THe common feares & difficulties which perplex most confi­dent Orators, spea­king before Princes, would more con­found my distrust­ful spirit speaking to your high Maiestie (most mighty King & our dreade soue­raigne Lord) did I not know that the message which I bring is to a good [Page] King alwayes gratefull. Curiosity of wit and and affected straines of Oratory I leaue to those, who more delight to tickle the Princes eare, then satisfie his deeper iudge­ment.

To me (most gracious Soueraigne) your Maiesties mea­nest subiect, vouchsafe your milde and Princely attention, whiles in the names of these graue Maiestrates (your Maiesties faithfull Sheriffes of London and Middle SeX) I offer to your benigne grace that loyall and harty welcome, which from that Honorable and ancient Cittie (the heart of this kingdome) is brought by them, whose deepe and inward griefe, conceaued for the losse of our Peerelesse and renouned Queene Elizabeth, is turned in­to excessiue ioy, for the approach of your excellent Ma­iesty, by whom the long and blessed peace of fiue and forty yeeres is made perpetuall. Great is thac'knowledgement we owe to the memory of our late Princes gouernement, whose far spread fame, as it shall liue recōmended to poste­rity for euer, so of her flourishing raigne no other testimony neede be required, then that of your high Maiestie (since none can be more honourable) that the like hath not beene read or heard of in our dayes, or since the raigne of great Augustus: So that, euen glorious and victorious Kings haue iust cause, to enuy the glory and virtue of a woman. But she is gathered in peace to her fathers, a memorable instance of your Maiesties diuine obseruation, that Prin­ces differ not in stuffe, but in vse from common men.

Out of the Ashes of this Phenix wert thou King [Page] Iames borne for our good, the bright starre of the North, to which all true adamantine harts had long before tur­ned themselues. Whose fame (like a new Sunne rysing) dispersed those cloudes of feare, which either our politicke friendes, or open enimies, or the vnnaturall factors for the fift Monarchy, had giuen vs some cause to apprehend: yea our nobility, Councellors, and Commons (whose wise­dome and fidellity is therefore renouned as farre as this Iland is spoken of) with a generall zeale poasted to your Maiesties subiection: not more incited heere vnto by the right of your Maiesties discent & royall bloud, drawen to this faire inheritāce from the loynes of our ancient Kings; then enflamed with the fame of your Princely and emi­nent virtues, wherewith (as a rich Cabinet with precious iewels) your Kingly minde is furnished, if constant fame haue deliuered vs a true inuentory of your rare qualities. A King whose youth needes no excuse, and whose affecti­ons are subdued to his reason: A King which not onely does iustice, (which euen Tyrants doe some times) but loues iustice; which habit none but vertuous Princes can put on. Who (immitating the free bounty of the King of Kings) inuites all distressed people to come vnto him, not permitting Gehaezie to take talents of siluer, nor change of garments.

In some Princes (my Soueraigne Lord) it is inough that they be not euill, but from your Maiesty wee looke for an admirable goodnesse, and particular redresse, so strange an expectation (forerunning your Maiesties comming) hath [Page] inuested the mindes, of good men with comfort, of bad with feare.

And see how bounteous heauen hath assined foure king­domes, as proper subiects for your Maiesties foure Kingly vertues. Scotland hath tried your prudence, in reducing those things to order in the Church and Common-wealth, which the tumultuous times of your Maiesties infancie had there put out of square. Ireland shall require your iustice, which the miseries (I dare not say the pollicies) of ciuil wars haue there defaced. France shall prooue your fortitude, when necessary reason of state shall bend your Maiesties Counselles to that enterprize. But let England be the schoole, wherein your Maiesty will practize your tempe­rance and moderation: for here flattery will essay to vnder­mine, or force your Maiesties strongest constancie and inte­grity: base assentation the bane of virtuous Princes, which (like Lazarus dogs) licks euen the Princes soares, a vice made so familiar to this age by long vse, that euen Pul­pits are not free from that kinde of treason? A treason I may iustly call it most capitall, to poyson the fountaine of wisedome and iustice, whereat so many kingdomes must be refreshed,

Nor can I be iustly blamed, to lay open to a most skil­full and faithfull Phisition our true griefes, nay it shall bee the comfort of mine age, to haue spokē the truth to my Lord the King, and with a hart as true to your Maiestie as your owne, to make knowne to an vncorrupted King, the hopes and desires of his best subiects.

[Page]Who (as if your Maiestie were sent downe from Heauen to reduce the golden age) haue now assured themselues, that this Iland (by strange working and reuolution now vnited to your Maiesties obedience) shall neuer feare the mischiefes and misgouernments, which other countries and other times haue felt.

Oppression shall not be here the badge of authoritie, nor insolence the marke of greatnesse. The people shall euery one sit vnder his owne Oliue tree, and anoynt himselfe with the fat thereof, his face not grinded with extorted sutes, nor his marrow suckt with most odious and vniust Mono­polies. Vnconcionable Lawiers, and greedie officers, shall no longer spinne out the poore mans cause in length to his vndoing, and the delay of iustice. No more shall bribes blinde the eyes of the wise, nor gold be reputed the common measure of mens worthinesse: Adulterate gold, which can guild a rotten post, make Balam a Byshoppe, and Isachar as worthy of a iudiciall chaire as Solomon, where he may wickedly sell that iustice, which he corruptly bought. The money changers and sellers of Doues, (I meane those which trafique the liuings of simple and religious pastors) shall your Maiestie whip out of the Temple and common wealth: For no more shall Church liuings be pared to the quicke, forcing ambicious Church-men (pertakers of this Sacri­ledge) to enter in at the window by simonie and corruption, which they must afterwards repaire with vsurie, and make vpp with pluralities.

The Ports and Hauens of these kingdomes which haue [Page] long beene barrd, shall now open the mouthes of there ri­uers, and the armes of there seas, to the gentle amity and iust trafficke of all nations, washing away our re­proach of vniuersall pirats, and sea-wolues, and deryuing (by the exchange of home-bred commodities with for­raigne) into the vaines of this land, that wholesome blood and well gotte treasure, which shall strengthen the sin­news of your Maiesties kingdomes. The neglected (and almost worne out) nobility shall now (as bright Dyamonds and burning Carbunckles) adorne your Kingly Diadem. The too much contemned Clergy, shall hang as a precious earing at your Princly eare, your Maiesty still lystning to their holy Councels. The wearied Commons shall be worne as a rich ring on your royall finger, which your Maiesty with a watchfull eye will still gratiously looke vpon. For we haue now a King that will heare with his owne eares, see with his own eyes, and be euer iealous of any great trust, which (being afterwardes become necessary) may be abused to an vnlymmitted power.

O my gracious Leige, let neuer any wrye Councels dy­uert or puddle the fayre streame of your naturall good­nesse. Let wicked vsurpers seeke lewd arts, to mayntaine their lewd purchases: To your Maiesty (called to this Empyre by the consent of God and men, and now King of so many faithfull harts) plaine and dyrect vertue is the sa­fest pollicy, and loue to them, who haue shewne such loyal­ty to you, is a wall of brasse.

They meane to sell the King to his subiects at their owne [Page] price, and abuse th'authority of his maiesty to their priuate gayne, & greatnes, who perswade him, that to shut himselfe vp from the accesse of his people, is the meanes to augment his state.

Let me not seeme tedious to your Maiesty (my gracious Soueraigne) nor yet presumptuous, for I counsell not. But whiles your Maiesty hath bin (perchance) wearied with the complaints and insinnuations of perticulars, for pryuate respects; let it be lawfull (my leige) for a hart free from feare or hope, to shew your Maiestie the agues which keepe lowe this great body, whereof your Maiesty is the sound-head.

Nor are we fed with hopes of redresse by immagination (as hungry men with a painted banquet) but by assurance of certaine knowledge, drawne out of the obseruation of your Maiesties forepast actions, and some bookes now fresh in euery mans hands, beeing (to vse your Maiesties owne wordes) the Viue ideas or representations of the minde. Whose excellent wholesome rules your Maiesty will neuer transgresse, hauing bound your Princely sonne by such heauy penalties, to obserue them after you, nor dooth a­ny wiseman wish, or good man desire, that your Maie­sty should followe other Counselles or examples then your owne, by which your Maiestye is soe neerelye bound.

To conclude therefore, what great cause haue we to wel­come to the territories of our Cittie your most excellent Ma­iestie, who (to make vs the glorious and happie head of this [Page] Iland) haue by your fyrst entrance brought vs th'addition of another kingdome, which warre could neuer subdue. So your Maiesties vpright gouernment, shall make vs partakers of that felicitie, which diuine Plato did onely apprehend but neuer see, (whose king is a Philosopher a Philoso­pher beeing our King) Receiue then (most gracious Soue­raigne) that loyall welcome, which our Cittie sendeth out to meete your Maiestie; our Cittie which for the long tryall of her loyaltie, obedience, and faithfull readinesse in all oc­casions, your maiesties royall progenitors haue honoured with the title of their Chamber: whose faythfull Citizens, with true and well approued harts, humbly lay at your roy­all feete their goods and liues, which they will sacrifice for your maiesties seruice and defence, with longing eyes, desi­ring to receiue your Maiestie within their walles, whom they haue long since lodged in their harts: praying to heauē that your Maiesties person may be free frō practize, your soule safe from flaterie, your life extended to the possibilitie of nature: and that if not your naturall life, yet your royall line may haue one period with tbe world, your princely ofspring sit­ting vpon the throne of their fathers for euermore. And we your Maiesties faythfull seruants, humbly surrendring into your Maiesties hands that authority, which we holde from you, wishing from our harts that all plagues may pursue his pos­terity, that but conspires your Maisties daunger.