Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A56246
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The speech of Sr. George Pudsey Kt. at the time of his being sworn Recorder of the city of Oxford in the Council-chamber of the same city, on Tuesday the eighth day of January 1683/4 where they agreed to the sealing the instrument sent by His Majesty
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Pudsey, George, Sir, b. 1664?
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1684
(1684)
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Wing P4166; ESTC R7814
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4,984
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4
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are so Gentlemen I am not altogether a stranger to History can give a reasonable account of most Countries amongst which England has not an equal Let us see how matters stood with the Jews in Righteous David's days Thou and Ziba divide the Land was David's judgment against his Masters Son before his offence was prov'd A Semeter or a Bow-string leaves breathless in a minute the greatest Subject in three parts of the World without a Judge and Jury In our Neighbouring Countries Racks and Wheels are thought gentle easie ways to find out truth The French Kings Sword is his Subjects Charter The Spanish Inquisition this Worlds Hell In Holland it self that fam'd Common-wealth a Herring is Excis'd nine times before it 's eat yet in these places all hush and still No Plots to murder Kings or Magistrates Gentlemen you must pardon me if I tell ye that many times the too great indulgence of a Prince brings speedy ruine to a Nation Plutarch in the life of Lycurgus gives us a Relation of one Eurytion a Spartan King who took a course never practis'd by his wise Predecessors which was to cajole his own Subjects by slacking the Reins of the Royal Authority but see what follow'd instead of gaining upon them they grew so insolent that at last they brought the Government into contempt and soon after the whole Kingdom into Anarchy and confusion and were never satisfied till one of their best Princes was barbarously murder'd in the streets by the Rabble as he was appeasing a Tumult How near a Parallel is this to his late Majesty who I 'le boldly say has done more except the Present King to endear the Subject then all the Kings from the Norman to this time besides but what come on 't That 's a Melancholy consideration Mercy and Goodness in Princes are too often mistaken and call'd necessity and easiness of Nature An yielding King shall always find a craving Subject We are like the Israelites never satisfi'd desire to return back into Egypt into our old Bondage I have heard that in the late Rebellion a Captain and his Company has made London that haughty Mistress of our Isle whom we so much delight to imitate all in tears her Citizens Crouching like Spaniels at the frown of a Traytor when at the same time they bid defiance to their King Are not we turn'd Mad-men and the Devil fool His invention is lost Must a Nation be destroy'd ' twice in half an age by the very same methods A Juglers tricks if shown more than once or twice becomes Childrens sport Popery was the Topick amongst the Zealous e're since I remember and is now the only Idol that supports the Brethrens cause if the word were but forgotten they were Dumb its the holding twig Who would not have sworn three years since that the Popes Pull was not broken in among us No Popery no Papist were the Oxford Cryes when on my conscience the promoters of the Noise are nearer that perswasion than my self the man they aim'd at Do they not say that Kings are the peoples Creatures made by them and when the Spirit moves may be laid aside again Our Church abhors such Doctrine le ts hold to that Julian that cunning arch Enemy of our Religion encourag'd all Opinions and Sects amongst the Christians that tended to the rooting out of our Faith For shame let 's grow wiser we are in safety if there be such a thing on this side Heaven Let the most factious fellow of e'm all tell me what 's not done to secure the Subject He is fenc'd in on every side the Star-Chamber Court of Wards High Commission Court and every thing which the people had the least colour to call grievous are willingly laid aside What a noise has quartering of Souldiers made How are the Law-Books fill'd with Cases of imprisonments To ease us of these fears too there 's not a Souldier looks into a private house or enters any Inn but as a Traveller the Landlord makes the Bill what Offender is not bail'd out of Prison in such a time if not prosecuted though Treason threw him in if such Acts of Grace as these will not give us grateful souls or at least keep us in quiet nothing but a rod of iron will Will there be no peace till Shebah's head is thrown over the wall Gentlemen I could wast a day upon this subject and challenge all the world to shew me such another Government therefore if these be signs of Arbitrary Power of loss of Liberty and Property speak Gentlemen be not silent Good men will be convincâ—d by reason and bless their Maker for their happiness Ill men must be watch'd by those that are in Power He that grumbles at this Government with Lucifer would quarrel Heaven therefore with him deserves his punishment But suppose the worst that our fears were true that Religion and Allegiance did no ways oblige us that his Majesty had as many vices as he has vertues would Rebellion mend the matter No that a Nation 's Ruin is ready to attest Has not that happened to us and much more which foolish Rehoboam threatened the ten Tribes with that his little finger should be heavier upon them than his Father's Loyns that if his Father whip'd them with rods he would beat them with Scorpions Gentlemen a civil War is like a Gaming-house where none gets at last but the Box-keeper Not long after his Majesties return I was at such a place at a time when a great Lord had lost no little summ to chear his Heart he calls for a glass of Wine and drinks a health to him that had gain'd by play amongst fifty Gentlemen there was not one would lay any title to it at last in comes a little creeping fellow and claims the health protesting that he had never brought into the house more than half a Crown at any one time seldome so much yet by his cunning and advantages had heap'd up many a hundred pound so in Civil War the Beggar mounts a horseback and all above him goe a foot Coblers and Tinkers turn Lords and Lords turn nothing If Rebellion has success which to the discouragement of all Treason it has had but once this six hundred years in England to change it's Government yet the leading Rebels very rarely dye in peace If the Prince be victorious which certainly he is unless when the Almighty intends to call the Nation to a reckoning for her sins then the People are at mercy Which of us would willingly call an Equal or an Inferiour Lord Where were our English Liberty then Therefore since all cannot be Kings let 's be obedient to him that is the best of Kings think Loyalty our greatest interest as well as Duty Gentlemen consider we have watchful eyes over us Esteem not them good Citizens who advise us to wrastle too much with Majesty for we shall have the fall Why then all say with me Long live the King we 'le grant him any thing that he will have because we are sufficiently assur'd he will ask nothing but what we may freely and safely give FINIS