ftill in fuch neceflity, after fuch unexampled Charges laid upon the Subjects for his Supplies. It is true, Mr. Speaker, that tho' I have neither Offices to keep, nor Offices to fell, His Majesty's Gifts to me have been great, in proportion to my Merits, which is none: For in ferving and fuffering for him with faithfulnefs, I did but my Duty, which carries a Reward with itself, enough to raise a Comfort to me, from the very ruine of my Fortune. It is also true, I have had the satisfaction from His Majefty, that he never refus'd me any thing I afk'd him for myself. But I hope I fhall make it appear alfo, that I have not only been a very modeft afker, but also a most careful one, to ask nothing confiderable, but what carried advantage with it, as well to His Majesty's Interest as my own. I know well, Mr. Speaker, that with so kind and fo generous a Nature as our King's is, an ill proportion of Bounty to Merit, and confequently the largenefs and kindness of his Royal Heart that way, may have contributed much to the present Streights he is in. Happy is the Nation that hath nothing to fear for the Publick, but from the Virtues of their Prince. It is your proper Work, Gentlemen, to reduce the effects of them to a right Temperament, by your prudent Inspection; and may you begin it with all my Concernments, which I moft readily lay at your Feet, humbly begging of you to appoint a time, when I may difplay

them

them all faithfully before you; in hopes that no Man, who hath been a Partaker of His Majefty's Bounty, will prove himself fo unworthy of it, as not to follow the Example. Mr. Speaker, If having thus poured out my Soul before you, I have been fo happy as to have begot in this Honourable Houfe a right perfwafion of the fincerity of my Heart, I expect and implore two gracious effects of it. The firft, that you will be pleafed to grant me your Pardon, if the fame Zeal for His Majefty's Service, and the good of my Country, which made me prefume (being no Counfellor) to prefs upon His Majefty my Opinion in Matters of fuch importance, has tranfported me alfo, at this time, in fome fort, fo as to become your Adviser. You have heard, Gentlemen, of the Dumb Man, whofe Tongue was fet free by the imminent danger of his Father's Life; wonder not then, Gentlemen, that fuch a Lover of his King and Country as I am, having feen them, within these three Years in a profpect of fuch Glory and Happinefs, both at Home and Abroad, and finding to what a fad condition things are now reduced, (by what means it's more proper for you to enquire, and may Heaven blefs your Inspection) wonder not, I fay, Gentlemen, that a Man fo affected as I am, fhould by fome eruptions of Heart, let you fee, that periculum patrie ought to have a more powerful effect upon a Man of publick Soul, than periculum

patris,

patris, and is capable, if I were a Mute, to make me become a Counfellor. The next is, Mr. Speaker, that if (as I said before) I have been fo happy in what I have express'd, as to have rais'd in you fome more favourable Thoughts concerning me, you would vouchfafe me fome demonftration of it, whereby I may no more be made, by my Enemies, fuch a Bugbear as I am: As if a gracious Look of His Majefty upon me, were enough to ruine all his Affairs with you. I fhall then continue the way I am in with Comfort; but if I be fo unfortunate, as that there ftill remains in this Incomparable Reprefentative of my Country, any umbrage of danger to it by my accefs to His Majefty, as dear as the Converfation of the amiableft Prince that ever breath'd is to me, I thall banith myself for ever from his fight, into the obfcureft part of his Dominions, rather than continue upon me the jea Ionfy of thofe on whom his Profperity depends; or if this be not enough, I shall once more try my Fortune abroad, where, I truft, this Sword, this Head, and this Heart fhall make me live as heretofore, in fpight of my Eneroics, with Luftre to my Self and fome Honour to my Nation.

;

A Speech of King Charles II. to his Parliament in 1665, about War with the Dutch.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Am confident you all believe, that if it had not been abfolutely neceffary to confult with you, I would not have called you together at this time, when the Contagion hath fo fpread itself over fo many Parts of the Kingdom. I take it for a good Omen to fee fo good an Appearance this Day, and I doubt not every Day will add to your number; and

I give you all my Thanks for your Compli

ance fo far with my Defires.

The truth is, as I entred upon this War by your Advice and Encouragement, fo I do de fire that you may as frequently as is poffible, receive Information of the Conduct and Ef fects of it; and that I may have the Continuance of your chearful Supply for the carrying it on. I will not deny to you, that it hath proved more chargable than I could imagine it would have been: The addition they ftill made to their Fleets, beyond their firft purpose, made it unavoidably neceffary for me to make proportionable Preparations, which God hath hitherto blefs'd with Succefs in all Encounters. And as the Enemy have used their Cc. utmoft

utmost Endeavours, by Calumnies and False Suggestions, to make themselves Friends, and to perfwade others to affift them against us; fo I have not been wanting to encourage those Princes who have been wronged by the Dutch, to recover their own by Force; and in order thereunto have affifted the Bishop of Munster, with a very great Sum of ready Money, and am to continue a Supply to him, who is now in the Bowels of their Country with a Powerful Army.

Thefe Iffues, which I may tell you, have been made with very good Conduct and Hufbandry, (nor indeed do I know that any thing hath been fpent that could have been well and fafely faved,) I fay, this Expence will not fuffer you to wonder, that the great Supply which you gave me for this War, in fo bountiful a Proportion, is upon the Matter already fpent: So that I must not only expect an Afliftance from you to carry on this War, but fuch an Affiftance as may enable me to defend myself and you against a more Powerful Neighbour, if he fhall prefer the Friendship of the Dutch before mine.

I told you, when I entred upon this War, that I had not fuch a Brutal Appetite as to make War for War fake, I am ftill of the fame Mind: I have been ready to receive any Propofitions that France hath thought fit to offer to that End; but hitherto nothing hach been offered worthy my Acceptance; nor is

the