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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
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 Order'd by Act of Council that Sir GEORGE PUDSEY Knight be Desired to Print his Speech BAKER LONDON Printed for Anthony Stephens Bookseller in Oxford and are to be Sold by Thomas Sawbridge at the three Flower de Luces in Little-Britain MDCLXXXIV The Speech of Sir George Pudsey Knight at the time of his being sworn Recorder c. GENTLEMEN FOrtune has at last gratified me in that earnest Desire I have always had to serve You And tho' I despair of making due Acknowledgements yet you may believe that I am very sensible of the Favour you have done me in so unanimously chusing me to be your Servant for such a one your Recorder is 't is a place of Honour and of Trust and if I discharge it not as I ought or at least as I am able I am the worst of Men I value my self much upon it but more upon your Friendship Perhaps few Recorders for many ages have been so freely Elected Therefore Gratitude as well as Oath obliges me to be faithful to you Interest also a mighty Motive prompts me to the same I am your Neighbour as well as fellow Citizen The little Fortune that I have lies near you if Oxford flourish Elsfield will not fare the worse Gentlemen I hope you 'l have a favourable opinion of him you have made yours It 's no inconsiderable disadvantage to succeed a man of such great abilities as your last Recorder was a Person who liv'd long amongst you and knew the secrets of your Corporation yet this I vow I 'le pray the aid of all the Inns of Court rather than you shall suffer and indeed why should you in any thing Have you not opportunities enough to be happy Does not the Great and Good Earl of Abingdon ofter his assistance ready at all times upon his knee to begg his Majesties Favour in your behalf When he appears make room for Oxford cries the Guards the Town is Loyal grown when at another time if I may speak it A modest Oxford man dare hardly peep in Court Why then don 't we by his vast Interest let in the Peams of Majesty upon us Who can live without the Sun Have we not a famous University for our Example Let her great Loyalty if it be possible be outdone by us Can we be poison'd at the Fountain head Where is Learning Piety and Obedience practis'd if not in this our English Athens Who so ignorant that does not know how eminent this place has been for Loyalty How proud it was when Charles the First that Glorious King shut himself up within our walls Did not our Citizens follow Bellona's Call to defend his Sacred Person from Rebels fury Was not this the Seat of War With what bravery and gallantry did this City assert its Monarch's Right Surely the stock of Loyalty is not worn out How many are there in this place now that liv'd in those days and play'd the Soldiers part therefore I 'le not think there 's an ill man amongst us however it happens that for some miscarriages of ours we stand not right in Caesars favour We promise largely perform poorly and that with grudging too The Widow's mite what was it yet being all and freely given had the largest thanks Gentlemen let me advise you to redeem your selves again His Majesty whom the Law stiles Head of the Kingdom Father of the Country Master of the whole Family of the Nation Chief Justice of all England and a kind of petty God on Earth who for the excellency of his Person by way of resemblance has Divine Attributes as Immortality for as King he never dies Soveraignty Majesty Power Verity Justice and the like He is merciful of a God-like temper as ready to forgive as we to ask let us think nothing but good of him and his Government for fears and jealousies have been of fatal consequence to this Nation and still are the greatest enemies to the peace and tranquillity of it Sometimes they cry Popery is a breaking in upon us when God knows as it is lately prov'd the eight hundredth man is not Papist unless all are such that are not Dissenters from the Church for so indeed they call us Did not his Majesty for several years live in Popish soil yet came over to us as well in Heart as Title Defender of the Faith His Royal Highness Great Britains Mars its Heir and Glory has upon all occasions exprest himself highly in favour of our Church has settled the Protestant Religion upon such sure foundations in Scotland that it 's not to be shaken Are not his Daughters after him the present Heirs to the Imperial Crown Protestants and married two such Princes on design purely for to secure our Religion when France it self courted that alliance for its Heir Are not the Lords of the Romish Faith excluded the House of Peers The Laws strictly put in execution against the Papists Besides What alteration can there be in Church or State without a National consent If these are signs of Popery then indeed we are in danger What think ye Gentlemen You are men of reason live among the Muses where Learning is at the height Though I must confess if a Papist must not breath Common Air or tread his Native Earth because he is so 't is hard Who does not think his own opinion best Sometimes again how doe the fears of Arbitrary Power of loss of Liberty and Property call Crowds together to consult who shake the Head look down cry we are lost sad times are coming When that 's the only way to have them come for if a People grow Rebel-ripe why should not we believe that Kings who sit at stern that pick and cull the Nation for the wisest Heads should not endeavour to preserve their Empire and Dominion as well as we quit shops and stalls and fly to Coffee-Houses to examine every Letter to see how things are like to go with us Gentlemen be not seduc'd by men of Seditious Spirits The first sin of Men and Angels was Rebellion Heaven and Paradise were lost by it believe it is the Kings Interest as well as Royal Inclination to preserve us in our Rights and Liberties For take away Property and Industry is quickly at an end Where is the Crowns safety then The empty Travailer laughs at the Thief who values his Countries defence that hath nothing in it which he can call his own In some of the Eastern Parts the Garden of the World by Nature a man may ride some scores of Miles and scarcely see a Hut because no man has any thing but at the Princes will With us the Prosperity of the People is the Monarchs joy He always esteems himself Rich if they