Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	ireland_n	king_n	lord_n	18,305	5	4.0686	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65914	The speech of Bulstrode Whitelocke esquire to the right honourable the Lords, at a conference of both Houses on Thursday the seventeenth of February last concerning the propositions then made by divers gentlemen, citizens and others, for the speedy reducing of the Kingdom of Ireland.	Whitlocke, Bulstrode, 1605-1675 or 6.	1642 (1642)	Wing W1992; ESTC R13284	2,866	9

THE SPEECH OF Bulstrode Whitelocke Esquire TO The Right Honourable the Lords At a Conference of both Houses on Thursday the seventeenth of February last Concerning the Propositions then made by divers Gentlemen Citizens and others for the speedy reducing of the Kingdom of IRELAND LONDON Printed for John Burroughes 1642. The Speech of Bulstrode Whitelock Esquire To the Right Honourable the House of Peers now assembled in PARLIAMENT My Lords I Am commanded by the House of Commons to present unto your Lordships a Vote which hath passed that House upon some propositions made unto them for the speedy and effectuall reducing of the Kingdom of Ireland I desire the Vote may be read and afterwards I shall offer a few Reasons to invite your Lordships consent unto it After the Vote read My Lords You observe three Motives for the House of Commons to passe this Vote 1. The Reducing of Ireland 2. The greatnesse and profit of the King 3. The case of the People of England The reducing of that Kingdom at this time concerns not only the Civil Power but the existence of our Religion Their former Rebellions have been only conflicts with Soveraignty to withstand the subjection to the Crown of England the present revolts goes to the extirpation of our Nation and Religion amongst them They have falsely scandalized the Piety and Honour of His Majestie and of the Queen and yet pretend loyalty and would cover their wickednesse with the cloak of their Religion It is too evident they intend not only to shake of the Government of England over them but to blot out the name of the English and Protestants and if their strength can equall their malice and suffice to transport them hither they will stain this Land with the bloud of Protestants as they have already with most barbarous cruolties taken away the lives of many thousands of our poor Brethren in Ireland ● The question is not now Whether English or Irish shall govern but whether the Protestant or the Popish Religion shall be established and which of them shall be ruined The very life and soul of our Religion lyes now at stake and no good Protestant but will readily lay down his own life and fortunes to succour and maintain it These propositions tend to that good end and there can be no greater motive to entertain them 2. The greatnesse and profit of His Majesty is so much concerned herein That as the losse of that large and fertile Iland would cut off a third part of His Majesties Dominions so a through reduction of it would establish the Kings throne which hath been totterring there above 400. years and would much advantage the greatnesse and profit of His Majesty 3. The ease of the people of England your Lordships will readily condiscend unto when you shall be pleased to remember the great and heavy payments they have lately undergone I omit those illegall ones before the Parliament where the payment was a punishment for submission to unlawfull taxes but those necessary great levies raised by Authority of this Parliament and whereby the happy settlement of the peace and union of England and Scotland hath been wrought These with the present generall decay of trade have brought the people very low and we finde some in the Country more apprehensive what summes go out of their Purses then what honor or liberty they gain therby Our Stories acquaint us with sad effects of great and often taxes If these propositions succeed those dangers will be prevented the inferiour and poorer sort eased and sufficient to do the work raised voluntarily by such as are best able and willing to spare it By many liberall and cheerfull contributions whom God will blesse for it It will be a pleasing sacrifice to him and an immortall honor to those most worthy persons who shall bring materialls to this building And this not without strong hopes of advantage to themselves When profit shall be an ingredient with Charity and Loyalty the plaister will be the sooner and better tempered that may cure the wounds of Ireland And when Charity doth relieve our poor distressed Brethren Loyalty to our King and Country to preserve the honour and profit of both And Piety to God and our own souls are the Motives I doubt not of the cheerfull concurrence of your Lordships with the House of Commons to embrace all good and honorable means for the effecting this great work of reducing that Kingdom I come now to the propositions The first is That two Millions and a half of Acres may be allotted to such as shall disburse moneyes for this service The propositions may seem at the first very large and difficult but when it shall appear by computation of men of great experience of that Countrey and upon solid grounds that the content of this Island is above 15 Millions of Acres of profitable Lands whereof 5 Millions of Acres are estimated to belong to the Kings good Subjects there out of the ten Millions remaining they ask but two Millions and a half and yet three parts of four of that Kingdom are out in Rebellion This may make the propositions seem neither immoderate nor difficult The proportions to be assigned to the adventurers will be found equall and reasonable The second proposition is in advancing the Kings Revenue by reserved Rents to him out of these two Millions and half Acres It is well known the Revenue of that Kingdom out of the Exchequer and Court of Wards there never exceeded forty three thousand pounds per an. besides the Customes which never yeelded much and altogether would scarce defray the charge of that Crown And some late pretences of improving the Revenue there appear to your Lordships upon examination to be very small and all that was advanced came by unworthy Monopolies and to private hands By these propositions the Rent to be reserved will amount to between thirty and forty thousand pounds per an. besides seven Millions and a half of Acres left to be disposed and what even the Customes have been at the highest will be really trebled unto his Majesty The other propositions are for the speedy payment of such summes as shall be raised whereby the Warre may proceed with a full strength and expedition Livy observes that the Romans made their Warres great and short Those with the Latines Samnites and Tuskanies concluded in short times one in six dayes another in ten dayes and a third in twenty dayes space I mention not this with hopes to be imitated but to shew how much their actions which bear a great sway in the world confirm this truely That nothing in War can be more advantagious to a State that to bring it to a speedy conclusion I cannot remember without much grief of heart the unhappy delayes in the relief of Ireland but those obstructions are now in a good measure removed and our hopes raised that by a blessed concurrence of his Royall Majesty your Lordships and the House of Commons the great work of Ireland with all possible speed will be finished A narrow and thrifty course in this businesse will prove after the old Proverb but penny wisedome To prolong time would give advantage to neighbouring Princes whose particular interest may perhaps at this time engage them otherwise stand at gaze and are full of jealousies of these proceedings to take the first occasion to oppose us and to support our enemies I shall trouble your Lordship no further but with a short observa●ion from the Story of Ireland King William the first who called himself the Conqueror gave leave to twelve Knights to enter Wales and what Lands they could gain there to keep and plant themselves in it from one of these descended Richard the strong Bowe Earl of Chepstoe who in Henry the seconds time made the first Conquest and with such as desired to plant themselves in Ireland Gerraldus Cambrensis tells us this shall continue Crebris conflictibus multis caedibus longoque certamine These propositions I hope will give a period to that prophesie and as the first Conquest there was begun by Plantation so a happy and perfect establishment thereof and of the true Religion may be made by a like noble Plantation to which these propositions tend and by command of the House of Commons I present them to your Lordships for your consent and approbation FINIS