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to bring these Acts & Letter along wth: you because we have no more amongst us. this concludes at pr:sent from

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I HOPE this will find thee in good health, which I shall be glad to hear; I intend towards Leeds to Morrow to see the ffoot Race, & should be Hearty glad of your company; if you think of going I desire you either to be att Bolton by 12 a clock, or meet me att Gisborne by one; There will be a great many of our acquaintance viz: Lister, Lambert, Parker, Serjeantson, York, Starkey, cum multis aliis; wee may go from ye Race to York & take ye Towne before the judges; I hope good nature will work with thee upon this Account, in which hopes I rest

your affec: Kinsman

my humble Service to yr ffather & all att Browsholme.

write two lines per Bearer.

& humble Servant

A: PUDSAY

Væ Mundo propter ingratitudinem
quoth St. Ambrose.

Remembringe (Sir) not to forget ye least.
Of your great love, torninge my fast to feast
By your benevolence, I'm passinge call,
Else I had fasted, feasted none at all.
Record (poore Clerke) in hart this friend indeed
That (thee, bestead,) and fed, in tyme of need.

Parker I meane, second of Brousholme blood
A ncesters ancient, admirable good,
Rewardinge poore, whose prayers sure doe mount
Kind vnto all, their records soe accompt,
E ternity you: bless, all good things then
Reward yo': kyndness to mee (Clerke) Amen.

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TRACTS ON PUBLIC OCCURRENCES,

IN THE REIGNS OF

CHARLES I. AND II. AND JAMES II.

The Speeches in the Parliams holden 1623.

My Lords & gent. all you haue heard his Maties speech & that extraordinarie confidence his Matie hath reposed in the great wisdome & lovinge affeccons of his present Parliamt: you do not expect I am sure of yt any Iteracon or repeticon of the same.

A Lacedemonian beeinge once invited to heare one that could well counterfayt the voice of a nightingale put yt of with this complemt. I have heard the nightingale herselfe. and why should you be troubled with the Croakinge of a Chancellor that haue heard the powerfull expressions of a most eloquent Kinge, & in very deed for me to glosse vpo his Maties Speech were nothinge else but as yt is in the Satire, aureu annulu ferris reddere multu to eãmell a ringe of pure gold with Studs and Stars of rustie Iron. I doe not doute but that theise his Maties, graue sentenses like Eschines oracons haue left behind them a prick or stinge in the mynds and harts of all you his hearers soe that yt is fitt not that I with my rude fumblinge should goe aboute to disturbe or discompose the same: for as yt is written of Nerua that when he had adopted the Emperor Traian he was suddainly taken away, ne post diuinu illud et immortale factu mortale faceret. least after soe transcendent and dvine an act he should doe any thinge that might relishe of mortallitie, soe yt is not fitt yt the iudiciouse eares of theise able hearers be furth' troubled at this tyme, ne post diuinu illud et immortale dictu mortale audierent.

21° Feb: año dm: 1623.

THE SPEAKER. Most gracious soueraigne the Knights Citizens & Burgesses yor Maties: obedient & loyall subiects the representatiue bodie of yo Commons accordinge to their ancient priuiledges & yor maties, gratious direccons haue chosen a Speaker, & amonge soe many Cedars of their Lebanon haue loked downe upon mee a low shrubb & not able to take

H

vpo mee the weight of such seruice wherefore I desyred them to take into their consideračon my weakness & disabilities best knowne to myselfe & not unknowne to them & yt I might be excused, wch. I did not to decline publique duties but out of a true insight of myne owne insufficiencies which beinge not granted by them I humblie appealed to yo' high throne desyringe yor Matie to spare me & to proceed to a new & better elleccon.

LORD KEEPER. Mr. Speaker his Matie, obserueth that in you which Gordius did in Plato, quod in oratoribus arridendis se monstrabat esse oratorem that in speakinge againste orators. he shewed himselfe the greatest orator euen soe yt fares with you in this appeale to his Matie. descendendo ascendis, by fallinge downe in yor owne conceit hath raised you higher in all other mens opinions, by excusinge yo'selfe you shew that there is nothinge in you to be excused, his Matie: doth not only approve but commend the iudgement of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in their choise of you, et quod felix sanctuq; sit, for an omen of good lucke in all their future pceedings hath crowned this first worke of theirs with the old Parliamtarie stile of le Roy le voet exunt verbo ex ore Regis. his Matie. approues their Choice.

THE SPEAKER. Since I cannot bringe an Oliue branch in my hand as a signe of peace & libertie & yt god whose hand the harts of Kings are qui impellit & noe man resists hath inclined yor Matie: to cast yo' eye of grace vpon me & to confirme me in this place, I am taught in the best schoole y1 obedience is better then sacrifice & will only say with a learned father da domine quod iubes et iube quod vis, otherwise I have great cause to be affrayed of soe great a chardg to be executed before soe great a Matie: in soe great an assembly but that I hope yo' Matie: will extend yor Septer of grace as Ahasuerus did to sustaine me in my faintinge. Yor Matie: is princeps hæreditarius discended from both the Roses & haue vnited both the Kingdoms, att yor first entrance you wrought a wonder, in the tumult of our cares happenninge vpon the death of our late Queene of famous memorie by the bright beames of yor sun shine those clouds of feare were dispersed which a Poet expresseth elegantly Mira cano soll occubuit nox nulla secuta est, There was a Dauid in Hebron & noe Ishbosheth to disturbe yor peaceable entrance by the acclamacons of your subjects Nobles & Commons concurringe to expresse their greate contentm'. this was noe syddain flash of ioy but a constant blessinge by the continuance of the gospell & true religion maugre the malice & hellish inventions of those who would haue blowen vpp all at once & they fell into their owne trapp. Theise things I leaue to yo' royall remembrance as a duitie to be practised & to be expressed by our thankfulnesse

3

to our holie god for it is a good thinge to be thankefull non est dignus dandis qui no agit gratias datis. Since my designem' to this place I call to minde the Statuts of later tymes & fynd two of speciall notice, th one of 52 of Henry the 8. which was called Parliamentu doctu for the many good lawes made for the sellinge of Possessions, the other is 39 Eliz: which by a reuerend Bishopp was called Parliamentu più because the subiects are hereby enabled to found Hospitalls without a licence of Mortmaine or a writt of ad qd damnu & other charitable lawes which I omitt beinge not ppetuall but probationes, And I likewise call to mynde many gratiouse offers web came from yor Matie: & other good puisions at the last meetings, now yo' Matie: hath stretched forth yor Scepter to call vs to you againe & hath made a declaracon that all ielosies & distractions might be removed, & the memorie of Parliam nullities bee buried which I earnestly wishe & my desyre is that yoTM Maties. influence may soe distill vpon vs that wee may pceed in such a sweet harmonie & coniunction that mercy & truth may meete & righteousnesse & peace may kisse each other & yt the world may say ecce qua bonu et qua iucundu rege et populu conviuere in vnu. and then for the pfectinge of his worke the good bills against monopolies informers & concealers may now be passed & receiue strength with a generall liberall & royall pardon accordinge to the bounty of the late Queene with release of old detts & such other things which will be good to yo' subiects & noe diminuĉon of yo' reuennue or derrogation of yor prerogatiue which in yor Maties hand is a Septer of gold but in the hands of others would proue a rodd of Iron, that soe this Parliamt may bee styled felix doctu et piu: I need not speake in prayse of the fundamental Comon Lawes veritas temporis filia, tyme hath sufficiently justified them. Monarchies are the best kinde of gouernm's & of Monarchies those which are heriditary. Parliaments are the best wayes to supplie yor Matics wants that which pceeds from them is yor subjects loue & loyaltie, other courses of benevolence come from them more heauilie & vnwillingely yo subiects enjoy the gospell freelie by yo' ptection & yor Matie. may be safe in theire loyaltie, other safetyes are like Aiax Sheild a weight rather then a defence, their desyre is that the good Lawes for establishinge of Religion may bee confirmed & that the generacon of Locusts the Jesuits & seminarie Priests wch were wont to creepe in corners & now come abrode may by the execučons of those Lawes as with an East wynde bee blowne into the seas. Eliz: our late Queene liued & died in peace, the Pope cursed but God blessed her euen soe shall yor Matie: hauinge God to yo" freind fynd safety in the arke of true religio which will keepe you safe in the way & when you

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