Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A44288
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An honest commoner's speech
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Honest commoner.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing H2580; ESTC R6146
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10,142
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9
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Services who for one half of the Revenue that is now paid would bless themselves and you Nor should our Council or Cabinet be without a Seaman a Souldier a Merchant a Civilian a Common Lawyer and some Countrey Gentlemen and such as have served long and well in Embassies abroad which comprehends both Domestick and Foreign Civil and Military Affairs Remember that prudent and instructing Remarque of Sir William Temple in his Account of Holland That though the People in general were not as quick and witty as their Neighbours yet their Government was generally wiser because the wisest of the People governed they choose and prefer the ablest which for other Respects were advanced in Neighbouring Governments Would you be great or safe Add to what we have said the perusal of the Establishment by Land and Sea in the Rump's Time observe by what Conduct so few and most of them but of the middle sort of Men became the Admiration and Terror of the World Send for H. that was Treasurer of the Navy and B. and D. that were Treasurers for the Army in England Scotland and Ireland honest and able Men and alive and you will see that our yearly Charge exceeds both that of the Civil War and War with Holland too when England and Scotland had Armies to be paid as well as Ireland I say observe Proportion and judge whatever is wanting to ballance your greater Expences is due to their better Conduct Be not offended with me but imitate and mend the time invites us and our Station obliges us to it and the Solemn League and Covenant I mean the King's Declaration that Association for the Change Shall it be waste Paper under it God forbid call for it Settle and Rule by it to be sure it is the Original Contract of our new Government And unpardonable are they that after all our Blood and Treasure spilt and spent and we know not where they will stop shall out of Fear or Flattery lose the Advantages promis'd for want of asking and pressing the Performance I must put you in mind of one of them before we part and that was Sending back the Foreign Troops if you please And wont you please since Ireland is reduced It is hoped you will and disband our English ones too What else are we the easier for Ireland's being reduced Which we all suspected was prolonged on purpose to have a pretence for Money And will you continue the Charge even now when they have not that pretence Better Things are expected from you I beg your Patience a little longer we are an Island A Navy is an English standing Army Add 10 or 20 Sail of Ships if you please to the Establishment but no more standing Armies now I beseech you Conquering of France which some hot Heads Dream of is not our Business if it were in our Power and therefore must be the passion of Fools and hope of Women It was never attempted but by Ed 3. and Hâ—n 5. Princes of great Minds and Sufficiency but they rather shew'd France and the World what they could do than what they could keep and made the Experiment at the Expence of that Blood and Treasure that we were the worse for our Glory even while we could maintain it But that failed us also at length and we ever lost all back again with more Dishonour than we got it with Reputation We had need have the Spanish Mines or the Philosopher's Stone and a Race of Black Princes and such Edwards and Henrys to effect and support such an Enterprise France is Three times as big as England and Populous and Rich in Proportion the Revenue of the Crown is one Third of the yearly Income of the whole the Clergy have another Third and the Laity the other Third of all which the New Converts make not the Five hundredth Part as they are not in Number the Two hundredth Man Now if the French King hath more than the Revenue of all England to carry on his War and a Clergy so Rich and whom he has so much obliged to help him and that will not let him want for so good a Cause as they count this in favour of King James that is an Exile for his and their Religion besides what his People can furnish zealous enough in their way and very Bigots to him to which vast Treasure add his incomparable Conduct in Judgment Secrecy and Dispatch suiting Men to Things and both to Time and Place with the Successes we see have followed him every where as if he had Fortune in his Power It shews him to be a Match for all his Enemies and that they must think of being Defensive in their turn as well as he and truly If be beats us when he fights and fights but when he pleases he will beat us at last and whatever we may fancy France is Thrice more to us now in Proportion than what it was which we do not or will not see because old Reckonings and present Heats cosen us We are encreased in Trade and Shipping so are they in Proportion in Naval Affairs in Revenue of the Crown in Command and Discipline they are Proportionably Five to One to what they were in Ed. 3. and Hen. 5. Time It 's true we might at first with great Charge have landed upon them and made some Confusion among them as we might have reduc'd Ireland and saved all this Blood and Treasure but private Respects tools place However that attempt upon France would have been too hazardous for wise Men to make for besides the Repulse that might have followed our Navy might have been Wind bound Provisions thereby wanted and the Charge of an Army and Navy at first would have come too fast and been too much for the People to have understood and if it had not succeeded to our mighty Hopes it would have been a dangerous Slur upon the King from whom some expected not so much as they have seen and others a great deal more Laying aside the Vanity of Conquests abroad it will become us to have a care of them at home that while we think of nothing less than Freeing or Possessing other Countreys we may not Insensibly lose or enslave our own We have land enough and a free Government if we might injoy it Our part is little more than Defensive scower the Coast and you secure the Island and the Trade which is the Life of it But if after Fifteen Millions of Mony already paid in Three years which by the way has not been known since the Norman Dukes which is now above 600 years agoe you will give more without setling the Constitution and changeing Hands and thereby purging the Administration We are an undone as well as a ridiculous People The Army the King asks is for the Continent and not an Island And what have we to do there Is not our Quota enough Are any but the Dutch concerned in the Charge at Sea And of that do we not bear a double Share Besides Have any of the Confederacy assisted us in the reducing of Ireland Let us observe Proportion But that which is both our surprise and trouble is to find that his Majesty tells us of Arrears after all that has been given when it is made plain to us that though we did the last year Proportion our Supplies to 70000 Men there never were 50 of them in pay Pray let that Overplus be applied to the Arrears or those that received it obliged to refund to the Publick We do not see to the end of our Charges and cannot be too good Husbands for the People that pay it who though they are and will be very reasonable have often proved they are not made for Burthen I will say no more to Persons of your Talents nor had I said so much but to Men of your Stations FINIS
It is beyond Example and it seems it is above Punishment and he is used and looks and acts as if he were Meritorious Shall an House of Commons endure this and in a Government under the fair Character of a Reformation As if we were reconci'ed to the Ministry and Measures that were the Cause of making this bold-Turn This gives me all the Impressions of Grief and Pity that with the Dog we should return to our Vomit and like Swine feed upon Excrements We offer our Enemies the greatest Advantages while we let them see we can thus contradict and give our selves the lye and change our Minds of Men that are not changed and can do any Thing to serve a turn which makes the whole look Insincere and a Trick and if it were not Impious to be sure it were Unwise to do so These are the Motives that press me and which make me so free and earnest with you to value this last opportunity to all the Advantages the great Wisdom of this House may draw thence by a full Improvement of it Let no respects divert you as you will answer it to God and Man I must be plain it is a Bargain you must make for your All make it sure the omission seems to render it irretrievable Let not ill Men and Management cover it self under big Words against France You know who cries stop Thief Names should not cosen you out of this happy Juncture nor your Conduct shew you will be ever Prodigal of the Providences that would save you Take the King's Advice apply it wisely and quickly he has been abroad and has the Advantage of the Confederates Intelligence as well as his own which we have Reason to believe is very Good and upon the whole Matter tells us as the last and most important Motive to us That we have but this opportunity Be ready therefore with your Money but be ready with your Rights too and as wise Parliaments have ever done let them have the Preference I don't bid you ask why Ireland was not sooner reduced why we had not above half as many Men as we have paid for why Supplies were so long a going and so many unnecessary Ships for Tenders were chargeably continued nor how much we are in Debt after the many Millions we have given besides those the constant Revenue has yielded some say in all above Fifteen no I will not be so ill natured or unreasonable not a word of mine shall look towards Faction or Disaffiction but leave all this till last if we Prosper it will be time enough I would not hinder Supplies by no means only get into Possession of your antient Rights your so much needed and essential Rights and if it should please God the King should fail of his Hopes or fall by his Enemies you are in Possession you have Ground to stand on worth defending and that will secure you for that it self will engage and unite all Interests because their own is involved we must not depend upon his Personal Success but our own Constitutions every one will stand up heartily for that which is his Convince the Kingdom they are the better for the Change or their heat will soon cool in supporting it let them see their Legislation and Administration are secure the first by annual Parliaments without any Evasion and by free and genuine Elections which cannot be without the Sheriffs are chosen by the County Courts as the Coroners are and that the Fines on them for false returns and those that sit upon them be very heavy and appropriated out of the reach of the Crown to remit which will secure our Legislation let Ministers be impeachable and the Parliament sit till the Person accused be tried and acquitted or punished and all such Criminals be unpardonable and irreprievable but at their Request Provided always That if any Minister be named as Culpable by any Person in Parliament he shall be obliged to make it good or at least be dismiss'd the House and made uncapable of any Employment in the Government and regulate Tryals as to the liberty of the Prisoner the number and qualification of the Witnesses as well as Juries after the manner of that Bill which is depending and hereby our Administration will be in a good degree secured also I do further propose That during this War a Committee of Lords and Commons be the Cabinet and that they have the inspection of Navy Army and Treasury and the recommending of all Officers employed in either Capacity the Juncture calls for it Were the King an Angel he is not Omnipresent no more than Omnipotent and if he wants your Power he needs your Presence Judgement and Direction a Common-wealth requires a Dictator but a Monarchy the People in Parliament upon great Emergencies Remember he is a K. of your making and he should be one of your influencing if not Ruling and Over-ruling in such Exigencies as ours Favour or Connivance in Government is for easie and not difficult Times Judge well and Act vigorously but Act so as to save your Selves your Countrey I mean whether this or the other K. prevail for be assured if we are in Possession of our Rights we are safe against this King's Victory and King James's Return that neither shall hurt us else you will find your selves exposed to the ill Consequence that may follow one or t'other Have a care of after Games especially now when you are told you have but one opportunity for all I cannot but urge that in your Ears that you heard last from his Mouth as the most pressing Motive to his Supply All good Men are in pain for you and particularly what part you act in this Affair and the success it may have to the Felicity of the whole God Almighty direct us for all is at stake while both our Legislation and Administration are unsettled and all will be safe to us if we are secure at home for it is feared and justly I think that as our Saviour said Our greatest Enemies are of our own House our own Family Men in Office and in Government let King James's Fate be your Admonition trust your selves and others shall not betray you employ Men of Principles of Skill and Sobriety For your Fleet you will find them better at Ratcliff-high-way than at Lockâ—â—s and the Blue-posts For the Army mix with some that you have honest Countrey Gentlemen and Citizens that are both sober and hearty And in every Commission see that you have only such Persons as were bred up in the Business of those Commissions they serve in as in the Customs Merchants in the Excise those that have been Brewers and have given it over in the Admiralty Navy and Victualling Offices Ancient Seamen that have had good Commands and known the providing of Stores for their own Ships for whom these Employments should be referved as honourable Retreats and the Rewards of the Government to the aged and experienced for their former good