed. I wifh the Obfervation of the Duke of Rohan, in his Interest of Christendom, may prove a Caution, not a Prophefie. He faith of England, That it is a great Creature, which cannot be destroy'd but by its own Hand. And there is not a more likely Hand, than that of Civil War to do it. The Iffue of all War is like a Caft at Dice, none can tell upon what Square the Alea Belli will light. The best Iffue that can be expected of a Civil War, is, Victor flet, Victus perit; which of these will be our Portion is uncertain, and the Choice would be avoided.

Yet, Sir, when I fay this, I am not for a tame Refignation of our Religion, Lives and Liberties, into the Hands of our Adverfaries, who seek to devour us. Nor do I think it inconfiftent with your great Wisdom, to prepare for a juft and neceffary Defence of them. It was truly obferved by a noble Gentleman, That if our Enemies find us provided to refift their Attempts upon us, it will be the likelieft way to bring them to an Accord with us. And upon this Ground, I am for the Queftion. But I humbly move you to confider, Whether it be not yet too foon to come to it. We have tried by Propofals of Peace to his Majefty, and they have been reject