Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A39967
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The Lord Finch his speech in the House of Commons the 21 of December 1641 hee being then lord-keeper.; Speech in the House of Commons the 21 of December, 1640
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Finch of Fordwich, John Finch, Baron, 1584-1660.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing F1551D; ESTC R7418
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6,587
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16
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THE LORD FINCH HIS SPEECH in the house of Commons the 21 of December 1640. Hee being then Lord-Keeper Printed in the Yeere 1641. THE LORD FINCH HIS SPEECH in the house of Commons the 21 of December 1641. Hee being then Lord-Keeper Master Speaker I Doe first present my most humble thanks to this Honourable Assembly for this favour vouchsased mee in granting me admittance to their presence and do humbly beseech them to believe it is no desire to preserve my selfe or my fortune but to deserve the good opinion of those that have drawne me hither I doe professe in the presence of him that knoweth all hearts I had rather goe from dore to dore and crave Daobulum Bellizario with the good will of this assembly then enjoy all the Honours and Fortunes I am capable of I doe not come hither with an intention to justifie my words my actions or opinions but to make a plaine and cleare narration of my selfe and there humbly to submit to the wisedome and Justice of this House my selfe and all that concernes me But this House will not take words but with cleare and Ingenious dealing And therfore I shall beseech them to think that I come not hither with a set or studied speech I come to speake my heart and to speake it clearely and plainly and then to leave it to your clemency and justice and I hope if any thing shall slippe from me to work contrary to my meaning and Intention disorderly or ill placed you will bee pleased to make a favourable Construction and leave mee the liberty of explanation if there shall be any but I hope there shall be no cause for it I hope for my affection in Religion no man doubteth me What my education was and under whom I lived for many yeares as well known eI lived neere thirty years in the Society of Grayes-Inne and if one that was a Reverend Preacher there in my time Doctor Sibs were now living he were able to give Testimony to this House that when a party ill affected in Religion sought to tyre and weary him out he had his chiefest encouragement and help from me I have M. Speaker bin now 15 yeares of the Kings Councell from the first houre to this minute no man is able to say that ever I was either Author deviser or consenter to any project It pleased the King my gracious Master after I had served him divers yeares to preferre me to two places first to be chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas and then Lord Keeper of his Great Seale I say it in the presence of God I was so farre from the thought of the one and the ambition of the other that if my Master the King his Grace and goodnesse had not beene I had never enjoyed those Honours In all that time I may speake it with a Confidence these hands never touched bribe nor reward these eyes were never blinded with guist I took heed to these affections common to man which are aptest to mislead a Judge Friendship and hatred neither in the owne nor the other have I adhered Those that know me know me farre from a vindicative nature I cannot know M. Speaker what particulars there are by which you have an ill opinion of mee and therefore I shall come very weakely armed Yet these that either in my owne knowledge or such knowledge as is given me and not from any of this house I shall speake somewhat that I hope being truth and accompanied with clearenesse and ingenuity will at the last proceed some allay in that ill opinion which may perhaps be conceived of me M. Speaker I had once the honour to sit in that place from the first time I came hither to the unfortunate houre I went out I doe appeale to all that were then if I served not you with candor Ill office I never did to either of the Houses but did ever wish the good of both For that last unhappy day I had my share of griefe in it and I hope there are some doe remember no man within the wals of this House did expresse more Symptomes of Sorrow then I did After an adjournment for two or three dayes it pleased his Majesty to send for me to let me know hee could not so resolve of things as he desired and therefore was desirous there might be an adjournement for some few dayes more I protest I did not then discerne in his Majesty and I believe it was not in his thought to think of the dissolving of the Parliament but was pleased to command me to deliver his pleasure to the House for an adjournment for some few dayes and forthwith upon the delivery of the mesuage to come and wait upon him He likewise commanded me if questions were offered to be out upon my Allegiance I should dare to doe it How much then did I in all humblenesse reason with his Majestie is not for me here to speake only thus much let me say I was no Authour of any councell in it I was onely person in receiving Commission I speake not this as any thing I now produce or doe invente or take up for mine owne excuse but what is knowne to divers and some Honorable persons in this House to be most true All that I will say for that is humbly to beseech you all to consider that if it had beene any mans cause as it was mine betweene the displeasure of a gracious King and the ill opinion of an Honorable Assembly I beseech you lay altogether lay my first actions and behaviour with the last I shall submit with your honorable and favourable constructions For the shipping businesse my opinion in that cause hath layne heavy upon me and I shall cleerely and truely present unto you what every thing is with this protestation that if in reckoning up mine owne opinion what I was of or what I delivered any thing of it he displeasing or contrary to the opinion of this House that I am farre from justifying of it but submit that and all other my actions to your wisedome and goodnesse Master Speaker the first Writs that were sent out about shipping businesse I had no more knowledge of it and was as ignorant as any one member of this House or any man in the Kingdome I was never the Authour or deviser of it and will bouldly say from the first houre I did never advise or councell the setting forth of any ship Writs in my life Master Speaker it is true that I was made chiefe Justice of the common Pleas some foure dayes before the Ship-writs went out to the Ports and Maritine places as I doe remember the 13 of October 1634 they doe beare test And I was sworne chiefe Justice the 16 of October so as they went out in that time but without my knowledge or privity the God of Heaven knowes this to be true Master Speaker afterwards his Majesty was pleased to command my Lord chiefe Justice of the Kings Bench