❧ His Maiesties Speech: With M
r. SPEAKERS Speech, to both Houses of Parliament; At the passing of the Bill for
Tonnage and
Poundage: Being an Answer to M
r. SPEAKERS Speech at the presenting thereof, 22. June 1641.
THat policy, most gracious and dread Soveraigne, which weighs the Prerogative of the King and property of the Subject in the same Scales, and increases the plenty of the Crowne and government of the people; the even poysing of this Beame enables both, the one being ordained for the preservation of the other.
This principle is so riveted into the hearts of your Subjects by the acts of their Ancestors, and traditions of their fore-fathers, that it hath created a beliefe in them, that their wills are bound to a due allegiance, and their fortunes and estates, as well as their duty and subjection, must bend to the commands of that Soveraigne power with which God hath invested your sacred Majesty.
Compulsary obedience, advanced by the transcendent power of Prerogative, is too weake to support the right of government: It is the affections and estates of your people, tyed with the threads of obedience, by the rules of Law, that fastens safety and prosperity to the Crowne.
The experiment of elder times, in the raignes of the most valiant puissant Princes, hath concluded this the soveraigne preservative against the diseases of distraction and confusion, and makes it manifest to the world, that the honour and glory of this Throne is to command the hearts of free-men.
This admitted, the permission of the least diminution, or any eclypsed interposition betweene the honour and plenty of the Crowne, contracts a scorne upon the Nation.
Severall Parliaments in former times have stampt the Caracter of a free gift upon the fore-front of this ayd, still offered by the people as a sacrifice of thankesgiving to the Crowne, for the safe conduct of your Merchants, and provision of the Navie, to strengthen your undoubted Dominion over the seas, which hath protected your Allyes, and is a terrour to your Enemies.
Our hopes were long since to have settled this for the measure and the time, and with this to have presented to your sacred Majesty the triumphant palme of Tranquillity in all your Kingdomes: But, as a ship floating upon a rough sea, wee have beene cast upon the rocke of feare and dangers, and tossed on the billowes of distraction and distrust of Church and Common-wealth, where we yet remaine hopelesse ever to passe through that narrow channell which leads to the Haven of peace, unlesse we be speedily steered on by the hand of your sacred wisedome, care and providence.
In the midst of all these troubles, and the severall opinions which have beene amongst us, no division had power to distract any one of us from the care and duty wee owe to your sacred person.
And, to that end am I now sent by the Commons of England, to present this as a Marke onely, whereby your sacred Majesty may view the inward duties of our hearts, untill time and opportunity will give leave for a further expression of our duties and affections. The acceptation of this gift will glad the hearts of your people, and the approbation by the royall assent of this Bill (being the largest for the measure which was ever given) will joyne wings to our desires and hopes, which shall never returne without that Olive-leafe, which may declare that the waters are abated, and your sacred Majesty may have full assurance of the faith and loyalty of your subjects.
His Majesties SPEECH.
I Doe very willingly accept your offer made at this time, as a testimony of your love, and beginning of your dutifull affections unto mee; And I no way doubt, but that you will performe that which you have intimated unto me, and that in due time you will performe the rest, when you have leisure.
I doe not doubt likewise, but that in passing this Bill you will see a testimony of the trust and confidence I have in your affections, as also that I omit no occasion whereby I may shew that affection to my people, that I desire my people would shew to me, as in this Parliament hitherto no body can say but that I have sought occasions both to shew my affections unto them, and to remove disputes.
And therefore in this particular Bill I hope you will know that I do freely and frankly give over the right which my Predecessours have ever challenged unto them (though I confesse disputed, but yet they did never yeeld in their times;) Therefore you will understand this but a marke of my confidence to put my selfe wholly upon the love and affection of my people for my subsistence; And therefore I hope that in prosecution of this, you will go on as you have said, and that, though you have rumors of jealousies and suspitions, by flying and idle discourses, that have come to my eares, concerning the ordinary way, I confesse I never understood otherwise then as having relation to the Scotish army, and preventing insurrection; which vanished as soone as they were borne.
And therefore now you see my clearnesse, I will leave that to you, and will not meddle with it one way or other, for I never had other designe but to win the affections of my people by my Justice in my Government.